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ITANGO(1) itango ITANGO(1)

NAME

itango - itango

ITango is a PyTango CLI based on IPython. It is designed to be used as an IPython profile.

It is available since PyTango 7.1.2 and has been moved to a separate project since PyTango 9.2.0.

You can start ITango by typing on the command line:

$ itango


or the equivalent:

$ ipython --profile=tango


and you should get something like this: [image]

FEATURES

ITango works like a normal python console, but it gives you in addition a nice set of features from IPython like:

  • proper (bash-like) command completion
  • automatic expansion of python variables, functions, types
  • command history (with up/down arrow keys, %hist command)
  • help system ( object? syntax, help(object))
  • persistently store your favorite variables
  • color modes



For a complete list checkout the IPython web page.

Plus an additional set of Tango specific features:

  • automatic import of Tango objects to the console namespace (tango module, DeviceProxy (=Device), Database, Group and AttributeProxy (=Attribute))
  • device name completion
  • attribute name completion
  • automatic tango object member completion
  • list tango devices, classes, servers
  • customized tango error message
  • tango error introspection
  • switch database
  • refresh database
  • list tango devices, classes
  • store favorite tango objects
  • store favorite tango devices
  • tango color modes



Check the Highlights to see how to put these feature to good use :-)

HIGHLIGHTS

Tab completion

ITango exports many tango specific objects to the console namespace. These include:

the tango module itself

ITango [1]: tango
Result [1]: <module 'tango' from ...>


The DeviceProxy (=Device), AttributeProxy (=Attribute), Database and Group classes

ITango [1]: De<tab>
DeprecationWarning            Device       DeviceProxy
ITango [2]: Device
Result [2]: <class 'tango._tango.DeviceProxy'>
ITango [3]: Device("sys/tg_test/1")
Result [3]: DeviceProxy(sys/tg_test/1)
ITango [4]: Datab<tab>
ITango [4]: Database
ITango [4]: Att<tab>
Attribute       AttributeError  AttributeProxy


The Tango Database object to which the itango session is currently connected

ITango [1]: db
Result [1]: Database(homer, 10000)





Device name completion

ITango knows the complete list of device names (including alias) for the current tango database. This means that when you try to create a new Device, by pressing <tab> you can see a context sensitive list of devices.

ITango [1]: test = Device("<tab>
Display all 3654 possibilities? (y or n) n
ITango [1]: test = Device("sys<tab>
sys/access_control/1  sys/database/2        sys/tautest/1         sys/tg_test/1
ITango [2]: test = Device("sys/tg_test/1")


Attribute name completion

ITango can inspect the list of attributes in case the device server for the device where the attribute resides is running.

ITango [1]: short_scalar = Attribute("sys<tab>
sys/access_control/1/  sys/database/2/        sys/tautest/1/         sys/tg_test/1/
ITango [1]: short_scalar = Attribute("sys/tg_test/1/<tab>
sys/tg_test/1/State                sys/tg_test/1/no_value
sys/tg_test/1/Status               sys/tg_test/1/short_image
sys/tg_test/1/ampli                sys/tg_test/1/short_image_ro
sys/tg_test/1/boolean_image        sys/tg_test/1/short_scalar
sys/tg_test/1/boolean_image_ro     sys/tg_test/1/short_scalar_ro
sys/tg_test/1/boolean_scalar       sys/tg_test/1/short_scalar_rww
sys/tg_test/1/boolean_spectrum     sys/tg_test/1/short_scalar_w
sys/tg_test/1/boolean_spectrum_ro  sys/tg_test/1/short_spectrum
sys/tg_test/1/double_image         sys/tg_test/1/short_spectrum_ro
sys/tg_test/1/double_image_ro      sys/tg_test/1/string_image
sys/tg_test/1/double_scalar        sys/tg_test/1/string_image_ro
...
ITango [1]: short_scalar = Attribute("sys/tg_test/1/short_scalar")
ITango [29]: print test.read()
DeviceAttribute[
data_format = tango._tango.AttrDataFormat.SCALAR

dim_x = 1
dim_y = 0 has_failed = False is_empty = False
name = 'short_scalar' nb_read = 1 nb_written = 1 quality = tango._tango.AttrQuality.ATTR_VALID r_dimension = AttributeDimension(dim_x = 1, dim_y = 0)
time = TimeVal(tv_nsec = 0, tv_sec = 1279723723, tv_usec = 905598)
type = tango._tango.CmdArgType.DevShort
value = 47 w_dim_x = 1 w_dim_y = 0 w_dimension = AttributeDimension(dim_x = 1, dim_y = 0) w_value = 0]


