═══ 1. About PLOT ═══ PLOT is an OS/2 Presentation Manager application which offers graphical plot support. Graphics created by PLOT can be printed or exported to a Windows 3.x bitmap file. This allows you to load the created graphic from a word processor and to embed it in your documents. PLOT highlights Data file format Registration information Calling PLOT from other applications PLOT has been developed by: StegSoft Durlacher Allee 38 76131 Karlsruhe West Germany Fax: +49 721 693242 ═══ 1.1. Calling PLOT from other applications ═══ This information is intended for developers writing applications that need graphical plot support under OS/2 version 2. If you are writing an OS/2 application that needs X-Y plot support, PLOT may be very useful. You can start PLOT from your program by creating a child process via DosExecPgm. If you are writing a commercial application, you can include PLOT on your software package. In this case, registration fees have to be paid for every distributed package. If you are interested in using PLOT together with your commercial software, please contact us by writing to the following address: StegSoft Durlacher Allee 38 76131 Karlsruhe West Germany Fax: +49 721 693242 ═══ 1.1.1. Creating a child process ═══ The following example code shows a way to call PLOT from an application written in C. First of all, a file containing all your data must be created and stored to a disk. Then a child process must be created using the DosExecPgm kernel function. This will start PLOT and your data file will automatically be loaded. #define INCL_DOSPROCESS #include RESULTCODES resc; CHAR szFailName[CCHMAXPATH]; CHAR szCommandLine[] = "plot\0yourdata.plt\0"; /* * The following function writes your data to a file * named "yourdata.plt". It is not included on this * package, but you can obtain it by contacting us. */ SavePlotData("yourdata.plt", xdata, ydata, flags); DosExecPgm(szFailName, /* Object-name buffer */ sizeof(szFailName), /* Length of buffer */ EXEC_ASYNC, /* Async flag */ szCommandLine, /* Argument string */ (PSZ) NULL, /* Environment string */ &resc, /* Address of result */ "plot.exe"); /* Name of application */ ═══ 1.2. PLOT highlights ═══ Version 1.5 ■ Fully 32 bit architecture ■ Export a graphic to a Windows 3.x bitmap file ■ Capability of choosing line types, colors and markers ■ Accelerator keys providing quick access to commands ■ Enhanced graphics printing support ■ Graph data can be easily created using a text editor ■ Save settings command ■ Online help for every command by pressing F1 ■ Easy to use ═══ 2. File Menu ═══ The File menu contains commands that you use to open data files, print and export graphics. In addition, it also contains the command that you use to exit the application. The following commands appear in the File menu: New... Opens an existing data file for creating a new graphic. Open... Opens an existing data file for embedding in the current graphic. Export... Saves the current graphic to a Windows 3.x bitmap file. Print... Prints the current graphic on the default printer. Exit Quits this application. ═══ 3. New ═══ You can open a data file that exists on any drive or in any directory by using the New command. The current graphic will be lost. To create a new graphic and load a data file, do the following: o Select the File menu and choose the New command. A dialog box appears, showing you a list of files in the current directory. ═══ 4. Open ═══ You can open a data file that exists on any drive or in any directory by using the Open command. The loaded graph will be represented in your current graphic. To load a data file to be shown in your current graphic, do the following: o Select the File menu and choose the Open command. A dialog box appears, showing you a list of files in the current directory. ═══ 5. Export... ═══ You use the Export... command to save your graphic to a bitmap file. Follow these steps to create a bitmap file: 1. Select the File menu and choose the Export... command. A dialog box appears, prompting you for the size of your bitmap. 2. Select the desired size of your graphic and press the OK button. A dialog box appears, prompting you for the file name. 3. Enter a file name and press the OK button again. Your graph will be saved to a Windows 3.x bitmap file. Note: If you are using an unregistered version, you will get a motivation message on your bitmap prompting you to get your registered version. This message will disappear after registration. You can delete this message using a paint program. ═══ 6. Print ═══ You use the Print command to print your graphic on the default printer. Follow these steps to print your graphic: 1. Select the File menu and choose the Print command. A dialog box appears, prompting you for the size of your graphic print. 