Creating the Setup File

The second step is to create the setup file. This is an ordinary Thermo‑Calc macro file (*.TCM). Typically, your setup file should contain the following:

• A system definition.
• A section where you enter model parameters and optimizing variables.
• A go parrot command.
• A section where initial values are assigned to the optimizing variables for the first optimization cycle.
• A CREATE_NEW_STORE_FILE <filename.par> which creates the PARROT workspace file onto which the results of your optimization are continuously saved and updated. By default this workspace file has the same filename as the setup file, but with the *.PAR filename extension.
• A COMPILE_EXPERIMENTS <filename.pop> command. Since you often encounter syntax errors when you first try to compile a POP file, it may be useful to execute this command from the console rather than as part of the setup macro file.
• Normally, you also have a SET_INTERACTIVE at the end of the setup file. This command returns control over Thermo‑Calc to the console.

It is possible to interactively execute all these commands one at a time in the console. It may be instructive to enter the commands that would normally go into the setup file interactively while using the on-line help while you are learning to use the PARROT module.