Automatic tango object member completion

When you create a new tango object, (ex.: a device), itango is able to find out dynamically which are the members of this device (including tango commands and attributes if the device is currently running)

ITango [1]: test = Device("sys/tg_test/1")
ITango [2]: test.<tab>
Display all 240 possibilities? (y or n)
...
test.DevVoid                            test.get_access_control
test.Init                               test.get_asynch_replies
test.State                              test.get_attribute_config
test.Status                             test.get_attribute_config_ex
test.SwitchStates                       test.get_attribute_list
...
ITango [2]: test.short_<tab>
test.short_image        test.short_scalar       test.short_scalar_rww   test.short_spectrum
test.short_image_ro     test.short_scalar_ro    test.short_scalar_w     test.short_spectrum_ro
ITango [2]: test.short_scalar        # old style: test.read_attribute("short_scalar").value
Result [2]: 252
ITango [3]: test.Dev<tab>
test.DevBoolean               test.DevUShort                test.DevVarShortArray
test.DevDouble                test.DevVarCharArray          test.DevVarStringArray
test.DevFloat                 test.DevVarDoubleArray        test.DevVarULongArray
test.DevLong                  test.DevVarDoubleStringArray  test.DevVarUShortArray
test.DevShort                 test.DevVarFloatArray         test.DevVoid
test.DevString                test.DevVarLongArray
test.DevULong                 test.DevVarLongStringArray
ITango [3]: test.DevDouble(56.433)  # old style: test.command_inout("DevDouble").
Result [3]: 56.433


Tango classes as DeviceProxy

ITango exports all known tango classes as python alias to DeviceProxy. This way, if you want to create a device of class which you already know (say, Libera, for example) you can do:

ITango [1]: lib01 = Libera("BO01/DI/BPM-01")


One great advantage is that the tango device name completion is sensitive to the type of device you want to create. This means that if you are in the middle of writing a device name and you press the <tab> key, only devices of the tango class 'Libera' will show up as possible completions.

ITango [1]: bpm1 = Libera("<tab>
BO01/DI/BPM-01  BO01/DI/BPM-09  BO02/DI/BPM-06  BO03/DI/BPM-03  BO03/DI/BPM-11  BO04/DI/BPM-08
BO01/DI/BPM-02  BO01/DI/BPM-10  BO02/DI/BPM-07  BO03/DI/BPM-04  BO04/DI/BPM-01  BO04/DI/BPM-09
BO01/DI/BPM-03  BO01/DI/BPM-11  BO02/DI/BPM-08  BO03/DI/BPM-05  BO04/DI/BPM-02  BO04/DI/BPM-10
BO01/DI/BPM-04  BO02/DI/BPM-01  BO02/DI/BPM-09  BO03/DI/BPM-06  BO04/DI/BPM-03  BO04/DI/BPM-11
BO01/DI/BPM-05  BO02/DI/BPM-02  BO02/DI/BPM-10  BO03/DI/BPM-07  BO04/DI/BPM-04
BO01/DI/BPM-06  BO02/DI/BPM-03  BO02/DI/BPM-11  BO03/DI/BPM-08  BO04/DI/BPM-05
BO01/DI/BPM-07  BO02/DI/BPM-04  BO03/DI/BPM-01  BO03/DI/BPM-09  BO04/DI/BPM-06
BO01/DI/BPM-08  BO02/DI/BPM-05  BO03/DI/BPM-02  BO03/DI/BPM-10  BO04/DI/BPM-07
ITango [1]: bpm1 = Libera("BO01<tab>
BO01/DI/BPM-01  BO01/DI/BPM-03  BO01/DI/BPM-05  BO01/DI/BPM-07  BO01/DI/BPM-09  BO01/DI/BPM-11
BO01/DI/BPM-02  BO01/DI/BPM-04  BO01/DI/BPM-06  BO01/DI/BPM-08  BO01/DI/BPM-10
ITango [1]: bpm1 = Libera("BO01/DI/BPM-01")


Customized device representation

When you use ipython >= 0.11 with a Qt console frontend:

$ itango qtconsole


typing a variable containing a tango device object followend by Enter will present you with a customized representation of the object instead of the usual repr() :

[image]


You can customize the icon that itango displays for a specific device. The first thing to do is to copy the image file into itango.resource installation directory (if you don't have permissions to do so, copy the image into a directory of your choosing and make sure it is accessible from itango).

