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<html>
<head>
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<title>ploticus: ploticus scripts</title>
<body bgcolor=D0D0EE vlink=0000FF>
<br>
<br>
<center>
<table cellpadding=2 bgcolor=FFFFFF width=550 ><tr>
<td>
<table cellpadding=2 width=550><tr>
<td><br><h2>Ploticus scripts</h2></td>
<td align=right>
<small>
<a href="../doc/Welcome.html"><img src="../doc/ploticus.gif" border=0></a><br>
<a href="../doc/Welcome.html">Welcome</a>
<a href="../gallery/index.html">Gallery</a>
<a href="../doc/Contents.html">Handbook</a>
<td></tr></table>
</td></tr>
<td>
<br>
<br>
<title>Manual page for Ploticus_scripts(PL)</title>
</head>
<body>
<h2>DESCRIPTION</h2>
<p>
Ploticus is controlled by scripts that a
user creates in a text editor and saves in a file.<tt> </tt>
The scripts can also be created by other programs.<tt> </tt>
Script files should be plain ascii text files, and they
may be named anything, however a file name ending of
<b>.p</b>, <b>.pl</b>, <b>.plo</b>, <b>.pls</b>, <b>.htm</b> or <b>.html</b>
is recommended.<tt> </tt>
<br><br><br>
<h2>EXAMPLE</h2>
Here is an example of a ploticus script:
<pre>
<br><img src="../gallery/sa1.gif"><br>
#proc areadef
rectangle: 1 1 4 2
xrange: 0 5
yrange: 0 100
#proc xaxis:
stubs: text
Africa
Americas
Asia
Europe,\nAustralia,\n Pacific
#proc yaxis
label: Growth Rate
stubs: inc 20
minortics: yes
minorticinc: 5
#proc getdata
data: 76
54
60
59
#proc bars
lenfield: 1
color: teal
barwidth: 0.2
</pre>
<p>
As you can see, this is not low-level 3GL-style code. It is a sort of
hybrid; plotting actions (#procs) are specified in procedural order,
but within each #proc the language is goal-driven (4GL). Thus, traditional
procedural programming skills are not required.<tt> </tt>
<p>
The above Ploticus script invokes a number of procedures (procs).<tt> </tt>
First,
<b>proc areadef</b> to set up a plotting area, then
<b>proc xaxis</b> and <b>yaxis</b> to render the axes.<tt> </tt>
Then <b>proc getdata</b> is invoked to define some data,
and then finally <b>proc bars</b> is invoked to produce a bar graph.<tt> </tt>
<p>
For each proc, the user may specify a various attributes or options.<tt> </tt>
Attributes that are not specified use a default when possible.<tt> </tt>
In the above example, the user has invoked <tt>proc areadef</tt>
and specified values for these attributes: <tt>rectangle</tt>, <tt>xrange</tt>,
and <tt>yrange</tt>.
All of the procs, as well as the names, types, and acceptable
values for all attributes, are described in the
<a href="../doc/Contents.html">
ploticus handbook.<tt> </tt>
</a>
<br><br><br>
<a name=procs></a>
<h2>PROCEDURES (PROCS) AND ATTRIBUTES</h2>
<p>
<b>Procedures (procs)</b> are always invoked using this construct: <tt>#proc </tt><i>procname</i>.<tt> </tt>
The word <tt>#proc</tt> indicates the start of a procedure specification block;
the other word is the name of a procedure (case insensitive).<tt> </tt>
<p>
<b>Attributes</b> within a procedure may be specified in any order.
A colon (<b>:</b>) may be used after an attribute
name or a procedure name (however it is not required).
All proc names and attribute names are case-insensitive.
Attributes that are multiline text type
are terminated by a blank line.<tt> </tt>
<p>
The following script directives are used by ploticus in executing procedures:
<h2>#proc</h2>
<dl>
<dt><dd><p>
This directive signals the beginning of a
<a href="Contents.html#scripts">
ploticus procedure
</a>
(proc).
