Simulator 16 User Guide - PowerWorld

Copying Simulator Data to and from Other Applications
You may sometimes find it useful to copy data from Simulator to other applications such as a word
processor or spreadsheet program. Alternatively, you may want to copy data from other applications
into Simulator. Simulator’s case information displays provide a convenient way to accomplish this. In
particular, the Copy All, Copy Selection, and Paste options from the local menu or the Case
Information Toolbar: Copy, Paste and Send Menu allow Simulator to pass data with other applications
through the windows clipboard.
To copy a selection of data from a case information display to another application, first select the
range of cells to copy from the case information display. Then, right-click on the case information
display to display its local menu, and choose Copy Selection. To copy the entire content of a case
information display to another application, follow the same procedure, except choose Copy All from
the local menu instead of Copy Selection. Switch to the application that will serve as destination for
the data and use that application’s Paste command to finish copying the selected Simulator data to
that application. Note that not only is the data copied, but by default so are the data headings. The
data headings are very important to maintain if you are planning on copying data from a spreadsheet
back into a Simulator case information display. Also note that Simulator copies the text to the windows
clipboard with tabs delimiting each cell.
Note: Be aware that most programs have limitations on the amount of information you can paste. For
example, some spreadsheet programs only allow up to 256 columns and 65,000 rows of information.
Some power system information, particularly the Ybus or Jacobian matrices, can easily exceed these
limitations.
To paste data from another application into a case-information display, select the data in the other
application and use that application’s Copy command. In order to paste back into Simulator, you must
have the record type and data headings selected with the columns of data. The record type (or object
name) must match the case information display you are attempting to paste into, and the data
headings (or variable names) tell Simulator which columns of data you are pasting. In order for the
data to be pasted to the correct records, you must include the key field columns in the data to be
pasted into Simulator. Also if you are attempting to create new data records by pasting back into
Simulator then you must include the required field columns as well. If the object type is not valid then
the Paste option will be disabled and the caption will read "object type invalid". If the key fields are
missing, then the Paste option will be disabled and the caption will read "key fields missing".
It is not necessary to copy and paste all columns or rows of data back into Simulator, as long as the
column headings match a valid heading for the case information display. Simulator will skip the data
under any column headings that are unrecognized. If you wish to copy data from a spreadsheet into a
Simulator display, you must make sure they are ordered in such a way that all the information you
wish to paste can be grouped and copied as one block of date from the spreadsheet. Once you have
copied all the information from the spreadsheet you wish to transfer, switch to Simulator, open the
case information display in which to paste the data, and select Paste from its local menu.
Note: You can only paste values into the case information displays if the values are enterable on the
display (shown blue by default). Also, be careful about pasting redundant data. For example, in the
Bus Records display both voltage in per unit and voltage in kV are enterable, but they specify the
same information. Make sure you only copy ONE of these columns into Simulator. Otherwise you may
not get what you expect. Simulator will paste the value in twice, and whatever value was pasted 2 nd
will be used.
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