Startup Script

A startup script is a set of commands to be executed by a translator when it starts. This typically provides a default environment for all clients connecting to the service.

Data sources can be specified in this script and will then be ready for selection by all clients who connect to the service. Database interfaces might connect to a database, using the connect command. Other file-based interfaces could indicate the top of a file hierarchy (the cd command) beneath which all data files would be made available. Alternatively, both these settings may be supplied on the program command line.

Commands can be executed in a translator startup script to set a common environment for all client sessions, e.g. set a clipping region, set default symbology. This is done using one or more flavors of the set command.

Commands which are forbidden in a startup script are those which require a client connection, e.g. query selection, data retrieval etc.

A startup script can be specified for a translator by the -start=<file> phrase on the translator's program command line. <file> usually has the extension .ifx to differentiate it from Fire scripts which have the extension .cmd.