<br>
Example: <tt>#proc bars</tt>
</dl>
<h2>#endproc</h2>
<dl>
<dt><dd><p>
This may also be written <b>#proc endproc</b>.<tt> </tt>
It is not necessary to use this routinely.<tt> </tt>
<b>#endproc</b> formally signals the end of a ploticus procedure, and
must be used when a proc sets a variable and then
that variable is referenced before the next #proc statement.<tt> </tt>
Examples from the gallery that use <b>#endproc</b> are
<a href="../gallery/lineplot4.htm">
lineplot4
</a>
and
<a href="../gallery/distrib.htm">
distrib
</a>
</dl>
<h2>#procdef</h2>
<dl>
<dt><dd><p>
This directive is used similarly to #proc, but it does not
execute the procedure; it only defines it so that it may
be <b>#clone</b>d later.<tt> </tt>
The procedure should contain a <tt>#saveas</tt>.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#procdef bars</tt>
</dl>
<h2>#saveas</h2>
<dl>
<dt><dd><p>
Makes the current proc available to be <b>clone</b>d by procs
encountered later in the script, and assigns it an identifier
(B1 in the example below).<tt> </tt>
A gallery example that uses <b>saveas</b> and <b>clone</b> is
<a href="../gallery/rangebar1.htm">
rangebar1
</a>
. May be used anywhere within the proc.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#saveas B1</tt>
</dl>
<h2>#clone</h2>
<dl>
<dt><dd><p>
<b>clone</b> is used like an attribute.<tt> </tt>
Inherits all attribute values from a previously <b>save</b>d proc.
May be used anywhere within the proc.<tt> </tt>
Attributes may be overridden locally as desired.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#clone B1</tt>
</dl>
<p>
Other general purpose directives are described below.<tt> </tt>
<a name=syntax></a>
<br><br><br>
<h2>SYNTAX AND VARIABLES</h2>
Any line where the first non-whitespace content is <tt>//</tt> is a <b>comment</b>
and is ignored. Comments must be alone on the line.<tt> </tt>
Any line where the first non-whitespace content begins with <b>#</b> is a
<a href="#directives">
directive
</a>
(an operator that does something).<tt> </tt>
Everything else is generally HTML and is passed through transparently, except for
evaluation of <b>variables</b>, and possible processing of certain
<a href="inlinecodes.html">
inline formatting codes
</a>
.<tt> </tt>
<p>
Double quotes (<b>"</b>) may be used to enclose character strings in
<a href="#set">
set
</a>
,
<a href="#setifnotgiven">
setifnotgiven
</a>
,
<a href="#if">
if, elseif
</a>
and
<a href="#call">
call
</a>
.<tt> </tt>
Everywhere else, quotes have no special syntactical meaning
and may be used freely without any special treatment.<tt> </tt>
It is safe to use <b>TAB</b>s to indent lines of code and in transparent
output; other uses (such as embedding <b>TAB</b> in variable contents) should be avoided.<tt> </tt>
<p>
Scripts
can set and reference <b>variables</b>.<tt> </tt>
Variable names must begin with a letter and may contain
letters, digits, underscore (_) and period (.).<tt> </tt>
Names are case-sensitive.<tt> </tt>
Maximum length of a variable name is 38 characters.<tt> </tt>
Variables may hold numbers, alphanumerics, or single-line text strings,
up to a maximum content length of 250 characters.
Variables cannot hold more than one line of text.<tt> </tt>
All data, including numbers, are stored as characters.<tt> </tt>
Where a variable is to be evaluated,
it should be prefaced with an at-sign (<b>@</b>).<tt> </tt>
In order to print an at-sign a double at sign (@) may be used.<tt> </tt>
When setting or identifying a variable, the at-sign should not be used.<tt> </tt>
Examples:
<pre>
Hello, my name is @NAME
#shell cat data | recsel "@@3 = res"
#set NAME = "Harvey Smith"
</pre>
An attempt to evaluate a variable that has never been assigned a value
will result in cancellation of the evaluation (the variable name will be
passed through transparently) and no error condition will be raised.<tt> </tt>
Several
<a href="variables.html">
reserved variables
</a>
exist. All variables are global in scope.<tt> </tt>
<a name=functions>
<br><br><br>
<h2>FUNCTIONS</h2>
Functions may be used to assign a value to a variable (
<a href="#set">
set
</a>
,
<a href="#setifnotgiven">
setifnotgiven
</a>
