[kstrauss]

There is a file, mysub.ngc, in the subroutines directory which I want to call from the MDI. If I enter O<mysub> call in the MDI I get an error message saying "EOF reached in (path to currently loaded program) seeking o-word <mysub> from line 0"

Is it possible to run a subroutine from the MDI? What is the syntax?

[jwatte]

One way is to define an M code in a .hal file to run whatever you need to run, and make sure that .hal file is loaded by your main tormach_mill.hal file.

[kstrauss]

Calling a subroutine from the MDI suits my needs better. If that is impossible I'll try your approach. However, I suspect that I've made some stupid mistake for which I'll hang my head in shame.

[TurboStep]

Is it possible to run a subroutine from the MDI? What is the syntax?

I haven't found a way, but I find it easy enough to write a minimal g-code file that just calls the subroutine. If you also want to pass arguments it's usually easier to add them to a text file than typing them into the mdi.
Step

[kstrauss]

Solved!
My problem was that I saved the subroutine as gcode/subroutines/mySub.ngc. Changing the filename to mysub.ngc (all lowercase) allows it to work perfectly. Just enter: "O<MYSUB> CALL" from the MDI. I suppose that it is intuitive that a filename referenced as all uppercase must be stored on disk as all lowercase. NOT! Apologies for the interruption.

[kstrauss]

While on the topic of subroutines, is it possible to determine the number of parameters passed to a subroutine? The online examples that I have found check for the parameter having a value of zero to indicate that it was not passed. For my application zero is a valid value for an optional parameter.

[jwatte]

You can do this when REBIND-ing M-codes in the hal + python files, but I don't know how to do it for O-codes.
If you can make it so that 0 is the default value (does the same thing whether passed or not) then it doesn't matter :-)

[dannirr]

You can also just load the subroutine as you would any other file, and run. it

[kstrauss]

Yes but how do you pass parameters to it? Anyway, all is now good running it as a subroutine from the MDI.