Uses for dcomment

dcomment has many uses. I've listed a few here:

• Improve readability of input decks
• Defining Input variables on the fly (use -v and -d command line options with #ifdef's)
• Using alternative names for input deck items to improve understanding (ie give materials names, then use the names on the cell cards)

  /* materials.inh
    1/16/97: JVS:
  
    MATERIAL DESCRIPTIONS */
  #define LEAD 1          // Material Number
  #define PLEAD -11.69    // Density
  0,1,1/              // Material 1: Lead
  82,207,0.03299,22/  // Lead
  //
  // Polycarbonate: (C16_H14_O3)
  #define POLYCARBONATE 2         // Material Number
  #define PPOLYCARBONATE -1.20    // Density
  0.039789,5/       // Hydrogen
  6,12,0.044973/        // Carbon-12:       0.989
  6,13,0.0005/         // Carbon-13:       0.011
  8,16,0.008506/        // Oxygen-16      0.99762
  8,17,3.24E-05/        // Oxygen 17       0.0038
  8,18,1.71E-05/        // Oxygen-18        0.002
  /* .....
     many more materials are listed here */
  /* end of material descriptions */

• Use #define and math operations to create geometry

        #define START  
        #define THICKNESS
        100 pz  START
        110 pz  START+THICKNESS
        120 pz  START+2*THICKNESS
        ...

• Changing in/out standard geometry parts

  #ifdef IC_IN         /* check if IC is defined */
  #include ``ion_chamber_cells.inh'' /* include ion chamber */
  #endif

• Defining standard geometry parts (see above, can use ion_chamber in many different problems)
• Using an input file that has a common geometry for all LCS series problems through use of #include
• Single input file for several LCS codes by using #ifdef, #define, and the other logical directives.

  /* sample to show different includes */
  /* header to include depends on the code */
  #ifdef LAHET
  #include ``lcs_stage1_header.inh''
  #elseif MCNP
  #include ``mcnp_header.inp''
  #elif SABRINA
  #include ``sabrina_header.inh''
  #endif
  /* include the same geometry for all problems */
  #include ``problem_geometry.inh''
  /* can also have ifdef's for footer information */

• Creating complex geometrical objects
• ....