Copying, Pasting, and Duplication
Copying and Pasting
Copying in the iSMA Tool uses a standard Windows clipboard and may take place within the limits of one controller or between two controllers. Copying always includes all the inferior components of the selected component.
Copying Between Two Controllers
Copying between two controllers is available for AAC20 controllers. Before copying components between two controllers, make sure that a target controller (where components will be pasted to) has the same kits installed as a source controller. Otherwise, a notice window pops up, informing that copying and pasting between two controllers is not feasible.
This function is available from iSMA Tool 1.2.6 version and is independent from a firmware version of AAC20 controllers.
- Pasting copied components creates new components along with their children and slot settings effective at the moment of copying. The pasted slot value for the new component depends on a slot type: values are copied for slots of a config type, while others are reset to respective defaults.
- The iSMA Tool allows copying only of components; copying and pasting of links alone is impossible. Information about all component’s links is stored in the component itself. It means that if a component is copied and pasted and there is a possibility to recreate its links from a logical point of view, the iSMA Tool will do it automatically adding new links between components.
- Copying in the iSMA Tool requires to identify components to be copied by selecting them. When a Copy option or Ctrl+C combination is used, the elements are saved to the Windows clipboard. This allows the Paste option to be used in any moment in the future until the next element is copied, even after the components, which were copied, were deleted because the iSMA Tool automatically recreates the copied structure by recreating the needed components remembered in the clipboard.
- Copying includes all the links created between the copied components. This means that while pasting the links between these components will be recreated. The situation is different for external links (links to components placed under a different parent). Basic Paste function does not support the recreation of external links, this needs another Paste Special function described in the following point.
- Copied components may be pasted into a chosen place in the Wire Sheet or Property Sheet views or in the Workspace Tree window, by indicating the pasting place and pressing Ctrl + V, or Paste from the context menu.
- Pasting function can be used many times because pasting does not erase the clipboard. The clipboard is wiped after device disconnection. The pasting option can be performed only within the same device.
- When pasting a single component, the system will ask for a new component name (with a highlighted name suggestion and support for bulk naming patterns, see Renaming Components) and number of copies to paste, and for a multi-component operation the iSMA Tool will use a mechanism ensuring that the names will be unique.
Figures below show operation of Copy and Paste functions, where newly created components (on the right figure, lower part) retained internal links.
Special Pasting
An expanded version of the Paste function is called Paste Special (available in the context menu); its aim is to recreate external links for copied components.
External links will be recreated only if all the below requirements are met:
- using the Paste Special, not the Paste, command from the context menu;
- components copied to the clipboard have external input links;
- an external component, which an external input link is recreated for, still exists.
On the figure below the CompareExpr component has been selected, and then the Copy option has been used. Only the CompareExpr component is remembered to the clipboard, even though it has both input and output external links. The figure on the right shows using a Paste Special option, where a new CompareExpr1 component retained the same settings as the original and additionally new external links were created (marked in green).
Duplication
A Duplication is used for a quick replication of a selected component along with its values. The slot value for the duplicated component depends on a slot type: the value is copied for slots of the ‘config’ type, while others are reset to respective defaults.
Additionally, the duplication does not disturb what was copied by using Copy and Paste functions, i.e., it does not overwrite what is contained in the clipboard.
Duplication can be performed by key combination Ctrl+D or from the context menu function.
