The format file is divided into sections:
Each section consists of a section header (the section name enclosed in square brackets (for example "[my_section]")) on a line by itself. This is followed by the body of the section, typically single line statements of the form:
"something = something_else -> something_else_again"
Any white space (or none at all) is acceptable around the "=" and the "->", but the whole statement needs to be on one line. Most statements within a format file follow this pattern, but in many cases there might be no "->" (the converter), or there might just be a converter without anything following it.
The following sections are necessary in every format file:
[General]
[Columns]
[ImportFilterMap]
[ExportFilterMap]
Other sections might be necessary depending on the
complexity of the conversion between CitectSCADA and the external data
source. This is determined by the contents of [ImportFilterMap] and [ExportFilterMap].
Comments can also be added within or between sections. To do this, place a semicolon ";" as the first character on the line. The rest of the line is then considered a comment, and is ignored by CitectSCADA. For example:
; I am putting the [General] section here
[General]