TR.1.1 Elements of STAAD Commands
Integer Numbers
Integer numbers are whole numbers written without a decimal point. These numbers are designated as i1, i2, etc., and should not contain any decimal point. Negative signs (-) are permitted in front of these numbers. Omit the sign for positive. No spaces between the sign and the number.
Floating Point Numbers
These are real numbers which may contain a decimal portion. These numbers are designated as f1, f2... etc.. Values may have a decimal point and/or exponent. When specifying numbers with magnitude less than 1/100, it is advisable to use the E format to avoid precision related errors. Negative signs (-) are permitted in front of these numbers. Omit the sign for positive. No spaces between the sign and the number. Limit these to 24 characters.
Example
5055.32 0.73 -8.9 732 5E3 -3.4E-6
etc.
The decimal point may be omitted if the decimal portion of the number is zero.
Alphanumeric
These are characters, which are used to construct the names for data, titles or commands. Alphabetic characters may be input in upper or lower case letters. No quotation marks are needed to enclose them.
Example
MEMBER PROPERTIES 1 TO 8 TABLE ST W8X35
Repetitive Data
Repetitive numerical data may be provided in some (but not all) input tables such as joint coordinates by using the following format:
n*f
Where:
- n = number of times data has to be repeated
- f = numeric data, integer and floating point
Example
JOINT COORDINATES 1 3*0.
This joint coordinate specification is same as:
1 0. 0. 0.