Better exception handling with gencumulativesky and makeModule

[mikofski]

I know this issue has been raised before, I am using the latest version in Python-2 on linux. Should I be using Python-3?

tracebback:

In [2]: bifacial_radiance.gui()
Read all values
path = /home/mikm/myfolder
Getting weather file: USA_AZ_Safford.AWOS.722747_TMY3.epw
 ... OK!
Usage: SceneObj(moduletype)
No module type selected. Available module types: [u'Prism Solar Bi60 landscape', u'Prism Solar Bi60', u'test', u'2upTracker', u'cellModule']
Available module names: ['Prism Solar Bi60 landscape', 'Prism Solar Bi60', 'test', '2upTracker', 'cellModule']
('\nModule Name:', 'Prism_Solar_Bi60')
REWRITING pre-existing module file.
Module Prism Solar Bi60 successfully created

Using Pre-determined Module Type: Prism Solar Bi60
sceneDict Warning: Passed 'clearance_height' and 'hub_height' into makeScene. For this fixed tiltroutine, using 'clearance_height' and removing 'hub_height' from sceneDict
message: gencumulativesky: Error - invalid input parameter '-E'

Usage: gencumulativesky [-d] [+s1|+s2] [-a latitude] [-o longitude] [-l] [-m standard meridian] [-h hourshift] [-G|-B] <climate file>
(Note: longitude +ve East of Greenwich)

        -d      Ignore diffuse irradiance
        +s1     Use "smeared sun" approach (default)
        +s2     Use "binned sun" approach
        -l      Output luminance instead of radiance
        -G      File format is col1=global irradiance (W/m2), col2=diffuse irradiance
        -B      File format is col1=direct horizontal irradiance (W/m2), col2=diffuse irradiance
Created Demo1.oct
Linescan in process: Demo1_Front
message: rtrace: skybright`cumulative: undefined variable
Linescan in process: Demo1_Back
message: rtrace: skybright`cumulative: undefined variable
Exception in Tkinter callback
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/lib-tk/Tkinter.py", line 1540, in __call__
    return self.func(*args)
  File "/home/mikm/Projects/bifacial_radiance/bifacial_radiance/gui.py", line 412, in runBifacialRadiance
    cellLevelModuleParamsDict=cellLevelModuleParamsDict
  File "/home/mikm/Projects/bifacial_radiance/bifacial_radiance/modelchain.py", line 157, in runModelChain
    (sum(analysis.Wm2Back) / sum(analysis.Wm2Front)))
AttributeError: AnalysisObj instance has no attribute 'Wm2Back'

[mikofski]

I have a strong suspicion I am seeing this error because of #129 and #119 , but I still think it's worth fixing, because if that's the case then I think a more meaningful exception needs to be raised earlier, perhaps by capturing stdout or stderr from the gencumulativesky subprocess and checking to see if it was successful, and raising a meaningful exception if not.

[costeladebarata]

Hi mikofski,

I got the same error when I misspelled the tube material when creating my module. rad_obj.makeModule(... , material = 'spelled_wrong') I wrote Metalgrey, instead of Metal_Grey

Hope it helps.

[cdeline]

Correct, this issue arises because your gencumulativesky did not have a -E option. When gencumulativesky returned the error, it printed it, but the python software did not interrupt the operation or raise an exception. This could be solved by better exception handling...