2. Select the desired size of your graphic and press the OK button. A dialog box appears, prompting you for the job properties. 3. Select the job properties and press the OK button again. Your graph will be printed on your default printer. Note: If you want to change your default printer, refer to a printer object on your desktop. Open its menu and select your default printer by using the Set default menu. Note: If you are using an unregistered version, you will get a motivation message on your print prompting you to get your registered version. This message will disappear after registration. ═══ 7. Exit ═══ You quit this application by using the Exit command. To quit this application, do the following: 1. Select the File menu and choose the Exit command. ═══ 8. Options Menu ═══ The Options menu contains commands that you use to modify your graphic, load a text editor or save the current settings. The following commands appear in the Options menu: Graphic... Allows you to set new axis limits, to document the axis and to select and unselect other drawing options. Set Font... Allows you to select the desired font type and size. Graph... Allows you to modify the line type when interpolating between points, to put markers at each point and to change the color of a graph. Edit Data File Starts a text editor that allows you to create or modify a data file. Save options Use this command to save the current settings. ═══ 9. Graphic ═══ You can use the Graphic command to select the displaying options of your graphic. To change the displaying options of your graphic, do the following: o Select the Options menu and choose the Graphic command. A dialog box will appear prompting you for the graphic options. o After selecting all the desired options, press the OK button. Your graphic will be immediately updated on the screen. ═══ 9.1. Graphic options ═══ Use this dialog box to specify the graphic drawing options. Refer to the following list to learn how to use this dialog box: o Axes text o x-Axis / y-Axis o New axes values o Settings o Print parameters o OK o Cancel ═══ 9.1.1. Axes text ═══ In these entry fields you can enter the text you want to document your axes with. ═══ 9.1.2. x-Axis / y-Axis ═══ This option will allow you to locate your graphic's axes either at the left/bottom or in the coordinate's origin. Note: If you have chosen the Box instead of axes option, this selection will be ignored. ═══ 9.1.3. New axes values ═══ When you load a new graph, the coordinate's scope will be matched to all your loaded graphs. However, if you want to modify the scope, you can enter new margin values for your graphic. After this, choose the option Use new axes values. ═══ 9.1.4. Settings ═══ The settings consist of the following options: o Draw axes. This option allows you to choose whether the coordinate axes will be drawn. o Box instead of axes. This option allows you to choose between coordinate axes or coordinate box. o Draw frame. This option allows you to draw a frame enclosing the whole graphic. o Line width thick. By selecting this option the lines will be drawn thicker. This option will probably not work on OS/2 version 2.1. o Document axes. This option allows you to choose whether the axes will be documented with numbers (and text). ═══ 9.1.5. Print parameters ═══ Use the Marker size option to select the marker size when you print a graphic. ═══ 9.1.6. OK-button ═══ Click on this button if you want to activate the changes made in the graphic options dialog box. ═══ 9.1.7. Cancel-button ═══ Click on this button if you want to discard the changes made in the graphic options dialog box. ═══ 10. Set Font ═══ You can use the Set Font command to select the font type and size used to document your graphic. Note: You will probably obtain good results when choosing the Times New Roman font with 8pt size. ═══ 11. Graph ═══ You can change the drawing style of a graph by using the Graph command. To change the drawing style of a graph, do the following: o Select the Options menu and choose the Graph command. A dialog box will appear prompting you for the graph drawing attributes. o After selecting all the desired options, press the OK button. The modified graph will be immediately updated on the screen. ═══ 11.1. Graph options ═══ Use this dialog box to specify the drawing options of the currently selected graph. Refer to the following list to learn how to use this dialog box: o Color o Line type o Marker type o OK o Cancel o Save ═══ 11.1.1. Color ═══ Use this option to change the seleted graph's color. ═══ 11.1.2. Line type ═══ Use this option to choose the line type the seleted graph has to