Hi all
Here is another example of XML program

What is does
In a shadow station including one entry block, four parallel block and one exit block, one of the block being a long staging block (capable of holding up to 7 locos or trains behing each other, the program checks which trains are in the 3 normal parallel blocks to detect the shortest, see if there is enough space remaining in the staging block and send it into it by reversing the train back into the entry block

Here is are the blocks

Where block 150 is the entry block, 145, 146 and 147 are the 3 normal blocks in parallel, 148 is the staging block with 7 sections and 149 is the exit block.

Here is the XML program (there are surely better ways to do this but anyways..)
Cheers
Jean

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xmlscript>
<!---Program um Aufstellblock 148 zu fühlen 30-01-2020 -->
<vr id="var15" value="0"/>
<vr id="ShortestTrainLocation" value="0"/>
<vr id="ShortestTrainLength" value="0"/>
<vr id="var145_loco" text="no loco"/>
<vr id="var146_loco" text="no loco"/>
<vr id="var147_loco" text="no loco"/>
<vr id="var145_length" value="2500"/>
<vr id="var146_length" value="2500"/>
<vr id="var147_length" value="2500"/>
<!-- Variabeln zu bearbeiten -->
<vr id="vr_frei_gleis_lange" value="0"/>
<!-- Variabeln zu entfernen
var15
numb_sections
numb_sections_libres
section_length
-->
<trace text="Aufstellblock fullen: start. V11 31-01-2024" />
<vr id="vr_SBFLZcount" text="" value="0" generated="true"/>
<tx id="tx_SBFLZcount" format="#vr_SBFLZcount"/>
<!---Program um Aufstellblock 148 zu fühlen -->
<if state="bk 150 = free|fb ABaf0 = off|fb ABaf1 = off" alltrue="true">
<then>
<trace text="Aufstellblock fuller: bk 150, ABaf0, ABaf1 sind alle frei" />
<foreach table="lclist" >
<query vr="vr_SBFLZtmp" table="lclist" id="%oid%" get="blockid"/>

