How to store a file path in a TDMS Property

[David_Staab]

I need to store some Windows paths to other files as TDMS properties, but (according to another forum post I now can't find), the following characters are all illegal in TDMS properties: . : , ; ' \ @ < > # [ ] % ( ) { } | * ? = ! "

Many of those are used in paths. I thought of converting each of them to its ASCII character code like an HTTP URL, but the '%' character is in the list, too. Can anyone recommend an approach to handling this situation?

[mikeporter]

Don't think it's a problem - perhaps the property name can't contain those values. I just modified the TDM write example to wire a channel group property called path that contained the file's own path (converted to a string) and it worked fine. The modified example ran, the TDMS file viewer opened and there was my property.

Mike...

[David_Staab]

Can that property be read from DIAdem? I believe the characters I listed only become an issue in DIAdem; the LV API is much more forgiving.

[mikeporter]

That I don't know, don't have diadem installed. Give it a try.

Mike...

[Davidek]

Hi David

I went ahead and tried to store a path as a TDMS property and it worked fine:

Best Regards

David

EDIT: Sorry for the redundant post. Am sitting on a alow connection and didn't see the previous responses

[David_Staab]

David -

How about DIAdem?

[Davidek]

Sorry, not installed in this computer or any I can reach at the moment

[David_Staab]

Could you check when you have the chance? I have no guarantee that my TDMS file won't be used in DIAdem.

[mikeporter]

You have now had two people take time out of their day to test the insertion process for you and that works.

You are the one who has customers that use Diadem, why don't you try it? It is after all your problem.

Mike...

[Davidek · Accepted solution]

I actually did something I almost never do. I searched DIAdems online help. I found a page on name conventions for properties on TDMS files which states the following:

"If you use one of the following characters in a custom property name, DIAdem replaces this character with an underscore: .,:, ,, ;, ', \, @, <, >, #, [, ], %, (, ), {, }, |, *, ?, =, !, ", ^, $, &, +, -, /, and a space. DIAdem also replaces a leading number in the property name with an underscore."

It however does not state anywhere that I've found that you can't use these symbols in a text as part of the property data. 

Best Regards

David