Formatting Conventions Programming with SCPI
2-12 PN: 10580-00306 Rev. E MS20xxC PM
2-9 Formatting Conventions
This manual uses the following conventions in describing SCPI commands.
2-10 Command and Query Notational Conventions
To distinguish the command types in the command descriptions, a question mark is included
alone or within parentheses, or it is omitted.
• If the command syntax ends with (?), then it can be both a command and a query.
• If the command syntax ends with ?, then it is a query only.
• If the command syntax ends without a ?, then it has no query form.
Examples:
Select Mode by Number
:INSTrument:NSELect <integer>(?)
(both a command and a query – full description on page 8-2)
Query Available Modes
:INSTrument:CATalog:FULL?
(a query only – full description on page 8-2)
Delete Data/Location
:MMEMory:DELete <file name>
(no query – full description on page 8-6)
Table 2-7. Formatting Conventions
:COMMands:LOOK:LIKE:THIS Commands are formatted to differentiate them
from their description.
:COMMand:QUERies:LOOK:LIKE:THIS? The query form of the command is followed by
a “?”
Front panel key sequences use this
formatting.
Front panel key presses are formatted to
differentiate them from text descriptions. Key
presses are separated by a comma (“,”).
<identifier> Identifiers are enclosed in angular brackets, “< >”.
They indicate that some type of data must be
provided. Refer to Table 2-3 on page 2-7 for
details on the types of identifiers.
| The pipe (or vertical bar), “|” indicates that a
choice must be made.
[optional input] Optional input is enclosed in square brackets,
“[ ]”. The “[ ]” are not part of the command.
To Next Page
Loading...
