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ecFlow generates time and date variables in various formats from the clock. There is a separate clock for every suite. Scripts can make use of these generated variables. The variables are available at the suite level and may be overridden by an edit keyword at the suite, family, or task level. In ecflow_ui generated variables are bracketed, e.g. (ECF_TRYNO = 0).
These variables are generated by ecFlow from the information in the definition file and are available for use in ecFlow files. Normally there is no need to override the value by using edit statement in the definition file. Table 4 5 shows a list of generated variables.
Table 4 5 Generated variables

Defined for

Variable name

Explanation

Example

server

ECF_TRIES

The default number of tries for each task

2


ECF_PORT

The port number

3141


ECF_NODE

The hostname of the machine running ECF

host_1


ECF_HOME

Home for all the ecFlow files

$CWD


ECF_JOB_CMD

Command to be executed to send a job

%ECF_JOB% 1> %ECF_JOBOUT% 2>&1


ECF_LISTS

Name of the ecFlow white-list file

ecf.lists


ECF_PASS

Default password string to replace the real password, when communicating with the server.

DJP


ECF_LOG

Name of the ecFlow history, or log file

ecf.log


ECF_CHECK

Name of the checkpoint file

ecf.check


ECF_CHECKOLD

Name of the backup of the checkpoint file

ecf.check.b

Suite

SUITE

The name of the suite

Backarc


DATE

Date of the suite in format DD.MM.YYYY

21.02.2012


DAY

Full name of the weekday

Sunday


DD

Day of the month, with two digits

07


DOW

Day Of the Week

0


DOY

Day Of the Year

52


MM

The month of the year, with two digits

02


MONTH

Full name of the month

February


YYYY

A year with four digits

2012


ECF_DATE

Single date in format YYYYMMDD

20120221


ECF_TIME

Time of the suites clock, HH:MM

20:32


ECF_CLOCK

Composite weekday, month, Day Of the Week, Day Of Year

sunday:february:0:52

Family

FAMILY

The name of the family, (avoid using)

get/ocean


FAMILY1

The last part of the family, (avoid using)

Ocean

Task

TASK

The name of the task

Getobs


ECF_RID

The Request ID of the job (only for running jobs)

PID


ECF_TRYNO

The current try number for the task. After begin it is 1.

The number is advanced if the job is re-run. Used for in output and job-file numbering.

Since this variable must be numeric and is used in the file name generation, it should not be defined by the user.

1


ECF_NAME

Full name of the task

/backarc/get/getobs/getobs


ECF_PASS

Password for the task to enable login to ECF

xyZ12Abx


ECF_SCRIPT

The full pathname for the script(if ECFFILES was not used).

The variable is composed as ECF_HOME/ECF_NAME.ecf,

/home/ma/map/ECF/back/ get/getobs/ getobs.ecf


ECF_JOB

Name of the job file created by ECF.

The variable is composed of ECF_HOME/ECF_NAME.jobECF_TRYNO.

/some/path/ back/get/ getobs/ getobs.job1


ECF_JOBOUT

The filename of the job output. ecFlow makes the directory from ECF_HOME down to the last level.

The variable is composed of ECF_HOME/ECF_NAME.ECF_TRYNO.

/some/path/ back/get/ getobs/ getobs.1

Note for a suite: There are many variables derived from the clock of the suite. 
Note for a family: For the variable FAMILY the value is generated from each family name by adding a slash, '/', in between.
Note for a task: The password exists only at submission time. During job execution, only the encrypted password is available in ECF. If a task does not have a variable ECF_PASS, ecFlow generates one. This is the only variable that is not searched in the normal way.