If you want to use the image for all devices of a certain tango class, just add a new tango class property called __icon. You can do it with jive or, of course, with itango itself:

db.put_class_property("Libera", dict(__icon="libera.png"))
# if you placed your image in a directory different than itango.resource
# then, instead you have to specify the absolute directory
db.put_class_property("Libera", dict(__icon="/home/homer/.config/itango/libera.png"))


If you need different images for different devices of the same class, you can specify an __icon property at the device level (which takes precedence over the class property value, if defined):

db.put_device_property("BO01/DI/BPM-01", dict(__icon="libera2.png"))


List tango devices, classes, servers

ITango provides a set of magic functions (ipython lingo) that allow you to check for the list tango devices, classes and servers which are registered in the current database.

ITango [1]: lsdev

Device Alias Server Class ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- --------------------
expchan/BL99_Dummy0DCtrl/1 BL99_0D1 Pool/BL99 ZeroDExpChannel
simulator/bl98/motor08 Simulator/BL98 SimuMotor
expchan/BL99_Dummy0DCtrl/3 BL99_0D3 Pool/BL99 ZeroDExpChannel
expchan/BL99_Dummy0DCtrl/2 BL99_0D2 Pool/BL99 ZeroDExpChannel
expchan/BL99_Dummy0DCtrl/5 BL99_0D5 Pool/BL99 ZeroDExpChannel
expchan/BL99_Dummy0DCtrl/4 BL99_0D4 Pool/BL99 ZeroDExpChannel
expchan/BL99_Dummy0DCtrl/7 BL99_0D7 Pool/BL99 ZeroDExpChannel
expchan/BL99_Dummy0DCtrl/6 BL99_0D6 Pool/BL99 ZeroDExpChannel
simulator/bl98/motor01 Simulator/BL98 SimuMotor
simulator/bl98/motor02 Simulator/BL98 SimuMotor
simulator/bl98/motor03 Simulator/BL98 SimuMotor
mg/BL99/_mg_macserv_26065_-1320158352 Pool/BL99 MotorGroup
simulator/bl98/motor05 Simulator/BL98 SimuMotor
simulator/bl98/motor06 Simulator/BL98 SimuMotor
simulator/bl98/motor07 Simulator/BL98 SimuMotor
simulator/BL98/motctrl01 Simulator/BL98 SimuMotorCtrl
expchan/BL99_Simu0DCtrl1/1 BL99_0D8 Pool/BL99 ZeroDExpChannel
expchan/BL99_UxTimerCtrl1/1 BL99_Timer Pool/BL99 CTExpChannel ... ITango [1]: lsdevclass SimuCoTiCtrl TangoAccessControl ZeroDExpChannel Door Motor DataBase MotorGroup IORegister SimuMotorCtrl TangoTest MacroServer TauTest SimuMotor SimuCounterEx MeasurementGroup Pool CTExpChannel ITango [1]: lsserv MacroServer/BL99 MacroServer/BL98 Pool/V2 Pool/BL99 Pool/BL98 TangoTest/test Pool/tcoutinho Simulator/BL98 TangoAccessControl/1 TauTest/tautest DataBaseds/2 MacroServer/tcoutinho Simulator/BL99


Customized tango error message and introspection

ITango intercepts tango exceptions that occur when you do tango operations (ex.: write an attribute with a value outside the allowed limits) and tries to display it in a summarized, user friendly way. If you need more detailed information about the last tango error, you can use the magic command 'tango_error'.

ITango [1]: test = Device("sys/tg_test/1")
ITango [2]: test.no_value
API_AttrValueNotSet : Read value for attribute no_value has not been updated
For more detailed information type: tango_error
ITango [3]: tango_error
Last tango error:
DevFailed[
DevError[

desc = 'Read value for attribute no_value has not been updated'
origin = 'Device_3Impl::read_attributes_no_except'
reason = 'API_AttrValueNotSet' severity = tango._tango.ErrSeverity.ERR] DevError[
desc = 'Failed to read_attribute on device sys/tg_test/1, attribute no_value'
origin = 'DeviceProxy::read_attribute()'
reason = 'API_AttributeFailed' severity = tango._tango.ErrSeverity.ERR]]


Switching database

You can switch database simply by executing the 'switchdb <host> [<port>]' magic command.

