The K Desktop Environment

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5. The Dialogs

5.1 Items

When items of the presentation already exist, they are listed in the dialog window. In case of a frame its size and position is shown; in case of an array the name of the data file as well as the column indices of x and y values, in case of a function the names of the shared library and the function, in case of a parametric function the names of the shared libraries and the functions for x(t) and y(t), and in case of a legend the number of the marker or line.

The button New opens the dialog New Item, where the type of the item is to be chosen.

The button Edit opens the according dialog for the setting of the chosen item. Double clicking of an item in the list enters the edit mode, too.

By using the button Delete the chosen item may be deleted.

The button Copy is used to place a copy of the chosen item at the end of the list.

The dialog is closed by using the button OK.

5.2 New item

The type of the new item may be chosen using the buttons Frame, Array, Function, Parametric Function, and Legend.

When the type is chosen, the according dialog for the settings of the new item is displayed.

5.3 Frame

Here the settings for frame and Labels may be performed.

In the group Axis mode one can choose between only a frame around the data window or additional tic marks on the left and lower sides of the frame or a grid. Tic marks and grid may be labeled with numeric values.

In the group Colors the colors for frame and tics or grid are selected with the dialog Select Color, displayed by using the color buttons.

The group Automatic allows convenient scaling of the presentation by using the button Autoscale, when arrays or functions are already set in subsequent items of the presentation. When Normalization is checked, at this time also powers of ten are evaluated to be multiplied with the numeric data values in case of huge or tiny numbers. If not equal to 1, these normalization factors are included in the axis labels.

In the group Window position and size of the data window may be set.

The group Scaling allows manual scaling of the presentation by specifying data values for the lower left and the upper right corner of the data window. The settings also may be performed by using the button Autoscale.

The group Axes allows to specify the distances xtic and ytic of major tic marks or grid lines. In case of tic marks minor tics may be drawn between the (labeled) major tics. The number of intervals dividing the distance between the major tics can be specified by mticx and mticy. For axes with numeric labels the number of digits behind the decimal point may be selected by ndigx and ndigy. Here values of -1 are used to suppress the output of the decimal point. The settings also may be performed by using the button Autoscale.

In the group Labels text for the axis labels and a heading may be entered. Text with special characters is entered more conveniently in the dialog Edit text which shows up when using the buttons right to the entry fields. Powers of ten for normalization factors to be incuded in the axis labels may be specified manually by iex and iey.

With Symbol size the relative size of characters and markers as well as the relative line widths (proportional to the width of the data window) may be specified. A setting of 100 % corresponds to default.

The dialog may be canceled without saving by use of the button Cancel. By using Apply changes are saved without closing the dialog. With OK changes are saved and the dialog is closed.

5.4 Array

The dialog Array is used to perform the settings for a data set from a data file.

The path of a data file may be entered in the widget File. For this a file selection dialog may be opened using the button right to the entry field. Use of the file selection dialog results in automatic determination of suitable values for the following settings.

In x column and y column the file columns for abscissa and ordinate values may be chosen. 0 corresponds to the first column.

When Error bar is checked the column chosen in Error column is used for displaying error bars.

The Start index is the row index for the first data point to be displayed. 0 corresponds to the first row of the data file, not counting comment lines. Together with the Number of points the displayed portion of the file is selected.

Factors for x normalization and y normalization may be entered manually. These factors also may be determined automatically using Autoscale with checked Normalization in the dialog Frame.

Markers (Symbol <= 0) or lines (Symbol > 0) may be chosen to present the data points. This is done most convenient using the dialog Lines and Markers, to be opened with the button right to the spinbutton.

The Color of lines or markers may be chosen using the dialog Select Color, opened with the colored button.

The dialog may be canceled without saving by use of the button Cancel. By using Apply changes are saved without closing the dialog. With OK changes are saved and the dialog is closed.

5.5 Function

The dialog Function is used to perform the settings for function plots.

At Library in the group y(x) the path of the shared library containing the function to be chosen may be entered. The button right to the entry field opens a file section dialog for this purpose.

The name of the Function is entered in another widget. When in the same directory as for the shared library a module definition file with the same name but the extension .def is present, the function may be chosen from a list in the dialog Functions, opened with the button right to the entry field.

With the button Edit a dialog Parameter may be opened, which allows to enter the values of up to 20 parameters of the function. The button Load opens a file selection dialog for loading the parameters from an ASCII file (one parameter each line).

The limits for the function's argument are entered using the widgets xmin and xmax. With Delta x the step length for the argument is set. A value of 0 results in automatically dividing the range from xmin to xmax into 100 intervals.

Factors for x normalization and y normalization may be entered manually. These factors also may be determined automatically using Autoscale with checked Normalization in the dialog Frame.

Markers (Symbol <= 0) or lines (Symbol > 0) may be chosen to present the function. This is done most convenient using the dialog Lines and Markers, to be opened with the button right to the spinbutton.

