A first W7-X experiment program editor

The long Wendelstein 7-X experiment programs will be segmented into arbitrary time slices. For each of these segments the planned behaviour is stored in a configuration database – and that for every component within the W7-X hierarchical layout. Up to now we have an editor to set up these segments for each single component. But generating the compound program description out of the components’ segments is time-consuming experts’ hand work. It is planned to implement a top-down program editor which is able to break down a high level physics program proposal to component segments while observing all the physical and technical constraints – a quite ambitious intention.This paper describes the first step to an experiment program editor: The “eXpress program editor” is able to modify parameters of a single, a subset, or all segments within a given program, thus adapting its behaviour in an easy way. A graphical program structure overview has been implemented giving fast access to program parameters for comparison and editing. Appropriate parameter editors regard type and constraints. In a single transaction all changes are saved, resulting in a new experiment program ready-to-use for the next experiment run.Even though changing the program's structure is not supported in this version, the eXpress program editor serves as a tool for quick program adaptations in the daily experiment routine. Furthermore this implementation will be used as a design and usage study for the later high-end W7-X program editor.