), and in
<a href="#if">
if
</a>
statements. Function names always begin with a dollar sign ($), for
example: <tt>$strlen( "hello world" )</tt>.<tt> </tt>
For descriptions of the
available functions, see the
<a href="functions.html">
functions man page
</a>
.<tt> </tt>
There are functions for
<a href="functions.html#ploticus">
plotting
</a>
,
<a href="functions.html#arithmetic">
arithmetic
</a>
,
<a href="functions.html#strings">
strings
</a>
,
<a href="functions.html#commalists">
commalists
</a>
,
<a href="shell.html">
shell
</a>
,
<a href="sql.html">
sql
</a>
,
<a href="functions.html#dates">
dates
</a>
,
<a href="functions.html#times">
times
</a>
, and
<a href="functions.html#misc">
other
</a>
.<tt> </tt>
Custom functions may be implemented in <tt>custom.c</tt>.<tt> </tt>
<a name=directives></a>
<br><br><br>
<h2>MORE DIRECTIVES</h2>
Directives are operators that do something, such as <tt>#set</tt>.<tt> </tt>
Directives always begin with a pound sign (<b>#</b>), and usually occupy one line alone
(a few of the directives, such as
<a href="#shell">
shell
</a>
and
<a href="#sql">
sql
</a>
can be multiline constructs).<tt> </tt>
Individual "words" or tokens within a directive must be separated by white space.<tt> </tt>
Directives may be indented using spaces or tabs.<tt> </tt>
<p>
Descriptions of the flow-of-control directives follow:
<br><br><br>
<a name=set></a>
<h2>#set</h2>
<dl><dt><dd>
<p>
<tt>#set </tt><i>variable</i><tt> = </tt><i>numeric</i>
<br>
<tt>#set </tt><i>variable</i><tt> = "</tt><i>text</i><tt>"</tt>
<br>
<tt>#set </tt><i>variable</i><tt> = $</tt><i>function</i>
<p>
Assigns a value to a <i>variable</i>.<tt> </tt>
The value may be a constant or a variable, and
may be a numeric, alphanumeric/text, or
<a href="functions.html">
function
</a>
result.<tt> </tt>
Alphanumeric/text literals should be enclosed in double quotes (the
closing quote may be omitted if desired).<tt> </tt>
The <i>variable</i> may be a simple standalone variable or a field
in a
<a href="fdf.html">
logical record
</a>
.<tt> </tt>
Whitespace must follow the <tt>#set</tt>, the <i>variable</i>, and the equals sign (=).<tt> </tt>
Multiple alphanumeric variables or constants may be used on the right hand side, resulting
in concatenation, however they must be separated by whitespace.<tt> </tt>
Other directives that can set variables include:
<a href="#setifnotgiven">
setifnotgiven
</a>
,
<a href="#shell">
shell
</a>
,
<a href="#sql">
sql
</a>
,
.<tt> </tt>
Examples:
<p>
<pre>
#set COUNT = 0
#set LABEL = "My favorite martian"
#set LABEL = "My favorite martian
#set LABEL = @A @B
#set LABEL = @A ", " @B
#set TODAY = $todaysdate()
#set TOTAL = $arith(@X+@Y+@Z)
</pre>
</dl>
<a name=setifnotgiven></a>
<h2>#setifnotgiven</h2>
<dl><dt><dd>
<p>
<tt>#setifnotgiven </tt><i>variable</i><tt> = </tt><i>value</i>
<p>
Similar to
<a href="#set">
set
</a>
except that it takes action only if <i>variable</i> is empty ("") or
has never been assigned a value. Useful in assigning a default value to
optional passed variables.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#setifnotgiven CUTOFF = 0.5</tt>
</dl>
<a name=call></a>
<h2>#call</h2>
<dl><dt><dd>
<p>
<tt>#call </tt><i>function</i>
<p>
Invoke a <i>
<a href="functions.html">
function
</a>
</i> without retaining its return value.
<br>
Example: <tt>#call $setdatefmt( "yyyy-mmm-dd" )</tt>
</dl>
<a name=if></a>
<h2>#if</h2>
<dl><dt><dd>
Alter execution flow of control based on <i>
<a href="condex.html">
conditional expressions
</a>
</i>.
<b>if</b> and <b>endif</b> are required.
<b>elseif</b> and <b>else</b> are optional.<tt> </tt>
An example of an #if construct:
<p>
<pre>
#if @mode = A
<h4>Mode is A</h4>
#elseif @mode = B
<h4>Mode is B</h4>
#else
<h4>Mode not given</h4>
#endif
</pre>
<p>
Variables that have never been assigned are left as is by the script interpreter.<tt> </tt>
This gives intuitively correct results, eg. suppose MODE is unassigned:
<tt>#if @MODE = </tt><i>anything</i> will always be false, and
<tt>#if @MODE != </tt><i>anything</i> will always be true.<tt> </tt>
<a href="#setifnotgiven">
setifnotgiven
</a>
can be used to assign values to optional passed variables.