ITango [1]: switchdb
Must give new database name in format <host>[:<port>].
<port> is optional. If not given it defaults to 10000.
Examples:
switchdb homer:10005
switchdb homer 10005
switchdb homer
ITango [2]: db
Database(homer, 10000)
ITango [3]: switchdb bart       # by default port is 10000
ITango [4]: db
Database(bart, 10000)
ITango [5]: switchdb lisa 10005  # you can use spaces between host and port
ITango [6]: db
Database(lisa, 10005)
ITango [7]: switchdb marge:10005   # or the traditional ':'
ITango [8]: db
Database(marge, 10005)


Refreshing the database

When itango starts up or when the database is switched, a query is made to the tango Database device server which provides all necessary data. This data is stored locally in a itango cache which is used to provide all the nice features. If the Database server is changed in some way (ex: a new device server is registered), the local database cache is not consistent anymore with the tango database. Therefore, itango provides a magic command 'refreshdb' that allows you to reread all tango information from the database.

ITango [1]: refreshdb


Storing your favorite tango objects for later usage

NOTE:

This feature is not available if you have installed IPython 0.11!


Since version 7.1.2, DeviceProxy, AttributeProxy and Database became pickable. This means that they can be used by the IPython 'store' magic command (type 'store?' on the itango console to get information on how to use this command). You can, for example, assign your favorite devices in local python variables and then store these for the next time you startup IPython with itango profile.

ITango [1]: theta = Motor("BL99_M1")  # notice how we used tango alias
ITango [2]: store theta
Stored 'theta' (DeviceProxy)
ITango [3]: Ctrl+D
(IPython session is closed and started again...)
ITango [1]: store -r # in some versions of IPython you may need to do this ...
ITango [1]: print theta
DeviceProxy(motor/bl99/1)


Adding itango to your own ipython profile

Adding itango to the ipython default profile

Let's assume that you find itango so useful that each time you start ipython, you want itango features to be loaded by default. The way to do this is by editing your default ipython configuration file:

1.
On IPython <= 0.10
$HOME/.ipython/ipy_user_conf.py and add the lines 1 and 7.

NOTE:

The code shown below is a small part of your $HOME/.ipython/ipy_user_conf.py. It is shown here only the relevant part for this example.


import itango
def main():

# uncomment if you want to get ipython -p sh behaviour
# without having to use command line switches
# import ipy_profile_sh
itango.init_ipython(ip, console=False)




2.
On IPython > 0.10
First you have to check which is the configuration directory being used by IPython. For this, in an IPython console type:

ITango [1]: import IPython.utils.path
ITango [2]: IPython.utils.path.get_ipython_dir()
<IPYTHON_DIR>


now edit <IPYTHON_DIR>/profile_default/ipython_config.py and add the following line at the end to add itango configuration:

load_subconfig('ipython_config.py', profile='tango')


Alternatively, you could also load itango as an IPython extension:

config = get_config()
i_shell_app = config.InteractiveShellApp
extensions = getattr(i_shell_app, 'extensions', [])
extensions.append('itango')
i_shell_app.extensions = extensions


for more information on how to configure IPython >= 0.11 please check the IPython configuration




And now, every time you start ipython:

ipython


itango features will also be loaded.

In [1]: db
Out[1]: Database(homer, 10000)


Adding itango to an existing customized profile

NOTE:

This chapter has a pending update. The contents only apply to IPython <= 0.10.


If you have been working with IPython before and have already defined a customized personal profile, you can extend your profile with itango features without breaking your existing options. The trick is to initialize itango extension with a parameter that tells itango to maintain the existing options (like colors, command line and initial banner).

So, for example, let's say you have created a profile called nuclear, and therefore you have a file called $HOME/.ipython/ipy_profile_nuclear.py with the following contents:

import os
import IPython.ipapi
def main():

ip = IPython.ipapi.get()
o = ip.options
o.banner = "Springfield nuclear powerplant CLI\n\nWelcome Homer Simpson"
o.colors = "Linux"
o.prompt_in1 = "Mr. Burns owns you [\\#]: " main()


In order to have itango features available to this profile you simply need to add two lines of code (lines 3 and 7):

import os
import IPython.ipapi
import itango
def main():

ip = IPython.ipapi.get()
itango.init_ipython(ip, console=False)
o = ip.options
o.banner = "Springfield nuclear powerplant CLI\n\nMr. Burns owns you!"
o.colors = "Linux"
o.prompt_in1 = "The Simpsons [\\#]: " main()


This will load the itango features into your profile while preserving your profile's console options (like colors, command line and initial banner).

Creating a profile that extends itango profile

NOTE:

This chapter has a pending update. The contents only apply to IPython <= 0.10.


