Incorporating External Files[LINK]

##include {includefilename}

This command puts all of the lines in an external file into the EnergyPlus input stream starting right after the command line. The name of the file that is included is the concatenation of {prefixpathname}, entered using ##fileprefix , and {includefilename}. The lines in the external file will be listed in the resultant IDF file. When all the lines in the external file have been read in, input reverts back to the original input file at the line following the ##include command.

##fileprefix {prefixpathname}

specifies a pathname that will be prefixed to the filename given in an ##include command. The ##fileprefix command allows commonly-used include files to be kept in a directory other than the directory in which the current input file resides.

Example: on a PC, the combination

##fileprefix C:\EnergyPlus\Library

##include SCHEDULES.IDF

will include into the EnergyPlus input stream the file whose full name is

C:\EnergyPlus\Library\SCHEDULES.IDF

##includesilent {includefilename}

This command is identical to ##include, except that the lines in the included file will not be listed in the EP-MACRO echo.

##nosilent

Overrides the listing suppression of ##includesilent. Used for debugging purposes only. After ##nosilent , all following ##includesilent commands are treated as ##include commands.

Example: Assume the following files contain the indicated lines:

Main input file: input1.inp	External file: file2.inp
line 1a	line 2a
##include file2.inp	line 2b
line 1b	line 2c
line 1c	–

The end result of processing ##include input1.inp will be:

line 1a(from input1.inp)

line 2a(from file2.inp)

line 2b(from file2.inp)

line 2c(from file2.inp)

line 1b(from input1.inp)

line 1c(from input1.inp)

External files can also contain ##include commands, as shown in the following example:

Main input file:	First external file:	Second external file:
input1.inp	file2.inp	file3.inp
line 1a	line 2a	line 3a
##include file2.inp	line 2b	line 3b
line 1b	##include file3.inp	line 3c
line 1c	line 2c	line 3d

The end result of processing ##include input1.tmp will be:

line 1a(from input1.inp)

line 2a(from file2.inp)

line 2b(from file2.inp)

line 3a(from file3.inp)

line 3b(from file3.inp)

line 3c(from file3.inp)

line 3d(from file3.inp)

line 2c(from file2.inp)

line 1b(from input1.inp)

line 1c(from input1.inp)

Note: Up to nine ##include commands can be nested. However, there should be no recursion. This is an example of a recursion:

file1.inp contains ##include file2.inp

file2.inp contains ##include file1.inp