<p>
Some examples of conditional expressions:
<p>
<pre>
#if @tag = TOTAL
#if @meas > 0.0 && @meas < 8.5
#if @name = ""
#if @type like "west*" || @type = "bl*"
#if $arith(@A+@B) > 10
</pre>
</dl>
<p>
<a name=for></a>
<h2>#for</h2>
<dl><dt><dd>
<tt>#for </tt><i>var</i><tt> in </tt><i>commalist</i>
<br>
..<tt> </tt>
<br>
<tt>#endloop</tt>
<br>
<br>
<tt>#for </tt><i>var</i><tt> across </tt><i>multirow-response</i>
<br>
..<tt> </tt>
<br>
<tt>#endloop</tt>
<p>
Loop the flow of control, iterating across members of
<a href="commalist.html">
commalist
</a>
<i>var</i> will be set to each member from first to last.<tt> </tt>
If <i>commalist</i>
or <i>multirow-response</i>
is empty, the loop body will not be executed.<tt> </tt>
This example illustrates the construct, without doing
anything useful:
<p>
<pre>
#set COLORLIST = "red,blue,green,yellow
#for COLOR in @COLORLIST
#if @COLOR = green
#break
#elseif @COLOR = blue
#continue
#endif
#endloop
</pre>
</dl>
<a name=while></a>
<h2>#while</h2>
<dl><dt><dd>
<tt>#while</tt><tt> </tt><i>conditional expression</i>
<br>
..(loop body)..<tt> </tt>
<br>
<tt>#endloop</tt>
<p>
Loop the flow of control while
<a href="condex.html">
conditional
</a>
is true.<tt> </tt>
If <i>conditional expression</i> is initially false, the loop body
will not be executed at all.<tt> </tt>
The following example loops until I > 10:
<p>
<pre>
#set I = 0
#while @I <= 10
#set I = $arith(@I+1)
#endloop
</pre>
</dl>
<a name=loop></a>
<h2>#loop</h2>
<dl><dt><dd>
<p>
<tt>#loop</tt>
<br>
..<tt> </tt>
<br>
<tt>#endloop</tt>
<p>
Loop the flow of control. A
<a href="#break">
break
</a>
statement must be used to terminate the loop.<tt> </tt>
The following example loops until I > 10:
<p>
<pre>
#set I = 0
#loop
#set I = $arith(@I+1)
#if @I > 10
#break
#endif
#endloop
</pre>
</dl>
<a name=break></a>
<h2>#break</h2>
<dl><dt><dd>
Terminate the iteration of the most recently invoked
<a href="#for">
for
</a>
loop,
<a href="#while">
while
</a>
loop, or plain
<a href="#loop">
loop
</a>
. Script execution resumes at the statement immediately following
the corresponding <b>endloop</b>.<tt> </tt>
There are restrictions if used within an
<a href="#include@_SL01">
included
</a>
file.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<a name=continue></a>
<h2>#continue</h2>
<dl><dt><dd>
Proceed directly to the next
iteration of the most recently invoked
<a href="#for">
for
</a>
loop,
<a href="#while">
while
</a>
loop, or plain
<a href="#loop">
loop
</a>
.
There are restrictions if used within an
<a href="#include">
included
</a>
file.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<a name=exit></a>
<h2>#exit</h2>
<dl><dt><dd>
Terminate execution immediately. Example:
<p>
<pre>
#if @_DEBUG = 1
#exit
#endif
</pre>
</dl>
<a name=include></a>
<h2>#include</h2>
<dl><dt><dd>
<tt>#include </tt><i>file</i>
<p>
Include script code from a <i>file</i>.<tt> </tt>
Includes may be nested.<tt> </tt>
<b>include</b>d code is interpreted in the same manner as ordinary code.<tt> </tt>
However,
<a href="#break">
break
</a>
and
<a href="#continue">
continue
</a>
may be used only if the corresponding loop / #endloop is also within
the included file.<tt> </tt>
<a href="#return">
return
</a>
may be used to immediately exit the included file and resume execution
in the including file.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#include projectheader</tt>
</dl>
<a name=cat></a>
<h2>#cat</h2>
<dl><dt><dd>
<tt>#cat </tt><i>file1</i> [..<i>fileN</i>]
<p>
Copy the contents of <i>file</i>s to the standard output.<tt> </tt>
No processing or interpretation is done to the contents.<tt> </tt>
Suitable for text files or binary files.<tt> </tt>
<br>
Example: <tt>#cat /home/scg/img/banner.gif</tt>
</dl>
<a name=return></a>
<h2>#return</h2>
