Added "core.overwrite" parameter

src/Persephone.jl

@@ -25,12 +25,9 @@ using
 ## define exported functions and variables
 export
     #types
-    LandCover,
-    EventType,
     Pixel,
     FarmEvent,
     FarmPlot,
-    Sex,
     Animal,
     Farmer,
     #functions

src/core/input.jl

@@ -9,8 +9,11 @@
 ##XXX Does it make sense to move the settings dict into the model object itself?
 ## (It could be integrated into the properties dict.) Advantage: we have less
 ## global state lying around, and serialising becomes easier (if we want to do
-## that). Disadvantage: only functions that have access to the model object can
-## access the settings - this may give problems during initialisation.
+## that). Also, during testing we often need to change individual parameters,
+## which is currently impossible. Disadvantage: immutability of parameters at
+## runtime is intended, and some start-up functions may have problems if they need
+## access to parameters before the model object has been created.
+##TODO -> yes, changing this is probably sensible
 let settings::Dict{String, Dict{String, Any}}
     """
         initsettings(configfile)

src/core/output.jl

@@ -16,14 +16,21 @@ Creates the output directory and copies relevant files into it.
 function setupdatadir()
     # Check whether the output directory already exists and handle conflicts
     if isdir(param("core.outdir"))
-        @warn "The chosen output directory $(param("core.outdir")) already exists."
-        println("Type 'yes' to overwrite this directory. Otherwise, the simulation will abort.")
-        print("Overwrite? ")
-        answer = readline()
-        (answer != "yes") && Base.error("Output directory exists, will not overwrite. Aborting.")
-    else
-        mkpath(param("core.outdir"))
+        overwrite = param("core.overwrite")
+        if param("core.overwrite") == "ask"
+            println("The chosen output directory $(param("core.outdir")) already exists.")
+            println("Type 'yes' to overwrite this directory. Otherwise, the simulation will abort.")
+            print("Overwrite? ")
+            answer = readline()
+            (answer == "yes") && (overwrite = true)
+        end
+        if !overwrite
+            Base.error("Output directory exists, will not overwrite. Aborting.")
+        else
+            @warn "Overwriting existing output directory $(param("core.outdir"))."
+        end
     end
+    mkpath(param("core.outdir"))
     # Setup the logging system and logfile
     loglevel = Logging.Info
     if param("core.loglevel") == "debug"

src/parameters.toml

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ configfile = "src/parameters.toml" # location of the configuration file
 landcovermap = "data/landcover_jena.tif" # location of the landcover map
 farmfieldsmap = "data/fields_jena.tif" # location of the field geometry map
 outdir = "results" # location and name of the output folder
+overwrite = "ask" # overwrite the output directory? (true/false/"ask")
 loglevel = "debug" # verbosity level: "debug", "info", "quiet"
 seed = 0 # seed value for the RNG (0 -> random value)
 # dates to start and end the simulation