Task #1571
openWhat is timestamp? Why do we use both runname and timestamp (i.e., -t option) in some appion process?
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Description
Examples that use timestamp in naming their results are maxlikeAlignment; runCL2D and uploadExternalPackageRefinement.
Examples that does not have it are uploadFrealign and other refinement upload.
I thought the original idea is that runname is unique and repeating job submission with the same runname would mean that the old one is not useful and can be over-written. These python files that uses timestamp in the result file naming introduce -t with all its output contains the so-call timestamp.
I hoping to find out from developers why was this timestamp included in the code they develop and from users what its function is if runname is already unique. I am in the process of writing an appion script that involves first autopreparation, then manual step in ETOMO and at last upload step. I can't control ETOMO file names that well.
Updated by Neil Voss over 12 years ago
Basically, in my code timestamp is used for repeated runs of the same runname. Such as, maxlike1 crashed (which could be after 4 days of running) and the job is resubmitted. Rather than deleteing the old results (which may have taken a long time to produce) it creates a file with a new timestamp -- dependent upon time not runname.
Now, I agree, it can cause clutter so I tried to use it sparingly on smaller files.
Updated by Neil Voss over 12 years ago
I guess it was more of a developer tool (re-submitting the job over and over again), rather than for production, and maybe should be removed.
Updated by Dmitry Lyumkis over 12 years ago
From a user's perspective, and particularly with respect to refinements, I thought it would be useful to include this information in the resulting files (e.g. .mrc, .fsc, and particle_params.txt) that are created. I usually download the files to my computer and rename them to something I can later track, as opposed to, e.g. 'xmipp_recon1'. To avoid renaming them each time I download a refined model, the timestamp was implemented for the uploads.
Updated by Scott Stagg over 12 years ago
From a different user's perspective, I don't particularly care for the timestamps. It looks cluttered, and all I really want to see is the run name and comments. However, that is just one perspective.