7.2. Tutorials

7.2.1. Using the CSV storage utility plugin with Converter

If you have a recorded database in any of the binary CDR serialized formats, it is pretty difficult to analyze the recorded data without replaying it. While there is an option to convert the recorded database to JSON (see Section 5.2.21), you can also convert it to CSV format.

The Converter can convert an XCDR database to CSV format using a default configuration called sqliteToCsv.

7.2.1.1. Setup

We need to make sure rtistorageutils can be loaded dynamically by rticonverter, set the library search path variable as follows:

export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH;<NDDSHOME>/lib/<architecture>
export DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH=$DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH;<NDDSHOME>/lib/<architecture>
set PATH=%PATH%;<NDDSHOME>\lib\<architecture>

Note

<NDDSHOME> is described in section Section 1.3.

7.2.1.2. Execution

To demonstrate the functionality we first need to record some data. Run Shapes Demo with the default configuration and publish some Triangles and Circles (using Shapes Demo is described in Section 3.6.1.2). Once Shapes Demo has started, run Recording Service as follows:

<NDDSHOME>/bin/rtirecordingservice

The default configuration should record data in a directory called cdr_recording.

Now run Converter to perform the conversion of the previously generated database into a single text file in CSV format:

<NDDSHOME>/bin/rticonverter -cfgName sqliteToCsv

If you need to customize the behavior of this configuration, you can do so by adding user variables to the command, as shown:

<NDDSHOME>/bin/rticonverter -cfgName sqliteToCsv -DCSV_WORKSPACE_DIR=my_custom_dir
        -DCSV_MERGE_FILES=false -DINPUT_DIR=my_cdr_recording_dir

Wait until conversion of the entire input database is performed and rticonverter exits automatically. Upon successful conversion, you will find a folder in the current directory with the name csv_output. That folder will contain a file called csv_converted.csv containing topic data for the Triangles and Circles published earlier by the Shapes Demo and recorded by rtirecordingservice. This can be verified by opening the file using an editor of your choice.