The structure parameter_description has an element flags that contains information about the status of the parameter. Also the functions nni_init_parm* allow specifying some of these flags when initializing a parameter. The individual flags can be combined with a logical OR in the element flags. The following flags are defined in the header file natni.h. This file is contained in the directory <install-dir>/natural/samples/sysexnni.

Return Code	Meaning
NNI_FLG_PROTECTED	Parameter is write protected.
NNI_FLG_DYNAMIC (*)	Parameter is dynamic (variable length or x-array).
NNI_FLG_NOT_CONTIG (*)	Array is not contiguous.
NNI_FLG_AIV (*)	Parameter is an AIV or INDEPENDENT variable.
NNI_FLG_DYNVAR (*)	Parameter has variable length.
NNI_FLG_XARRAY (*)	Parameter is an x-array.
NNI_FLG_LBVAR_0	Lower bound of dimension 0 is variable.
NNI_FLG_UBVAR_0	Upper bound of dimension 0 is variable.
NNI_FLG_LBVAR_1	Lower bound of dimension 1 is variable.
NNI_FLG_UBVAR_1	Upper bound of dimension 1 is variable.
NNI_FLG_LBVAR_2	Lower bound of dimension 2 is variable.
NNI_FLG_UBVAR_2	Upper bound of dimension 2 is variable.

Only the flags marked with (*) can be explicitly set in the functions nni_init_parm*. The other flags are automatically set by the interface according to the type of the parameter.

If one of the NNI_FLG_*VAR* flags is set, the array is an x-array. In each dimension of an x-array only the lower bound or the upper bound, not both, can be variable. Therefore for instance the flag NNI_FLG_LBVAR_0 may not be combined with NNI_FLG_UBVAR_0.

If NNI_FLG_DYNAMIC is on, also NNI_FLG_DYNVAR, NNI_FLG_XARRAY or both are on. If both are on, the parameter is an x-array with elements of variable length.