Do not allow connection of different connector types

[Christian Kral <dr.christian.kral@…>]

In the actual version of OMEdit it is possible to, e.g., connect a rotational to an electrical connector or connect a signal connector to a thermal connector. This does not make sense and shall not be allowed.

[Christian Kral <dr.christian.kral@…>]

Image showing connections not be allowed

[massimo ceraolo]

It is even possible to connect to a connector that should not be visible. for instance connecting an electric connector to the thermal connector of a resistor for which useHeatPort=false

[Adeel Asghar]

AFAIR we use to have this check but then dropped for #2450.
We need to instantiate the model which leads to other issues as well so we simply allow the user to make connections and then show the errors the model is simulated.

Maybe Adrian or Martin has some better ideas.

[massimo ceraolo]

AFAIR we use to have this check but then dropped for #2450.

If, with a reasonable programming effort, it is possible to forbid unacceptable connections, in my opinion this should be pursued.

It would help students and beginners to avoid trivial mistakes, and help us teachers to promote OM better.

In case you decide to allow optionally incorrect connections, for me this option should not be the default.

[dr.christian.kral@…]

I agree, that students often run into problems by connecting the wrong components. It were therefore very helpful in education to not allow connection between non-matching connectors.

[Adeel Asghar]

See #4337.

[massimo ceraolo]

I don't think that this is duplicate of 4337.
May I ask you to reopen this? Just to keep trace of the discussion here and of the difference between this and #4337.

[Adeel Asghar]

I don't see a difference between the two.
A connection of different connector types is indeed an invalid connection, right?

====
Well, #4337 was related to connection of connectors of the same types, not of different types!

Furthermore, in that ticket there was a discussion of two points 1) and 2), which does not apply here. It may in principle be allowed to connect two real inputs to each other since later one could connect the joined point to an output, thus obtaining a correct model (= an output connected to several inputs).
In #4337 I stressed that, on the opposite, it should be forbidden to connect two outputs together (I mentioned the specification)

Here we discuss of connection of connectors of different types and connection to conditional connectors (which should even be invisible). For me these two are entirely different stories, even though linked to the one in #4337.
====

Message between "===" by ceraolo (erroneously written in an adeas31's message)

[Francesco Casella]

I guess what @ceraolo meant was that the discussion in this ticket is also relevant. I've added a reference to this ticket to #4337

[massimo ceraolo]

Adeel,
Sorry for awfully tampering with your comment. I didn't realise that I was modifying it!

[Adeel Asghar]

@ceraolo I do agree with you that the description on the both tickets are different buy maybe at the compiler level just a single fix is needed to close both tickets.

I am reopening this ticket so we don't miss out the valuable discussion done here.

[Francesco Casella]

Rescheduled to 1.14.0 after 1.13.0 releasee

[Francesco Casella]

Releasing 1.14.0 which is stable and has many improvements w.r.t. 1.13.2. This issue is rescheduled to 1.16.0

[Francesco Casella]

Retargeted to 1.17.0 after 1.16.0 release

[Francesco Casella]

Retargeted to 1.18.0 because of 1.17.0 timed release.

[Francesco Casella]

Ticket retargeted after milestone closed

[Adeel Asghar]

Fixed in ​https://github.com/OpenModelica/OpenModelica/pull/10704