Methods and module class objects to configure absent equipment in process plants

A method as defined in claim 4, further comprising binding the process element object to the specific process element of the process plant if the specific process element is not configured as absent.

An article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to:

• create a class object representative of a process entity within the process plant that includes a first data structure representative of one or more process elements that make up the process entity;
• and
• create a module object based on the class object that includes a second data structure, the second data structure to include a configurable first indication to represent whether a specific process element that conforms to a first one of the one or more process elements that make up the process entity is absent.

A method of creating download script for a controller of a process plant, the method comprising:

• determining if a process element of a process entity associated with the controller is configured to be absent;
• and
• adding a field to the download script to indicate that the process entity is absent when the process entity is configured to be ignored, wherein the field used by the controller to suppress errors when the field is set to a first value.

An article of manufacture storing machine accessible data, the data comprising a download script for a controller of a process plant, the script including:

• a first field identifying an element of a process entity of the process plant;
• and
• a second field that indicates if the process entity is absent.

An article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to:

• determine if a process element of a process entity associated with the controller is configured to be absent;
• and
• add a field to the download script to indicate that the process entity is absent when the process entity is configured to be ignored, wherein the field used by the controller to suppress errors when the field is set to a first value.

A method of processing a download script at a controller of a process plant, the method comprising:

• parsing a clause of the download script to determine if a process element of a process entity associated with the controller is configured to be absent;
• and
• ignoring an error associated with the process element if the process element is configured to be absent.

An article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to:

• parse a clause of the download script to determine if a process element of a process entity associated with the controller is configured to be absent;
• and
• ignore an error associated with the process element if the process element is configured to be absent.