XMM-Newton Science Analysis System: User Guide



2.6 Running a SAS task from the command line

Each SAS task has its own command-line help that can be invoked by typing its name on the command line followed by the option -h. For example:

 evselect -h

Individual tasks can be called using a set of parameters, which are entered on the command line. Every task has a Parameter Specification File which defines the name and type of each parameter and default values or allowed ranges. These parameters can also be accessed using the SAS GUI. The GUI reads the parameter specification file and provides a dialog window into which the user can enter values. The GUI then launches the task by generating a command line which can then be read in the sas_log file. The task parameter handling system (see: http://xmm-tools.cosmos.esa.int/external/sas/current/doc/param/), in addition to setting default values, is capable of handling complex expressions. Even further, some parameters can have child parameters, which are activated depending on the value of the parent parameter. For example:

 evselect --xcolumn=RAWX

implies

 --withimageset=yes

unless -withimageset=no is explicitly set.

All SAS tasks support the following command line options:

If the task uses the ODF Access Layer (OAL), the command line option -odf odf or -o odf is recognized as well. It specifies the ODF that is to be accessed by the OAL. The variable odf can be the name of an ODF summary file, as created by the task odfingest, or merely the name of a directory containing one. In the latter case, the summary file is assumed to have a name ending in *SUM.SAS.

If the task uses the Calibration Access Layer (CAL), the following command line options are recognized:

European Space Agency - XMM-Newton Science Operations Centre