[Trilinos-Users] A couple of questions about ParamterList

[Markus Berndt]

We are using ParameterList and its XML representation extensively in two
projects (ASCEM and a LANL LDRD). The input for multi-physics
simulations is read from an XML representation of a ParameterList using
the Teuchos tools that exist for converting XML to a PrameterList.

Since we have to input many quantities that have units associated with
them, it would be nice if there was a way to associate an additional
string with a parameter in the ParameterList XML representation which
could be used to specify the units of a parameter. Is there already a
mechanism that could facilitate that? If not, I think this would be a
popular feature if it was available.

It would be incredibly convenient if the XML representation of
ParameterList would allow the inclusion of another XML file (something
like #include for cpp). With this, we would have an easier time
organizing large input files, by keeping snippets of XML for particular
material descriptions and simply including them when needed. I
understand that this can be accomplished by preprocessing the input, but
that is a step that is hard to sell to actual users of a simulator. Did
I miss an already existing include feature? If not, would you consider
including this in a future version of the PrameterList XML reader?

- Markus

-- 
Markus Berndt -- LANL CCS-2 -- (505) 665-4711