be drawn with. If you don't want any lines, select the Invisible option. ═══ 11.1.3. Marker type ═══ Use this option to choose whether you want markers in the seleted graph. If you don't want any markers, select the None option. ═══ 11.1.4. OK-button ═══ Click on this button if you want to activate the changes made in the graph options dialog box. ═══ 11.1.5. Cancel-button ═══ Click on this button if you want to discard the changes made in the graph options dialog box. ═══ 11.1.6. Save-button ═══ Click on this button if you want to activate the changes made in the graph options dialog box. In addition, your graph file will be updated using the graph options. ═══ 12. Edit Data File ═══ You can create or modify a data file by using the Edit Data File command. When choosing the Edit Data File command, a text editor is started. After defining a binary structuring element, the file has to be saved with the extension *.plt. Follow these steps to create a data file: o Select the Options menu and choose the Edit Data File command. A text editor will be started. Refer to one of the following items to learn how to create your data file: o Data File Format ═══ 12.1. Data file format ═══ Format Description Each graph can be created and saved by using a text editor. A file containing graph data should have the extention *.plt. Data files should contain one data point per line. There are two possibilities of describing your data points. If both x and y values are specified (parametric data), your data file should contain two number columns. The first one is assumed to be the x value of each pair (x,y) and the second one represents the y value. However, the x value of each pair (x,y) may be omitted. In this case the omitted value is assigned the current coordinate number. These coordinate numbers start at 0 and are incremented for each data point read. This is useful if you want to represent sampled values. In both cases you can add comments in any line beginning with ;. These lines will be ignored. You can select some parameters such as the graph color, line type and marker type by adding some commands to your data file. All commands begin with the # character. You can use a command more than once each file, but only the last oen will be used. Currently the following 3 commands are supported: o #COLOR o #LINE o #MARKER These two examples show you how to create both parametric and non-parametric data files. Parametric file ; both x and y values 0 0 0.5 0.25 1 1 2 4 3 9 4 16 5 25 Non-parametric file ; only y values 0 1 4 9 16 25 ═══ 12.1.1. #COLOR command ═══ Use this command to select your graph's color. The following parameters are available: WHITE BLACK BACKGROUND BLUE RED PINK GREEN CYAN YELLOW NEUTRAL DARK_GRAY DARK_BLUE DARK_RED DARK_PINK DARK_GREEN DARK_CYAN BROWN PALE_GRAY Example: #COLOR BLUE ═══ 12.1.2. #LINE command ═══ Use this command to select your graph's line type. The following parameters are available: DOT SHORT_DASH DASH_DOT DOUBLE_DOT LONG_DASH DASH_DOUBLE_DOT SOLID INVISIBLE ALTERNATE Example: #LINE LONG_DASH ═══ 12.1.3. #MARKER command ═══ Use this command to select your graph's marker types. The following parameters are available: NONE CROSS PLUS DIAMOND SQUARE 6-POINT-STAR 8-POINT-STAR SOLID_DIAMOND SOLID_SQUARE DOT CIRCLE Example: #MARKER SOLID_SQUARE ═══ 13. Save options ═══ Use Save options to store the current options. A file named PLOT.INI will be created in your working directory. The next time you start this application these same settings will be used. The following settings will be stored: o Window size and position, o Bitmap size and resolution. o Print size. o Graphic settings. o Font and font size. ═══ 14. Help Menu ═══ Refer to this menu to access the online help and to obtain information about this product. The following commands appear in the Help menu: Help index Use this command to access the help index. General help Use this command to get a brief description of PLOT. Using help Here you can learn how to use the online help. Registration information Displays registration data (only if you registered the product). Product information Displays program version and copyright. ═══ 15. Index ═══ Choosing this menu you can get access to the help index. ═══ 16. General help ═══ In this menu item you can get a brief description of PLOT. Note: This screen will usually be handled by the default. ═══ 17. Using Help ═══ In this menu item you can learn how to use this online help. ═══ 18. Keys ═══ This application defines Function Keys, which you use to work with files and display help. For key definitions, select from the list below: o Standard function keys o Accelerator keys ═══ 18.1. Standard function keys ═══ F1 Displays help. ═══ 