<if condition="@vr_SBFLZtmp = 145">
<then>
<vr id="var145_loco" text="%oid%"/>
<trace text="lc in 145 = %oid%" />
<query vr="vr_SBFLZtmp" table="lclist" id="%oid%" get="trainlen"/>
<vr id="var145_length" value="#vr_SBFLZtmp"/>
<if condition="@var145_length = 0" >
<then>
<vr id="var145_length" value="2500"/>
</then>
</if>
<trace text="Train length in 145= #var145_length" />
</then>
</if>
<if condition="@vr_SBFLZtmp = 146">
<then>
<vr id="var146_loco" text="%oid%"/>
<trace text="lc in 146 = %oid%" />
<query vr="vr_SBFLZtmp" table="lclist" id="%oid%" get="trainlen"/>
<vr id="var146_length" value="#vr_SBFLZtmp"/>
<if condition="@var146_length = 0" >
<then>
<vr id="var146_length" value="2500"/>
</then>
</if>
<trace text="Train length in 146 = #var146_length" />
</then>
</if>
<if condition="@vr_SBFLZtmp = 147">
<then>
<vr id="var147_loco" text="%oid%"/>
<trace text="lc in 147 = %oid%" />
<query vr="vr_SBFLZtmp" table="lclist" id="%oid%" get="trainlen"/>
<vr id="var147_length" value="#vr_SBFLZtmp"/>
<if condition="@var147_length = 0" >
<then>
<vr id="var147_length" value="2500"/>
</then>
</if>
<trace text="Train length in 147= #var147_length" />
</then>
</if>
</foreach>
<!---Search for shortest train -->
<trace text="var145_loco = @var145_loco" />
<trace text="var145 length = #var145_length" />
<trace text="var146_loco = @var146_loco" />
<trace text="var146 length = #var146_length" />
<trace text="var147_loco = @var147_loco" />
<trace text="var147 length = #var147_length" />
<if condition="#var145_length < #var146_length">
<then>
<if condition="#var145_length < #var147_length">
<then>
<trace text="shortest train in 145"/>
<vr id="ShortestTrainLocation" value="145"/>
<vr id="ShortestTrainLength" value="#var145_length"/>
</then>
<else>
<trace text="shortest train in 147"/>
<vr id="ShortestTrainLocation" value="147"/>
<vr id="ShortestTrainLength" value="#var147_length"/>
</else>
</if>
</then>
<else>
<if condition="#var146_length < #var147_length">
<then>
<trace text="shortest train in 146"/>
<vr id="ShortestTrainLocation" value="146"/>
<vr id="ShortestTrainLength" value="#var146_length"/>
</then>
<else>
<trace text="shortest train in 147"/>
<vr id="ShortestTrainLocation" value="147"/>
<vr id="ShortestTrainLength" value="#var147_length"/>
</else>
</if>
</else>
</if>
<!------------------------------------>
<!---Jetzt messen freiblockstrecke -->
<!------------------------------------>
<!-- verify if shortest train can fit in bk 148--->
<trace text="shortest train (final) in #ShortestTrainLocation"/>
<trace text="shortest train length (final) : #ShortestTrainLength"/>
<!--&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-->
<vr id="vr_ID" value="0"/>
<vr id="vr_section" value="0"
<vr id="vr_locid1" value="0"/>
<vr id="vr_frei_gleis_lange" value="0"/>
<vr id="vr_fini" value="false"/>
<trace text="Début analyse Block Transfert"/>
<vr id="vr_locid1" value="0"/>
<vr id="vr_locid2" value="0"/>
<vr id="vr_locid3" value="0"/>
<vr id="vr_locid4" value="0"/>
<vr id="vr_locid5" value="0"/>
<vr id="vr_locid6" value="0"/>
<vr id="vr_locid7" value="0"/>
<foreach table="sblist" >
<query vr="vr_ID" table="sblist" id="%oid%" get="id"/>
<if condition="@vr_ID = 148">
<then>
<!-- le bloc de transfert 148 est trouvé -->
<trace text="Bloc de transfert %oid%"/>
<query vr="vr_locid7" table="sblist" id="%oid%" sub="section" subidx="6" get="lcid"/>
<query vr="vr_locid6" table="sblist" id="%oid%" sub="section" subidx="5" get="lcid"/>
<query vr="vr_locid5" table="sblist" id="%oid%" sub="section" subidx="4" get="lcid"/>
<query vr="vr_locid4" table="sblist" id="%oid%" sub="section" subidx="3" get="lcid"/>
<query vr="vr_locid3" table="sblist" id="%oid%" sub="section" subidx="2" get="lcid"/>
<query vr="vr_locid2" table="sblist" id="%oid%" sub="section" subidx="1" get="lcid"/>
<query vr="vr_locid1" table="sblist" id="%oid%" sub="section" subidx="0" get="lcid"/>
<if condition="@vr_locid1 = (null)|#vr_fini = false" alltrue="true">
<then>
<trace text="section 1 vide"/>
<!-- le premier segment est raccourci de 80mm 320 devient 260 -->
<vr id="vr_frei_gleis_lange" value="#vr_frei_gleis_lange + 260"/>
</then>
<else>
<trace text="recherche finie Section 1"/>
<vr id="vr_fini" value="true"/>
</else>
</if>
<if condition="@vr_locid2 = (null)|#vr_fini = false" alltrue="true">
<then>
<trace text="section 2 vide"/>
<vr id="vr_frei_gleis_lange" value="#vr_frei_gleis_lange + 320"/>
</then>
<else>
<trace text="recherche finie Section 2"/>
<vr id="vr_fini" value="true"/>
</else>
</if>
<if condition="@vr_locid3 = (null)|#vr_fini = false" alltrue="true">
<then>
<trace text="section 3 vide"/>
<vr id="vr_frei_gleis_lange" value="#vr_frei_gleis_lange + 320"/>
</then>
<else>
<trace text="recherche finie Section 3"/>
<vr id="vr_fini" value="true"/>
</else>
</if>
<if condition="@vr_locid4 = (null)|#vr_fini = false" alltrue="true">
<then>
<trace text="section 4 vide"/>
<vr id="vr_frei_gleis_lange" value="#vr_frei_gleis_lange + 320"/>
</then>
<else>
<trace text="recherche finie Section 4"/>
<vr id="vr_fini" value="true"/>
</else>
</if>
<if condition="@vr_locid5 = (null)|#vr_fini = false" alltrue="true">
<then>
<trace text="section 5 vide"/>
<vr id="vr_frei_gleis_lange" value="#vr_frei_gleis_lange + 320"/>
</then>
<else>
<trace text="recherche finie Section 5"/>
<vr id="vr_fini" value="true"/>
</else>
</if>
<if condition="@vr_locid6 = (null)|#vr_fini = true" alltrue="true">
<then>
<trace text="section 6 vide"/>
<vr id="vr_frei_gleis_lange" value="#vr_frei_gleis_lange + 320"/>
</then>
<else>
<trace text="recherche finie Section 6"/>
<vr id="vr_fini" value="true"/>
</else>
</if>
<if condition="@vr_locid7 = (null)|#vr_fini = false" alltrue="true">
<then>
<trace text="section 7 vide"/>
<vr id="vr_frei_gleis_lange" value="#vr_frei_gleis_lange + 250"/>
</then>
<else>
<trace text="recherche finie Section 7"/>
<vr id="vr_fini" value="true"/>
</else>
</if>
<trace text="occupation segment 7 = @vr_locid7"/>
<trace text="occupation segment 6 = @vr_locid6"/>
<trace text="occupation segment 5 = @vr_locid5"/>
<trace text="occupation segment 4 = @vr_locid4"/>
<trace text="occupation segment 3 = @vr_locid3"/>
<trace text="occupation segment 2 = @vr_locid2"/>
<trace text="occupation segment 1 = @vr_locid1"/>
</then>
</if>
</foreach>
<trace text="total available length = #vr_frei_gleis_lange"/>
<!-- Muss Freiraum zwischenZüge Afddieren -->
<if condition="#ShortestTrainLength < #vr_frei_gleis_lange">
<then>
<trace text="OK to move"/>
<if condition="#ShortestTrainLocation = 145">
<then>
<trace text="OK to move from 145"/>
<co id="Rueckw.frei" cmd="off"/>
<co id="Reverse145" cmd="on"/>
</then>
</if>
<if condition="#ShortestTrainLocation = 146">
<then>
<trace text="OK to move from 146"/>
<co id="Rueckw.frei" cmd="off"/>
<co id="Reverse146" cmd="on"/>
</then>
</if>
<if condition="#ShortestTrainLocation = 147">
<then>
<trace text="OK to move from 147"/>
<co id="Rueckw.frei" cmd="off"/>
<co id="Reverse147" cmd="on"/>
</then>
</if>

