Simulator 16 User Guide - PowerWorld

Required Fields
Required fields are necessary fields when attempting to create new objects by pasting data into a Case
Information Display or when reading data from an PowerWorld Auxiliary. These fields are in addition to
the key fields which identify the object.
There are two purposes of the required fields. First there are some fields for which an appropriate
default value is not apparent thus by requiring these fields it forces the specification of the value.
Second, when pasting data into Simulator it is possible that the record will not exist in the case.
Simulator will then determine whether to create these records by looking to see if the required fields
are specified. By doing this, it prevents the accidental addition of records. For instance you may have
an Auxiliary File that sets the Monitor field of all branches in your case to Yes or No. If Simulator runs
across a branch between two buses that exist, but whose circuit ID does not exist, then Simulator will
just skip this line from the Auxiliary File. It will not be possible to accidentally create a bunch of new
transmission lines with default impedance parameters because the R and X impedance parameters are
required.
The required and key fields are easily identified from a few different locations.
Column Headings
The column headings of case information displays are colored to indicate fields that are key fields.
Any field that is a key fields will be highlighted yellow. Also note that some fields are highlighted
green. These fields are required fields that are necessary when you are attempting to create a new
object by pasting or loading the data from another application. If the necessary key fields (yellow)
are not included in the data loaded from another source, the information for that object is ignored.
If all of the required fields (green) are not included in an object that is detected as new, Simulator
will skip it. If all the required fields are present, then Simulator can create the new object. Note that
for new objects, the key fields are necessary as well.
Display/Column Options
The Display/Column Options dialog, available by right-clicking on any case information display, also
has the capability to highlight both the key fields and required fields, as described above. The check
box labeled "Highlight Key Fields" will enable highlighting of the field names in the two lists on the
display.
Export Object Fields
This option from the Help menu in Simulator allows you to export a list of most fields for each type
of object in a case. The list also indicates which fields are key fields and required fields for each
object. You can output this list of fields as either a text file or into Excel.
An example of required fields for an object is for a Branch object. For a branch object, the key fields
are the from bus number, to bus number and the circuit ID. Required fields are the Impedance Values
R, X, and B and the first three ratings A, B, and C. Without specifying values for these fields you can
not create a new branch.
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