The dialog presented here is used for configuring the symbol file which will be created during each compilation of the project. The symbol file is created as a text file <project name>.sym respectively as a binary file <project name>.sdb (the format is depending on the used gateway version) in the project directory. The file is needed for data exchange with the controller via the symbolic interface and will be used for that purpose e.g. by OPC- or GatewayDDE-Server.
If the option Create symbol entries is activated, then symbol entries for the project variables will be automatically written to the symbol file. Otherwise only version info about file and project is contained.
If additionally the option Dump XML symbol table is activated, then also an XML file containing the symbol information will be created in the project directory. It will be named <project name>.SYM_XML.
Regard the following when configuring the symbol entries:
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If option 'Symbol config from INI-file' is activated in the target settings, then the symbol configuration will be read from the codesys.ini file or from another ini-file which is defined there. (In this case the dialog 'Set object attributes' cannot be edited.)
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If option 'Symbol config from INI-file' is not activated, the symbol entries will be generated in accordance with the settings you can make in the 'Set object attributes' dialog. You get there using the Configure symbol file button:
Use the tree-structured selection editor to mark the variables which should be entered in the symbol file. For this purpose you can select a POU's entry (e.g. Global Variables) which automatically will mark all variables belonging to this POU, or you can select particular variables. For the selected set of entries then activate the desired options in the lower part of the dialog box by mouse-clicks on the corresponding option boxes. Activated options are displayed checked. The following options can be set:
Export variables of object: The variables of the selected object are exported into the symbol file.
The following options can take effect only if the Export variables of object option is activated:
Export data entries: Entries for access to the global variables are created for object's structures and arrays.
Export structure components: An individual entry is created for each variable component of object's structures.
Export array entries: An individual entry is created for each variable component of object's arrays.
Write Access: Object's variables may be changed by the OPC server.
Once the option settings for the currently selected variables are complete, other POUs can be also be selected - without closing the dialog before - and given an option configuration. This can be carried out for any desired number of POU selections, one after the other.
When the dialog box is closed by selecting OK, all configurations carried out since the dialog box was opened are applied.
Note: Regard the possibility of using pragmas in the declaration of a variable, which define that the variable is taken to the symbol file with restricted access or that it is excluded from the symbol file.
The settings will be stored in CODESYS.