<dl><dt><dd>
Terminate execution of an
<a href="#include">
included
</a>
file immediately.<tt> </tt>
Execution is resumed at the statement immediately following
the <b>include</b>.<tt> </tt>
</dl>
<a name=write></a>
<h2>#write</h2>
<dl><dt><dd>
<tt>#write </tt><i>file</i><tt> [</tt><i>filemode</i>]
<br>
..<i>text</i>..<tt> </tt>
<br>
<tt>#endwrite</tt> <tt>[noclose]</tt>
<p>
Write <i>text</i> to <i>file</i>.<tt> </tt>
<i>file</i> may be a file name or <tt>stderr</tt> or <tt>stdout</tt>.<tt> </tt>
<i>filemode</i> is either <tt>w</tt> to create, or <tt>a</tt> to append.<tt> </tt>
Within the construct, other directives, such as
<a href="#if">
#if
</a>
,
<a href="#for">
#for
</a>
,
<a href="#include@_SL01">
#include
</a>
and so on may be freely used.<tt> </tt>
If <tt>stdout</tt> or <tt>stderr</tt> are used, the <i>filemode</i> is ignored
and the <tt>noclose</tt> option should be given with #endwrite.<tt> </tt>
<p>
The following example, if used in header code included by
all pages in a cgipal project, would log page hits with date,
time, name of page, and the HTTP info.<tt> </tt>
<p>
<pre>
#set RH = $getenv(HTTP_REMOTE_HOST)
#set RF = $getenv(HTTP_REFERER)
#call $setdatefmt(yyyy/mmm/dd)
#set DATE = $todaysdate()
#set TIME = $time()
#write /tmp/mylog a
@DATE @TIME @_PAGE @RH @RF
#endwrite
</pre>
</dl>
<a name=control></a>
<h2>#control</h2>
<dl><dt><dd>
<tt>#control </tt><i>attribute</i><tt> </tt><i>value</i>
<p>
Set various operational modes.<tt> </tt>
<i>attribute</i> may be one of:
<tt>allowinlinecodes</tt>,
<tt>dbquote</tt>,
<tt>htmlqhmode</tt>,
<tt>listsep</tt>,
<tt>evalvars</tt> ,
<tt>suppressdll</tt>,
or <tt>dot_in_varnames</tt>.<tt> </tt>
<p>
<a href="control.html">
Full description of #control directive
</a>
</dl>
<br><br><br>
<a name=#interaction></a>
<h2>INTERACTION WITH DATABASES AND SHELL</h2>
<a name=sql></a>
<h2>#sql</h2>
<dl><dt><dd>
<tt>#sql [</tt><i>option</i><tt>] </tt><i>sql command</i><tt> [#endsql]</tt>
<p>
This directive allows SQL code to be embedded in scripts, and
submits the embedded SQL code to your database.<tt> </tt>
The <i>sql command</i> may use a single line construct or a
multi-line construct. <tt>#endsql</tt> must be used to terminate
a multi-line construct.<tt> </tt>
For SQL SELECT commands an <i>option</i> may be given; available
options are <tt>#processrows</tt> (the default), <tt>#load</tt>,
<tt>#dump</tt>, <tt>#dumptab</tt>, <tt>#dumphtml</tt>, and <tt>#dumpsilent</tt>.<tt> </tt>
<p>
Two separate SQL database connections are available. For connection 1,
use <b>#sql</b>; for connection 2, use <b>#sql2</b> instead of <b>#sql</b>
(all other syntax is the same).<tt> </tt>
<p>
<a href="sql.html">
More on #sql and interacting with databases
</a>
</dl>
<a name=shell></a>
<h2>#shell</h2>
<dl><dt><dd>
<tt>#shell </tt><i>option</i><tt> </tt><i>command</i><tt> [#endshell]
</tt><p>
Execute the given shell <i>command</i>, and optionally display or
capture the results.<tt> </tt>
The <i>command</i> may use a single line construct or a
multi-line construct. <tt>#endshell</tt> must be used to terminate
a multi-line construct.<tt> </tt>
An <i>option</i> may be given; available
options are <tt>#load</tt>, <tt>#processrows</tt>,
<tt>#dump</tt> (the default), <tt>#dumptab</tt>, <tt>#dumphtml</tt>, and <tt>#dumpsilent</tt>.<tt> </tt>
<p>
<a href="shell.html">
More on #shell and interacting with the shell
</a>
<a name=dataprep></a>
<br>
<br>
</td></tr>
<td align=right>
<a href="Welcome.html">
<img src="../doc/ploticus.gif" border=0></a><br><small>data display engine <br>
<a href="../doc/Copyright.html">Copyright Steve Grubb</a>
<br>
<br>
<center>
<img src="../gallery/all.gif">
</center>
</td></tr>
</table>
</dl>
<p><hr>
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