Command Line Options

If Netica is run from the command line it can accept a Netica password, which is used for that session, but not entered into the registry.

If Netica is run with command line parameters, then on start-up, Netica will put in the Messages window a line showing what command line parameters were used.

Set Path:  To run Netica from the command line, you must start it from the directory that contains the Netica Application executable (i.e. the Netica home directory).  Alternately, you can include the home directory with the Netica file name (such as typing something like C:\Program Files\Netica\Netica 317\Netica.exe all enclosed in double quotes where necessary).  A third, more permanent, choice is to put the Netica home directory in the MS Windows path environment variable.

You can find the home directory from Netica by choosing Help → About Netica, and then looking in the Messages window.

You can add to the environment path variable by following:

Start → Settings → Control Panel → System → Advanced → Environment Variables → Path → Edit.

Then add a semicolon and the Netica home directory to the end.

Running:  Bring up the command line dialog box by following: Start → Run... Then type in the file name of Netica (e.g. Netica or "Netica 325").  Or, you can use the shell interpreter, available by choosing Start → Programs → Accessories → Command Prompt.

Note that you need the quotes if there is a space in the file name.  When you press okay, Netica should come up.

Options:  You can put command line arguments after the Netica file name to achieve certain results.  The following are the options:

<file-name>  When Netica starts up, it will open the Bayes net with the given file name.  You will need to put the full path, and don't forget quotes around it if there are spaces in the name.  If the net was compiled and AutoUpdating was turned on when it was last saved, then when it comes up in Netica, it will be all ready to go.

   Example: "Netica 305" "C:\Netica Data\MyBN.neta"

-print <file-name> Prints the indicated Bayes net file on the default printer in graphical format.

-case <file-name> Reads the first case from the indicated file, into the Bayes net it has opened.  This option must follow an option to read in a Bayes net.

   Example: Netica "C:\Data\MyBN.neta"/case"C:\Data\MyCase.cas"

-password <pw> Runs Netica with the given license password.  Ignores any installed password.  It uses the password for this session of Netica only (i.e. it doesn't install the password on the computer for the next time Netica is run).

-Embedding  This is only for those using the COM interface (it has the usual meaning under COM).

Example:  If the following is run from the directory containing Bayes net file "ChestClinic.dne" and case file "NoAsia.cas" (and the home directory is on the system path):

> Netica ChestClinic.dne -case NoAsia.cas

It will bring up Netica, open the chest clinic net, and read the NoAsia case into that net.

Under program control:  You may want to launch Netica directly from another program.  Most development systems have a function to send a command to the operating system (e.g. a shell command).

For example, if you are programming in C/C++, you could call the Win32 function CreateProcess, or the function WinExec, as follows:

     WinExec ("Netica.exe", SW_SHOWNORMAL);

All the command line options work, so you could call: