PrepareForRun method

Description

VWorks software calls the PrepareForRun method to notify the plugin that the user clicked the Start button in the VWorks window. This method, which is called each time a protocol is run, tells the plugin that a run is starting. If the plugin maintains per-run state information, the state should be cleared during this call.

Syntax

 

HRESULT PrepareForRun( [in] BSTR LocationInfoXML, [out,retval] enum ReturnCode *retVal );

Parameters

 

LocationInfoXML	[in] A Locations XML block that contains the names of the locations on the device and of any labware that is present at each location.
retVal	[out, retval] Returns an error code. Possible values: 0 = The request was completed (RETURN_SUCCESS) 1 = Something was wrong with the input, so the request was not completed (RETURN_BAD_ARGS) 2 = The request was not completed (RETURN_FAIL) For more information, see “ReturnCode enumerated type” .

PrepareForRun method input

VWorks software passes a Locations XML block into the LocationInfoXML parameter of the PrepareForRun method.

Locations XML block

The Locations XML block contains the Locations element and all its children. This XML block provides the names of the locations on the device and of any labware that is present at each location.

VWorks software received the location names from the plugin with a previous call to the GetMetaData method. See “GetMetaData method” .

XML structure

The Locations XML block does not contain a Velocity11 element.

 

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='ASCII' ?> <Locations> <Location /> ... </Locations>

Locations element

The Locations element contains one or more Location elements.

Location element

Each Location element contains the name of a location on the device and the type of the labware at that location, if present. This element has the following attributes:

 

Name	Value
Labware	The labware type. If no labware is present at the location, this attribute is not specified.
Name	The name of the location.

Example of PrepareForRun method input

The following sample code is a Locations XML block received by the plugin from VWorks software as a string in the LocationInfoXML parameter of the PrepareForRun method. VWorks software tells the plugin that a protocol run is starting on the labware of type 1536 Greiner 782076 blk sqr well flt btm at the location named Stage.

 

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='ASCII' ?> <Locations file='LocationInfo' md5sum='e8f85c5eac89c1a0a82d7ff74ae591f8' →version='1.0' > <Location Labware='1536 Greiner 782076 blk sqr well flt btm' Name='Stage' /> </Locations>

Related information

 

For information about...	See...
GetErrorInfo method	“GetErrorInfo method”
ReturnCode enumerated type	“ReturnCode enumerated type”