The Color of lines or markers may be chosen using the dialog Select Color, opened with the colored button.

The dialog may be canceled without saving by use of the button Cancel. By using Apply changes are saved without closing the dialog. With OK changes are saved and the dialog is closed.

5.6 Parametric function

The dialog Parametric function is used to perform the settings for plots of parametric functions.

In the groups x(t) and y(t) the setting for the abscissa an the ordinate function may be performed in the same way:

In the widgets Library the paths of the shared libraries containing the functions to be chosen may be entered. The buttons right to the entry fields open file section dialogs for this purpose.

The names of the Functions for x(t) and y(t) are entered in the corresponding widgets. When in the same directories as for the shared libraries module definition files with the same names but the extension .def are present, the functions may be chosen from a list in the dialog Functions, opened with the buttons right to the entry fields.

With the buttons Edit a dialog Parameter may be opened, which allows to enter the values of up to 20 parameters of the functions. The buttons Load open a file selection dialog for loading the parameters from an ASCII file (one parameter each line).

The limits for the function's common argument t are entered using the widgets tmin and tmax. With Delta t the step length for the argument is set. A value of 0 results in automatically dividing the range from tmin to tmax into 100 intervals.

Factors for x normalization and y normalization may be entered manually. These factors also may be determined automatically using Autoscale with checked Normalization in the dialog Frame.

Markers (Symbol <= 0) or lines (Symbol > 0) may be chosen to present the functions. This is done most convenient using the dialog Lines and Markers, to be opened with the button right to the spinbutton.

The Color of lines or markers may be chosen using the dialog Select Color, opened with the colored button.

The dialog may be canceled without saving by use of the button Cancel. By using Apply changes are saved without closing the dialog. With OK changes are saved and the dialog is closed.

5.7 Legend

The dialog Legend is used to perform the settings for the explanation of line types and symbols as well as for additional labels.

In the group Data a Symbol to be explained is selected. This is done most convenient using the dialog Lines and Markers, opened using the button right to the spinbutton. The symbol number -17 may be chosen to draw labels without markers or lines. The Color of lines and markers is selected in the dialog Select Color, opened with the colored button. With x and y the position with respect to the lower left corner of the window may be set.

In the group Label the Text may be entered. Text with special characters is entered most convenienly using the dialog Edit text, opened using the button right to the entry field. With Size the relative size of the characters may be set. A setting of 100 % correspond to a normal value. The Color of the text label is selected in the dialog Select Color, opened with the colored button. With xoff and yoff the position of the text with respect to that of the symbol may be entered.

The dialog may be canceled without saving by use of the button Cancel. By using Apply changes are saved without closing the dialog. With OK changes are saved and the dialog is closed.

5.8 Edit text

The dialog Edit text is used to enter a text containing superscripts, subscripts, and characters of different fonts.

The selection of a Font and a Position is determined by a control sequence starting with the character # containing two additional characters in the widget located right to the button with the symbol <. Using this button appends the control sequence (or another string, entered manually) to the current text in the widget left to the button. Text may be inserted manually at any position in the widget. The resulting view is shown immediately in a window above the input widget.

The dialog may be canceled without saving by use of the button Cancel. With OK changes are saved and the dialog is closed.

5.9 Basic settings

The dialog Basic settings is used to perform the presettings for size and colors of the graphical presentation.

In the group Format the Width und Height of the page can be set. For convenient setting of the standard sizes Portrait A4 and Landscape A4 two buttons are available.

In the group Default colors the preselections of the colors for Frame, Grid, and Data may be performed. Selection is done in the dialog Select Color, opened with the colored buttons.

5.10 Autoplot settings

The dialog Autoplot settings is used to perform the settings for automatic scaling of data files loaded by command line parameters, file menu, or by drag and drop.

In the group Window position and size of the data window may be set.

In the group Axis mode one can choose between only a frame around the data window or additional tic marks on the left and lower sides of the frame or a grid. Tic marks and grid may be labeled with numeric values.

In the group Labels text for the axis labels and a heading may be entered. Text with special characters is entered most conveniently in the dialog Edit text which shows up when using the buttons right to the entry fields. By checking = path the path of the data files is used as the heading label.

In the group Data the file columns for abscissa and ordinate values may be chosen by x column and y column. 0 corresponds to the first column. When Error bar is checked the column chosen in Error column is used for displaying error bars. Data may be presented by markers (Symbol <= 0) or lines (Symbol > 0). Most conveniently this is selected in the dialog Lines and Markers, opened by the button right to the spinbutton. When Normalization is checked, powers of ten are evaluated to be multiplied with the numeric data values in case of huge or tiny numbers. If not equal to 1, these normalization factors are included in the axis labels.

The dialog may be canceled without saving by use of the button Cancel. By using Apply changes are saved without closing the dialog. With OK changes are saved and the dialog is closed.

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