.TH CONFIG PL "Ploticus data display engine"

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<center>
<b>Ploticus data display engine</b> <small><a href="Copyright.html">Copyright Steve Grubb</a><br></small><br>
<a href="../doc/Welcome.html"><img src="../gallery/btn/welcome.gif"></a>
<a href="../gallery/index.html"><img src="../gallery/btn/gallery.gif"></a>
<a href="../doc/Contents.html"><img src="../gallery/btn/handbook.gif"></a>
<br><h1>Ploticus config file</h1>
</center>
.>>

.SH NAME
config

.SH DESCRIPTION
A configuration file may be used in order to initialize
each invocation of ploticus in a certain way.
A configuration file is not required; if none is found, standard
defaults will be used.
.LP
The config file may be used to:
.IP
set default modes of operation
.IP
make month and weekday names appear in languages other than English 
.IP
make the standard absolute unit centimeters instead of inches
.IP
set the default date format, and other date parameters


.SH EXAMPLE
An example of a config file to set up for Spanish use
is located in the gallery directory, named
.ig >>
<a href="../gallery/plconfig.spanish">
.>>
plconfig.spanish
.ig >>
</a>
.>>

.SH ENVIRONMENT
Upon execution,
ploticus checks for an environment variable called
\fBPLOTICUS_CONFIG\fR.  If this variable is found,
its contents are taken to be the name of the configuration
file.


.SH SYNTAX
One parameter is specified per line (see the example below).
Parameters are case-insensitive and must begin in the first column of the line.
Lines beginning with \fC//\fR or \fC#\fR are taken as 
comments; blank lines are skipped.


.SH PARAMETERS
.LP
The following parameters may be set.
Parameters that are not set assume the default value, which is shown
in (parentheses).

.LP
\fBoption:\fR \fIoption\fR [\fIarg\fR]
.IP
Set any pl command line option (see
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<a href="pl.1.html">
.>>
pl(1)
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</a>
.>>
 for a list of supported command line options).  
Command line options that are specific only to pltab are not supported.
The given command line option will be in effect for
all invocations of pl and pltab.
This parameter may be used as many times as necessary.
.br
Example:
.br
\fCoption: -gif\fR
.br
\fCoption: -viewer xv\fR

.LP
\fBunits:\fR \fCin\fR | \fCcm\fR
.IP
The absolute unit to be used.  Default is \fCin\fR.
.br
Example: \fCunits: cm\fR

.LP
\fBdateformat\fR \fIformat\fR
.IP
Set the default date format.
Supported date formats are described in
.ig >>
<a href="dates.html">
.>>
dates
.ig >>
</a>
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.br
Example: \fCdateformat: dd-mmm-yyyy\fR

.LP
\fBpivotyear\fR \fIyy\fR
.IP
Set the two digit year that should be used to convert
two-digit years to four-digit years.  If two-digit years are 
used, year values that are less than the pivot year are assumed
to be 21st century years.  Default is 77.
.br
Example: \fCpivotyear: 50\fR

.LP
\fBmonths\fR \fIlist\fR
.IP
Specify the three-character month abbreviations to be used, all in lower case,
beginning with the first month.
Default is the English (\fCjan feb mar apr may jun jul aug sep oct nov dec\fR).
.br
Example (Spanish) (must all be on one line): 
.br
\fCmonths: ene feb mar abr pue jun jul ago sep oct nov dic\fR

.LP
\fBmonths.abbrev\fR \fIlist\fR
.IP
short month names, capitalized for presentation, begining with the first month.
Default is English (\fCJan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec\fR).
.br
Example (Spanish) (must all be on one line): 
.br
\fCmonths.abbrev: Ene Feb Mar Abr Pue Jun Jul Ago Sep Oct Nov Dic\fR

.LP
\fBmonths.full\fR \fIlist\fR
.IP
full month names, capitalized for presentation.
.br
Example (Spanish) (must all be on one line): 
.br
\fCmonths.full: Enero Febrero Marcha Abril Pueda Junio Julio Agosto Septiembre Octubre Noviembre Diciembre\fR

.LP
\fBweekdays\fR  \fIlist\fR
.IP
three-character weekday abbreviations, capitalized for presentation,
beginning with Sunday.
.br 
Example (French): \fCweekdays: Dim Lun Mar Mer Jeu Ven Sam\fR
.br
Example (Spanish): \fCweekdays: Dom Lun Mar Mie Jue Vie Sab\fR

