2.4.10.6. DDS Data Type View

The DDS Data Type View presents hierarchical and textual views of a data type used by a DataWriter or DataReader. This view includes two tabs:

• The Type tree tab presents the data type as a hierarchy.

  

• The Equivalent IDL tab presents the same information in IDL.

  

2.4.10.6.1. Overview

The Type tree tab in DDS Data Type View includes the following columns:

• Name - The name of the type or field represented by this row. If the row is a field and the field is part of the type’s key, then it will have the key icon as well as having the text “(key)” following the name.

• Type / Ordinal - The field’s type or enumerate’s ordinal.

• Extensibility - Indicates the field’s extensibility status. Note that not every row will have this indication, for example, enumerates inside an enumeration will have no indication here.

• Optional? - Indicates if the field is optional (true), not optional (false) or blank if this concept is not applicable for the row.

• Min Sample Size - The minimum size that samples of this type can be when serialized for distribution. Note that this size does not account for protocol overhead.

• Max Sample Size - The maximum size that samples of this type can be when serialized for distribution. Not that this size does not account for protocol overhead.

• TypeCode Size - The serialized size of the TypeCode. Note that this is not the size for samples, those are explained above in the Min/Max Sample Sizes. Rather, this is the size needed to transfer information about the data type itself.

• TypeObject Size - The serialized size of the TypeObject. Note that this is not the size for samples, those are explained above in the Min/Max Sample Sizes. Rather, this is the size needed to transfer information about the data type itself.

• Union Labels - If the field is part of a union, then the associated labels will be shown here.

The Equivalent IDL tab displays a read-only textual representation of the data type. The text in this view can be exported to a file or selected and copied to the clipboard through the standard OS shortcuts or through the right-click menu.

Note

The min and max sample serialized size columns are provided as a guide to show representative sizes. The actual sizes may vary somewhat from the calculated values due to byte alignments as a sample is serialized. Also, row 1 is calculated to include encapsulation whereas other rows are not (since only the top level type includes encapsulation). As a result of this, the sum of rows 2 and greater may not be equal to the value displayed in row 1.

2.4.10.6.2. Toolbar

The toolbar in this view contains controls to:

• Choose how the min and max sample serialized sizes are calculated, using the XCDR and XCDR2 buttons.

• Export IDL to a file.

• Export type tree contents to a CSV file.

• Expand all tree nodes.

• Collapse all tree nodes.

• Link with selection - Toggling this button will link/unlink this view to/from displaying information about the current selection. One way to use this feature is to select something and then unlink this view from the selection. Then, a new instance of this view can be created and a populated with a new selection. Data can then be compared between the first and second selection.

• Minimize and maximize the view.