The input data file contains keywords. Every keyword is linked with a specific number of figures and text strings. Keywords, figures and text strings can be input freely, with the exception of the following rules:
· Keywords must start in column 1.
· Only keywords are permitted in column 1.
· The specified sequence of figures and text strings must be followed.
· A figure is only recognised as a figure if there is a space on either side of it.
· A text string is only recognised as a text string if it is enclosed in inverted commas (“ ”).
· An unknown value can be indicated by an asterisk “*” or the figure 9.9999E+30.
Explanatory text may be entered in a keyword. All text which is not a figure or a text string as defined above will be ignored. As a result, the keywords in the example below are all identical:
*PFAC 1.3 0.3
*PFAC Faktor 1: 1.3 Faktor 2: 0.3
*PFAC k = 1.3 + 0.3 * Diameter.
The order of the keywords is not free. A keyword which refers to another keyword must be defined after the primary keyword. An example is the pipe keyword which refers to the names of nodes. This is why the pipe keyword has to be placed after the node keyword.