A self-describing file protocol for simulation integration and shared postprocessors

A typical accelerator physics code uses a combination of text output, unformatted output, and special-purpose graphics to present results to the user. Most users must learn multiple graphics and postprocessing systems; many resort to manual extraction of data from text output, creation of customized postprocessing programs, and even modification of the simulation code. This situation slows down research, results in duplication of effort, hampers unforeseen use of simulation output, and makes program upgrades potentially traumatic. This paper discusses the design and use of a self-describing file protocol that addresses these problems. An extensive toolkit of generic postprocessing programs, including sophisticated graphics, is available. This system has been used for most of the data collection for advanced photon source (APS) commissioning, and is incorporated into a number of simulation codes.