</then>
<else>
<trace text="not enough space to move"/>
</else
</if>
<!-- end of program now sort all reject cases--->
</then>
<else>
<!---Program blocked because BK or ABaf0 or ABaf1 not free--->
<trace text="Aufstellblock fuller: bk 150, ABaf0, ABaf1 sind nicht alle frei" />
</else>
</if>
<trace text="Aufstellblock fuller: end" />
</xmlscript>

Hi Fab
Shadow station are the easiest to create:
- simply create the blocks as any other regular block
- now train will use them in fishbowl operation (you simply press power ON, AUTO ON and right click on a loco and select start)
- in this case, the blocks (if multiple in parallel) will be used randomly.

Additional Tricks

Locations
- create a location (tab tables and then select locations, give it a name
- list the blocks belonging to this location (Paris
- you may indicate the minimum number of trains you want to have in the location (your shadow station) so no train is leaving before that number is reached
- you may specify FIFO (first in first out) or Random.

Length management
- you specvify for each train, its total length or you manage car by car and edit the content of a train (see below)
- you specify the length of each block (I use mm but you may use any other unit)
- RR will only send a train to a block offering more space (length)
- RR offers you the option to use the shortest available block (leaving longer ones for longer trains
- RR offers you to use STAGING BLOCKS (A block, capable of containing more than one train). In this case RR will computer the occupancy of each section of the block.

train / consist edition


Routes and schedules
- routes are generated by the ROUTER (Tab Track plan / ROUTER).
- it generates all the routes between adjacent blocks
- you may add / edit / delete any route at your convenience

- schedules are used to create a circulation that makes sense (e.g.: in a depot) and specify either consecutive blocks to be used. Blocks may be replaced with locations.
- schedules must be created manually for turntables

Other possibilities
- you may assign a given block of your shadow station to a given train (in PERMISSIONS specify only this loco is allowed)
- you may lock / unlock the exit of a given block by creating an OUTPUT (a virtual relay with a name you give) and insert this output in the SENSOR field of the routes.
The output appear on your "PLAN" as a toggle and so, you may lock / unlock any train at any place
Outputs on my layout
(each of these red or green squares represent an output to start a tour, lock or unlock a fonction, etc


Sorry there as so many more possibilities that you may get bored
Thats all for now
Cheers
Jean