Values

Values of the attributes are written by their codes, the way a program matches them, unless the --pretty option is given, which writes them the way opendmi show prints them for a person. The codes do not change with the locale, and are what this chapter describes. Which of the values a format writes as numbers or booleans of its own, rather than as strings, is described by the chapter about the format.

1. Kinds of values

The value of an attribute is written according to its kind:

Kind Written as Example

Kind	Written as	Example
String	String of the structure, as it is.	`DIMM 0`
Boolean	`true` or `false`, or the codes the attribute gives to the two states.	`true`
Integer	Decimal number, or hexadecimal one with the `0x` prefix and uppercase digits for the attributes which are identifiers or masks rather than quantities.	`100`, `0x106A4`
Fixed-point number	Decimal number with as many fractional digits as it needs, and at least one.	`1.2`
Size	Number of bytes.	`1310720`
Address	Hexadecimal number with the `0x` prefix and 8 digits, or 16 if the table uses 64-bit addresses.	`0x000F0000`
Handle	Hexadecimal number with the `0x` prefix and 4 uppercase digits.	`0x0010`
Enumeration	Code of the value, or the value as a hexadecimal number if the specification does not define it.	`write-back`, `0x1f`
Set of flags	Every flag the attribute knows, by its code, with a boolean telling if it is set. XML documents give the value of the whole set as a hexadecimal number too.	`burst: false`
Version	Numbers of the version separated by dots.	`2.0`, `3.1.1`
Date	Date in the ISO 8601 format.	`2024-11-05`
UUID	UUID in the canonical format, with uppercase digits.	`31343834-3438-4247-3839-34343834594E`
Binary data	Hexadecimal digits of the bytes in their order, a MAC address with colons between the bytes, and an IP address in its usual notation.	`0a0b`, `00:1a:2b:3c:4d:5e`
Structure	Mapping of the codes of the nested attributes to their values.
Array	Sequence of the values of the items.

String

String of the structure, as it is.

DIMM 0

Boolean

true or false, or the codes the attribute gives to the two states.

true

Integer

Decimal number, or hexadecimal one with the 0x prefix and uppercase digits for the attributes which are identifiers or masks rather than quantities.

100, 0x106A4

Fixed-point number

Decimal number with as many fractional digits as it needs, and at least one.

1.2

Size

Number of bytes.

1310720

Address

Hexadecimal number with the 0x prefix and 8 digits, or 16 if the table uses 64-bit addresses.

0x000F0000

Handle

Hexadecimal number with the 0x prefix and 4 uppercase digits.

0x0010

Enumeration

Code of the value, or the value as a hexadecimal number if the specification does not define it.

write-back, 0x1f

Set of flags

Every flag the attribute knows, by its code, with a boolean telling if it is set. XML documents give the value of the whole set as a hexadecimal number too.

burst: false

Version

Numbers of the version separated by dots.

2.0, 3.1.1

Date

Date in the ISO 8601 format.

2024-11-05

UUID

UUID in the canonical format, with uppercase digits.

31343834-3438-4247-3839-34343834594E

Binary data

Hexadecimal digits of the bytes in their order, a MAC address with colons between the bytes, and an IP address in its usual notation.

0a0b, 00:1a:2b:3c:4d:5e

Structure

Mapping of the codes of the nested attributes to their values.

Array

Sequence of the values of the items.

Two values are written the same way whatever the kind of the attribute is:

Not specified: The value the data says is not given, e.g. string 0, or the value the specification reserves for that, is written as null, or as an empty element in XML.
Unknown: The value the specification reserves for a value which is not known, where it reserves one, is written as the string unknown.

2. Units

Numbers are written in the units the attribute is measured in, which are not written in the value: an XML element carries them in its units attribute, e.g. mhz, and the other formats do not write them. Sizes are always written in bytes.

3. Values for a person

With --pretty, values are written the way a person reads them: enumerations and booleans by their names, e.g. Write-back and yes, sizes in the largest unit which keeps them whole, e.g. 1280 KiB, binary data with uppercase digits separated by spaces, and numbers along with the names of their units, e.g. 4300 MHz, which XML writes in the units attribute instead. Names of the attributes, handles and sets of flags are written the same way as without the option.