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Installation

Prerequisites

Installation Methods

The easiest way to install the converter is directly from PyPI: 

pip install PyDMConverter

Option 2: Install from Source

If you need the latest development version or want to contribute:

Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/slaclab/pydm-converter-tool.git
cd pydm-converter-tool

Set up Environment

Using conda: 

conda env create -f environment.yml
conda activate pydm

Or using pip: 

pip install -e .

How to Run the Converter

The converter can be run in two ways: via the command line interface (CLI) or through the graphical user interface (GUI).

Launch the GUI

To launch the graphical interface: 

pydmconverter

This will open the PyDM Converter GUI where you can: - Select files or folders to convert

Command Line Interface

The CLI provides two main ways to run the converter: on individual files and entire folders. Users can include additional arguments described on the Arguments page.

For individual files

When using the converter on a single file, the command line is: 

pydmconverter '/path/old_file.edl' 'new_file_name.ui' `

For an entire folder

When converting an entire folder, the command line is: 

pydmconverter '/path_to_old_directory' '/new_file_location' 'old_file_type'

Examples

To convert EDM file called "file.edl" to PYDM file called "file.ui" : 

pydmconverter /afs/slac/g/lcls/edm/file.edl file.ui`
To convert EDM files in a folder called "edm" to PYDM file in the current folder : 
pydmconverter /afs/slac/g/lcls/edm . .edl

To convert with SLAC-specific rules (e.g. skipping exit buttons): 

pydmconverter /afs/slac/g/lcls/edm/file.edl file.ui --site slac

EDM Behaviours That Convert Differently

  • Close the parent window. An EDM related display entry with close action set (closeAction or closeDisplay) opens its display in a new window, then closes the window it was opened from. When every entry of a button closes, the converted button has openInNewWindow set to false: in the PyDM app the new display replaces the current one in the same window, and the back button returns to it. Shift-click and the right-click Open in New Window still open a new window. A button where only some entries close opens all of them in a new window and leaves the parent open. EDM never closes the parent from a popup (button3Popup, or useFocus on a button with one display), so such a button keeps a new window.
  • Macro precedence. PyDM passes the parent display's macros to the new display and lets the button's own macros override them. EDM, by default, puts the parent's macros first and drops a later duplicate, so where both define the same name the parent's value wins in EDM and the button's value wins in PyDM.
  • propagateMacros and replaceSymbols. EDM can open a display with only the button's symbols (replaceSymbols), or with the edm -m macros and the button's symbols but not the parent's macros (propagateMacros off). PyDM always passes the parent's macros, so neither setting is converted.