When GENER is run, an unnumbered identification page is output for control purposes. This page identifies the GENER software version and modification level, the name of the input CL file, the creation date of the QUEST generated post-processor, the database from which the post-processor was read, the software version of the database, the names of macro libraries being used if applicable and, optionally, the NC control tape program identification string (commonly called a PID).

For example:

This header page shows that Release 18.0 modification level of GENER is being run. You must reference this number (whatever appears in the listing file) when you communicate problems with the product to PTC Inc. support personnel.

The input CL file is named TEST.NCL.

The MILL501 post-processor was either explicitly requested by the user, or it was determined by scanning through the 3axtest.ncl.1 file for a MACHIN CL record. This post-processor was created just after noon on July 1, 1996. The post-processor database is located in the directory /usr/francois/work/ncpost.dbf and was created using Release 18.0 of Pro/NCPOST.

A PID string was specified when GENER was executed, or a default PID string was defined by the post-processor creator (using QUEST). In either case, the value written to the NC control file is 9001.

GENER cannot use a database that is created using a different version of NCPOST. Attempting to do so results in an error message and processing aborts. However, no harm is done to the old database. The QUEST utility can be used to update the database to the new version level if necessary.

From time to time, new GENER and QUEST software may be released at the same version level but at a higher modification level. When a post-processor created at a lower level of QUEST is run on a higher level of GENER, warning messages may be displayed indicating that problems exist. Specific instructions to alleviate this problem are always provided with the new software release. One sure way of eliminating this problem is to run the new software release of QUEST and regenerate the post-processor.