Commands
The readCommand resource and the equivalent -read_command command-line
option allow xdatplot to be controlled by another process. When
readCommand is True, xdatplot reads commands from its standard
input until it detects an endfile, then exits. It will still respond
to user mouse and keyboard actions.
Commands all have the general format:
[command_id] command arguments
After executing a command, xdatplot sends a reply to stdout of the
form:
[command_id] OK | ERR [information]
command_id is an optional decimal integer. If a
command_id was given on stdin, that same
command_id is echoed in the reply. "OK" means that the
command was executed correctly; "ERR" means that an error occurred.
Depending on the command and the result, more information may be
appended.
To continue a command onto the next line, end it with '\'.
The following commands are currently defined: they mainly cover
scrolling and zooming on the horizontal axis, since the current
purpose of this feature is synchronization of parent and child
xdatplots. Eventually I hope to expand the set of commands to allow
all the functions that can be done by a user, thus allowing xdatplot
macros to be implemented as programs that control subsidiary
xdatplots.
- Quit
- Exit xdatplot.
- Dissociate
- xdatplot closes stdin and stdout, then continues to operate under
direction from the keyboard and mouse.
- NewFile filename
- Open the file as if it had been specified in a File Open dialog.
- Resource resource line
- The argument following the command specifies a single resource in
the usual Xresource format.
- ScrollT t-left
- Scroll the plot so that the specified point is the left edge.
t-left is in the time units defined in the Analyze Units dialog.
- SizeT size
- Resize the plot window to the given horizontal dimension. size
is in pixels.
- ZoomT zoom
- Set the horizontal zoom. This is equivalent to typing the
indicated zoom in the t Zoom text field.
- SizeZoomScrollT size
zoom t-left
- A convenience command, equivalent to SizeT followed by ZoomT
followed by ScrollT.
- SetCursor time
- Equivalent to typing the indicated time in the time field of the
cursor control panel.
- ClearCursor
- Eliminates the cursor.
- Region time
- Assuming the cursor is set, the other end of the region is set at
the indicated time.
Leon Avery (leon@eatworms.swmed.edu)