Configuration File (.yml)

The following describes the creation and validation of a configuration file, which is expected to be in the .yml file format. Configuration files are separated into three main sections, namely:

  • config_file_version (float): The .yml file format, a float. Specific functionality in the pytribeam module is tied to different versions of configuration files. The most current .yml file version is 1.0.

  • general (dict): General settings applicable to the entire experiment, a dictionary. Details for individual keys can be found in General Settings.

  • steps (dict): Settings for all individual steps or operations of an experiment, a dictionary. Details for individual sub-dictionaries outlining a specific step type can be found in Step Settings.

Notes on configuration file parameters

  • Various parameters rely on default constants (both ranges and specific values), some of which can be adjusted by the user in the configuration file, but most of which are defined in the constants module. Variables defined in the constants module can only be modified if the user installs the pytribeam package in an editable format (see Installation for more details) and adjusts the default values before using the package.

  • Some parameters are optional or may need to be left blank to avoid conflicting with other settings. In these cases, users may opt not to provide an entry for the parameter. This can be achieved by leaving the entry blank or by entering the NoneType value for .yml files, which should be entered as the string null.

  • At the beginning of an experiment, all parameters are processed through a validator to catch obvious issues or errors with configuration file parameters. Although this cannot catch all possible invalid configuration file parameters, a description of issues is provided where possible to help resolve these validation errors. This validator can also be accessed directly in the GUI prior to running an experiment (see GUI for details on use).

The subsequent sections detail individual settings for both the general and steps dictionaries.