The FOAM file format has not changed from version 2.0 in many years and so there
is no longer a need for the 'version' entry in the FoamFile header to be
required and to reduce unnecessary clutter it is now optional, defaulting to the
current file format 2.0.
In order to avoid conflict with the use of ':' in model-specific fields,
e.g. "thermo:rho", in the "slash" syntax the '!' character is now used to refer
to the top-level dictionary.
If there is a part of the keyword before the '!' then this is taken to be the
file name of the dictionary from which the entry will be looked-up using the
part of the keyword after the '!'.
For example, given a dictionary file named testSlashDict2:
internalField 5.6;
active
{
type fixedValue;
value.air $internalField;
}
it is now possible to read entries from it directly in the dictionary file testSlashDict:
external
{
value $testSlashDict2!active/value.air;
}
active2
{
$testSlashDict2!active;
}
which expands to
external
{
value 5.6;
}
active2
{
type fixedValue;
value.air 5.6;
}
A new optional "slash" scoping syntax is now provided which is more intuitive
than the current "dot" syntax as it corresponds to the common directory/file
access syntax used in UNIX, and avoids limitations of the "dot" (see below)
e.g.
internalField 3.4;
active
{
type fixedValue;
value.air $internalField;
}
inactive
{
type anotherFixedValue;
value $../active/value.air;
anotherValue $:active/value.air;
sub
{
value $../../active/value.air;
anotherValue $:active/value.air;
}
}
"U.*"
{
solver GAMG;
}
e.air
{
// This does expand
$U.air;
}
"#inputSyntax slash;" selects the new "slash" syntax.
"../" refers to the parent directory.
":" refers to the top-level directory.
The corresponding dictionary using the current "dot" syntax is
internalField 3.4;
active
{
type fixedValue;
value.air $internalField;
}
inactive
{
type anotherFixedValue;
value $..active.value.air;
anotherValue $:active.value.air;
sub
{
value $...active.value.air;
anotherValue $:active.value.air;
}
}
"U.*"
{
solver GAMG;
}
e.air
{
// This doesn't expand
$U.air;
}
Note that the "$U.air" expansion does not work in this case due to the
interference between the use of '.' for scoping and phase-name.
This is a fundamental problem which prompted the development of the new more
intuitive and flexible "slash" syntax.
The new syntax also allows a for planned future development to access entries
in directories in other files, e.g.
active
{
type fixedValue;
value.air $FOAM_CASE/internalFieldValues/value.air;
}
or
active
{
type fixedValue;
value.air :../internalFieldValues/value.air;
}
Replaced all uses of complex Xfer class with C++11 "move" constructors and
assignment operators. Removed the now redundant Xfer class.
This substantial changes improves consistency between OpenFOAM and the C++11 STL
containers and algorithms, reduces memory allocation and copy overhead when
returning containers from functions and simplifies maintenance of the core
libraries significantly.
