There are three general categories of things you can adjust with the SPARCS Settings.txt file:
Features - XPS is designed to meet the needs of a wide variety of operational styles. As a result, it is rich in features. The SPARCS Settings.txt file lets you customize XPS for the specific needs of your operation by enabling only those features of value to you. For example, you can set the container information that is tracked at your terminal and create a Container Define dialog box that includes only the fields for the attributes you track.
Container information - In the #CLASS and #ATTRIBUTES sections of the SPARCS Settings.txt file, you can set which types of container information will be available, and rename attributes to match the terms used at your site.
Class - A class corresponds to a database of possible values for a certain type of container information. For example, the port class defines all the valid ports (as defined in the PORT section of your codes file).
All the codes file sections (such as equipment type, line operators, and commodity codes) define classes. XPS also has predefined classes such as status and category.
You can assign colors to class values using the XPS color palette. See the Navis N4: Basics for more information about assigning colors.
Attribute - Attributes are container or vessel characteristics. For example, a container’s load and discharge port are attributes. You can change the attribute name that XPS displays on the screen and prints in reports. You can also change the number of characters that can be used for an attribute value.
Some attributes are validated against entries in the codes.txt file, while others are not. For example, load and discharge port attributes, which are validated, must be in the PORT section of the codes file. However, the container remark attribute, which is not validated, can contain information that is not in the codes.txt file. XPS generates a new codes.txt file from N4 each time it starts up.
Other attributes are derived from data in XPS. For example, the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit attribute is derived from XPS fundamental temperature attribute, which is in degrees Celsius.
Reports - Navis engineers generally work with you to create the format for printed reports, such as discharge/load stow plans, sequence sheets, final stow plans, and recap reports. You can change these report formats and add new report formats for additional final stow plan formats and recap reports. For example, you can create custom formats for specific line operators using their preferred codes for ports or equipment types.