Dzn

Dzn is the file extension used for data files in the MiniZinc constraint programming toolkit. A .dzn file provides concrete values for the parameters declared in a MiniZinc model (.mzn) and is read by the solver as input data during the solving process.

Format and syntax

Dzn data files are plain text. They consist of statements of the form name = value; where names correspond to parameter identifiers in the associated MiniZinc model. Values can be scalars, booleans, strings, or arrays. The type of each value is determined by the declarations in the model, not by explicit typing in the data file. Values are typically separated by semicolons, and arrays are written in standard MiniZinc array notation.

Example

A typical .dzn file might contain:

n = 5;

demand = [20, 10, 25, 15, 30];

vehicles = 3;

location_names = ["A","B","C","D","E"];

Usage

To solve with data from a .dzn file, the MiniZinc model is loaded along with the data file, either in the MiniZinc IDE or from the command line. A common command line invocation is minizinc model.mzn data.dzn, which runs the model using the values supplied in the data file.

Notes

While .dzn is the common data file format for MiniZinc, some projects may generate or manipulate data with different tooling, so compatibility with the specific MiniZinc version in use should be checked. Dzn files enable separation of model logic from input data, facilitating reuse and experimentation with different data scenarios.