It is also possible to create a profile that includes all itango features and at the same time adds new ones. Let's suppose that you want to create a customized profile called 'orbit' that automatically exports devices of class 'Libera' for the booster accelerator (assuming you are working on a synchrotron like institute ;-). Here is the code for the $HOME/.ipython/ipy_profile_orbit.py:

import os
import IPython.ipapi
import IPython.genutils
import IPython.ColorANSI
import itango
import StringIO
def magic_liberas(ip, p=''):

"""Lists all known Libera devices."""
data = itango.get_device_map()
s = StringIO.StringIO()
cols = 30, 15, 20
l = "%{0}s %{1}s %{2}s".format(*cols)
print >>s, l % ("Device", "Alias", "Server")
print >>s, l % (cols[0]*"-", cols[1]*"-", cols[2]*"-")
for d, v in data.items():
if v[2] != 'Libera': continue
print >>s, l % (d, v[0], v[1])
s.seek(0)
IPython.genutils.page(s.read()) def main():
ip = IPython.ipapi.get()
itango.init_ipython(ip)
o = ip.options
Colors = IPython.ColorANSI.TermColors
c = dict(Colors.__dict__)
o.banner += "\n{Brown}Welcome to Orbit analysis{Normal}\n".format(**c)
o.prompt_in1 = "Orbit [\\#]: "
o.colors = "BlueTango"
ip.expose_magic("liberas", magic_liberas)
db = ip.user_ns.get('db')
dev_class_dict = itango.get_class_map()
if not dev_class_dict.has_key("Libera"):
return
for libera in dev_class_dict['Libera']:
domain, family, member = libera.split("/")
var_name = domain + "_" + member
var_name = var_name.replace("-","_")
ip.to_user_ns( { var_name : tango.DeviceProxy(libera) } ) main()


Then start your CLI with:

$ ipython --profile=orbit


and you will have something like this [image]

Advanced event monitoring

With itango it is possible to monitor change events triggered by any tango attribute which has events enabled.

To start monitoring the change events of an attribute:

ITango [1]: mon -a BL99_M1/Position
'BL99_M1/Position' is now being monitored. Type 'mon' to see all events


To list all events that have been intercepted:

ITango [2]: mon

ID Device Attribute Value Quality Time ---- ---------------- ------------ ---------------- ------------- ----------------
0 motor/bl99/1 state ON ATTR_VALID 17:11:08.026472
1 motor/bl99/1 position 190.0 ATTR_VALID 17:11:20.691112
2 motor/bl99/1 state MOVING ATTR_VALID 17:12:11.858985
3 motor/bl99/1 position 188.954072857 ATTR_CHANGING 17:12:11.987817
4 motor/bl99/1 position 186.045533882 ATTR_CHANGING 17:12:12.124448
5 motor/bl99/1 position 181.295838155 ATTR_CHANGING 17:12:12.260884
6 motor/bl99/1 position 174.55354729 ATTR_CHANGING 17:12:12.400036
7 motor/bl99/1 position 166.08870515 ATTR_CHANGING 17:12:12.536387
8 motor/bl99/1 position 155.77528943 ATTR_CHANGING 17:12:12.672846
9 motor/bl99/1 position 143.358230136 ATTR_CHANGING 17:12:12.811878
10 motor/bl99/1 position 131.476140017 ATTR_CHANGING 17:12:12.950391
11 motor/bl99/1 position 121.555421781 ATTR_CHANGING 17:12:13.087970
12 motor/bl99/1 position 113.457930987 ATTR_CHANGING 17:12:13.226531
13 motor/bl99/1 position 107.319423091 ATTR_CHANGING 17:12:13.363559
14 motor/bl99/1 position 102.928229946 ATTR_CHANGING 17:12:13.505102
15 motor/bl99/1 position 100.584726495 ATTR_CHANGING 17:12:13.640794
16 motor/bl99/1 position 100.0 ATTR_ALARM 17:12:13.738136
17 motor/bl99/1 state ALARM ATTR_VALID 17:12:13.743481 ITango [3]: mon -l mot.* state
ID Device Attribute Value Quality Time ---- ---------------- ------------ ---------------- ------------- ----------------
0 motor/bl99/1 state ON ATTR_VALID 17:11:08.026472
2 motor/bl99/1 state MOVING ATTR_VALID 17:12:11.858985
17 motor/bl99/1 state ALARM ATTR_VALID 17:12:13.743481


To stop monitoring the attribute:

ITango [1]: mon -d BL99_M1/Position
Stopped monitoring 'BL99_M1/Position'


NOTE:

Type 'mon?' to see detailed information about this magic command


COPYRIGHT

2019, Tango Controls

October 15, 2019