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   "source": [
    "# **Stable:** Helpers for eppy"
   ]
  },
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   "metadata": {},
   "source": [
    "Here are a couple of functions that are useful while working with eppy. The Documentations strings are quite clear on how these functions work. So follow the lnks to the documentations strings"
   ]
  },
  {
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   "metadata": {},
   "source": [
    "## Extensible field helpers"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "markdown",
   "id": "838a992e",
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   "source": [
    "Most idfobjects have a fixed number of fields. But some idfobjects in Energyplus have *extensible fields*. These are fields that varying number of items from idfobject to ifeobject. \n",
    "\n",
    "Some examples are `ZONELIST` and `BUILDINGSURFACE:DETAILED`. The `ZONELIST`s can have different number of `ZONES`. Similarly, `BUILDINGSURFACE:DETAILED` can have varying number of coordinate points. These extensible fields can be very long. It can be very cumbersome to work with this one filed at a time. There are two useful helper functions here. One converts the extensible fields to a list. The other converts the list back to an extensible field.\n",
    "\n",
    "Take a look at:\n",
    "\n",
    "- [extensiblefields2list](./witheppy.eppyhelpers.html#witheppy.eppyhelpers.extfields.extensiblefields2list) -> converts to list\n",
    "- [list2extensiblefields](./witheppy.eppyhelpers.html#witheppy.eppyhelpers.extfields.extensiblefields2list)\n",
    " -> converts it back to extensible fields\n",
    " \n",
    " Also look at the other [helper_functions](./witheppy.eppyhelpers.html)"
   ]
  }
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