COPYMESS makes copies of a message

Syntax:

 COPYMESS(<integer value>) <associated instruction>;

This instruction produces a number of copies of the message that is being processed, equal to the value of <integer value> (that must be greater than zero) and for each copy executes the <associated instruction>. All fields of the original are copied.

The <associated instruction> must have a SENDTO instruction to dispose of the copy. Before it, instructions can be used to change the values of the fields. To do this the names of the O_<fields> must be used.

The original message must be processed through instructions outside the <associated instruction> before or after the COPYMESS. If it is not sent to a node, it will be lost.

The global control variable ICOPY takes the value of the generated copy. Its value is not recorded in the copied message. If the programmer wants to keep it, a field must be defined in the message for this purpose and the value of ICOPY must be passed to each copy in the <associated instruction>.

COPYMESS can be used only in G, I, D nodes and in the RELEASE instruction of an R node.

Examples:

1.      COPYMESS(N_Offices) BEGIN Nc := ICOPY + 1; SENDTO(Office[nc]) END;
        SENDTO(Office[1])

   A number of copies equal to the actual value of N_Offices are generated and sent (with an indication of its number plus one) to the nodes Office[2], Office[3], etc. The original is sent to Office[1].
2. The following code may be used to initialize a simulation of a queue system with the system not empty. Six messages are sent at TIME with -10 value to the node Bridge with a negative generation time.

      Entrance(I) Bridge :: IT := EXPO(Tell); SENDTO(Bridge);
      FillSys (I) :: GT := -10; TIME := GT; SENDTO(Bridge);
                     COPYMESS(5)
                     BEGIN GT := -Ant[ICOPY]; TIME := GT; SENDTO(Bridge) END;
      Bridge (R)  :: STAY := 1;
      ---------------------
      INIT  ACT(FillSys, 0); ASSI Ant[1..5] := (9, 7, 3, 2, 0);

   The node FillSys creates a virtual past before TIME = 0 in which it sends six messages to Bridge. It finishes its action when he puts TIME to zero ( Ant[5] ).