18.2. Accelerator keys ═══ This application defines keyboard accelerators, which are keystrokes that generate command messages for an application. Using a keyboard accelerator has the same effect as choosing a menu item. While menus provide an easy way to learn this application's command set, accelerators provide quick access to those commands. ═══ 19. Tutorial ═══ This application still doesn't offer any tutorial. ═══ 20. Registration information ═══ If you are working with an unregistered PLOT version, you may use it for a two weeks trial period. After this time you must register or stop using it. You can obtain a registered PLOT version by ordering it at the following address or fax number: StegSoft Durlacher Allee 38 76131 Karlsruhe West Germany Fax: +49 721 693242 As soon as you order PLOT, you will receive the latest version for US $20 (Germany DM 30). Please don't forget to tell us which diskette format you prefer when you order your registered version. Please add US $8 for shipping and handling if you don't live in Europe. If you live in Europe, add US $5 (Germany DM 5). Please use the order form included on this online help. To print an order form, do the following: 1. Select one of the following items and double-click. 2. Select Print. 3. Make sure that This section is selected. 4. Select Print. o Order form (English) o Bestellungsformular (Deutsch) o Formulario de pedido (Espaдol) ═══ 20.1. StegSoft PLOT order form ═══ Name ___________________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________________ City __________________________ State _________ ZIP ____________ Country ___________________________________________________________ Phone Number (optional) __________________ Circle: home or work Shipping (check one): __ By mail, payment enclosed (add $8 U.S. if you don't live in Europe, $5 U.S. if you live in Europe) __ By mail, cash on delivery (charge for shipping and handling) Choose Disk Size (check one): __ 5 1/4" disk size __ 3 1/2" disk size Payment mode (check one): __ Cheque drawn in U.S. dollars or german marks enclosed __ Cash enclosed (only U.S. dollars or german marks accepted) __ Cash on delivery PLOT for OS/2 2.x Registration Fee ($20.00 US) ______ PLOT Update Fee from any registered version ($5.00 U.S.) ______ Shipping and Handling ______ Total Enclosed ______ Mail or fax to: StegSoft Durlacher Allee 38 76131 Karlsruhe West Germany Fax: +49 721 693242 *** Thank you for your order! *** ═══ 20.2. StegSoft PLOT Bestellungsformular ═══ Name ___________________________________________________________ Adresse ___________________________________________________________ Ort __________________________________________ PLZ ____________ Land ___________________________________________________________ Telefonnummer (optional) _____________________ Zuhause / Arbeit Lieferung (WДhlen Sie eine Option aus): __ Per Post, Geld liegt bei (zzgl. DM 5,- Porto, fБr Bestellungen innerhalb von Europa) __ Per Post, gegen Nachnahme (zzgl. Porto) WДhlen Sie das von Ihnen gewБnschte Diskettenformat: __ 5 1/4" __ 3 1/2" Bezahlungsart: __ Scheck in DM oder US Dollar liegt bei __ Geld liegt bei (bitte nur DM oder US Dollar!) __ Gegen Nachnahme PLOT fБr OS/2 2.x RegistrierungsgebБhr (DM 30,-) ______ PLOT Update von jeder registrierten Version (DM 8,-) ______ Porto fБr Versand ______ Gesamtbetrag ______ Schicken oder faxen Sie dieses Formular an: StegSoft Durlacher Allee 38 76131 Karlsruhe Deutschland Fax: +49 721 693242 *** Vielen Dank fБr Ihre Bestellung! *** ═══ 20.3. StegSoft PLOT - Formulario de pedido ═══ Nombre _________________________________________________________ Direcciвn _________________________________________________________ Poblaciвn _______________________ Provincia ______ C/P ____________ Paбs _________________________________________________________ TelВfono (opcional) ______________________ Indicar: casa o trabajo Envбo (elija una opciвn): __ Por correo, pago adjunto (aдada $5 U.S. si vive en Europa o $8 U.S. si vive fuera de Europa) __ Por correo, pago contra reembolso (mаs gastos de envбo) Elija formato de diskette: __ diskette 5 1/4" __ diskette 3 1/2" Forma de pago: __ Cheque en dвlares U.S.A. o marcos alemanes adjunto __ Dinero adjunto (dвlares U.S.A. o marcos alemanes) __ Pago contra reembolso Versiвn registrada de PLOT para OS/2 2.x ($20 U.S.) ______ Actualizaciвn de cualquier versiвn registrada ($5 U.S.) ______ Gastos de envбo ______ Total adjunto ______ Enviar a: StegSoft Durlacher Allee 38 76131 Karlsruhe Alemania Fax: +49 721 693242 *** нMuchas gracias por su pedido! *** ═══ 21. Product information ═══ Refer to this menu item to know about the PLOT version you are using and the people who wrote this application.