ci-server-engineer/knowledge/manuals/IM36K10P30-01EN.md

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manual: IM 36K10P30-01EN title: Data Set Service Language edition: 4th Edition, Feb. 2026 (R1.05); first written from the 3rd Edition, Sep. 2023 (R1.03). Revision table: contact information only; full text diff: no other change version: R1.05 (first written for R1.03) status: compiler run as a syntax check on a copy of the installed DSS files and on a deliberately broken test file (R1.03, 2026-10-01); syntax check of a copy of the installed R1.05 files on the R1.05 test server (2026-10-08, dictionary untouched); defining new datasets and updating the dictionary from docs only

Data Set Service Language (R1.05)

The DSS language describes datasets; the DSS compiler (dss.exe) checks the descriptions and builds the data dictionary (%TLS_DAT_PATH%\tlsdic_dss.dic) and C include files. It is a system integrator's tool: changing the dictionary changes CI Server itself and is only needed for custom datasets, custom report destinations (IM36K10R40-01EN.md §3.3) or custom data access servers. Section numbers refer to the manual.

1. DSS files (§2)

• Plain text, one dataset per file recommended, extension .dss. The installed descriptions are in %TLS_ROOT_PATH%\tls\src\ (253 .dss files on the R1.03 test system, 256 on R1.05, plus .c sources of the data access servers and .umh message files). Reading them is the best way to learn a dataset's fields, ranges, lists and defaults (dssqld -f shows the same information).
• Syntax: <KEYWORD value> or <KEYWORD <SUB …> …>; keywords case-insensitive; strings in double quotes with "" for a quote; /* */ and // comments.
• Order in a file: includes (<INCLUDE "dss_global.dss">), constants (<DEFINE_CONSTANT <LABEL …> <VALUE …>>), macros, field templates, storage nodes, then <DATASET <NAME …> <DESCRIPTION …> <FIELD …>… <PHYSICAL_FIELD …>… <INDEX …>… <DATA_FILE …> <DATA_ACCESS <SERVERNAME "dsilib:…">> <OPERATIONS> <STORAGE <NODES …>> …>.
• A dataset needs a name (not an SQL keyword, unique), at least one field and one unique index.
• Texts (descriptions, headings, list entries) can carry translations (English, Dutch, German, French).
• Field properties: data type or field template, description, heading, format, transformation, basic operations, range/step, list (<ENTRY <NUMERIC n> <STRING "text">>), required, hidden, concealed, default, character restrictions/operations, password-encrypted, "maps upon" (relational field to another dataset), enabled, validate, group. Relational and compound (composed) fields and physical fields have their own sentences; indexes may be unique.

2. Compiler (§3)

Run dss in the folder that holds the .dss files; it compiles all of them.

Flag	Effect
none	Syntax check only (errors on screen)
-d[<dict>]	Create/update a dictionary (default tlsdic_dss.dic in %TLS_DAT_PATH%) — host node only; other nodes get the change through DSSWTH
-i	Write C include files (.dsh)
-l[<list>]	List file (default tlsdic_dss.lst next to the files)
-q / -w / -b	Quiet / no warnings / no boundary check

Installed (verified): a copy of the 253 installed files compiled in 2 s with no errors (dss -l -w, 251 files plus the two include files) and tlsdic_dss.dic was not touched. A test file with a missing > gave cieng_test_df.dss (15,2): EOF is not expected, expected 1 end-of-sentence characters ('>') and 1 errors found. The start script uses an undocumented -u (compile without the DSS shared memory) on the first start.

R1.05 (2026-10-08): a copy of the 256 installed files (254 dataset files plus the include files dss_global.dss and opcuap_global.dss) compiled with dss -l -w in a scratch folder: the listing shows only Processing file … lines (no errors), and tlsdic_dss.dic kept its date. New files since R1.03: alarm_attribute_temp_df, api_keys_df, iec61850_rcb_df, uaserver_mapper_df, opcuac_method_call2_df (replaces opcuac_method_call_in_df / _out_df); see IM36K10L50-01EN.md §7. dssxdb has a "beautify DSS dictionary source" function to find unbalanced < > (IM36K10L50-01EN.md §1.2).

To add a value to an existing list (e.g. a report destination, R40 §3.3): edit the .dss in tls\src, run dss -d in that folder, restart CI Server. Not practiced (would change the test system's dictionary).

3. Include files (§4)

The .dsh output holds constants, dataset information, a C record structure and index information for programs that use the DSS API. Not needed for engineering work.