TheXPlotwindow
The main XPlot window is called the `Control window'. It lets you select boundaries for the plot,
activate or deactivate cetain datasets, etc.. See further the subsections.
Boundariesoftheplot
The main XPlot window (called Control) shows the datasets in a small plot, surrounded by sliders. Two
sliders are provided per axis, one selecting the minimum value and one selecting the maximum value. E.g.,
if you want to see the middle portion of the plot, set the upper horizontal slider (the minimum X value
to display) to about 1/3 of its length and set the lower horizontal slider to 2/3 of its length.
The boundaries of the plot can furthermore be entered in the input fields, below the small plot.
One last button, labeled `Scale Y', affects the sizing of the graph. The button scales the Y axis to
contain all points given a certain X range. The scaling of the Y axis is performed over all active
datasets (you can also deactivate sets, see the appropriate section).
Selectinganddeselectingdatasets
When many datasets are plotted, it may be useful to deactivate (or later, reactivate) some of the sets.
The button which is labeled `(De)activate sets', on the right hand side of the control window, starts a
small window (called the `activator'), showing an overview of the plotted sets. The names of the active
sets are prefixed with [+], the inactive sets are prefixed with [-]. Clicking on the line with a name of
a dataset `toggles' the activity: an active set becomes inactive and v.v..
Initially, all datasets are `active' (i.e., displayed).
The activator stays on-screen until you click the `dismiss' button of the activator window.
Makinglargerplots:blowups
The buttons `static blowup' and `dynamic blowup' in the control window start a `blowup' of the current
plot: i.e. using the current borders and currently active sets. The blown up graph is dismissed by
clicking in the blowup window. The blown up graph can be resized, e.g., to grab its contents in a paint
program.
The difference between a static and a dynamic blowup is the following. A static blowup will remain to
show the the plotted data even when you, e.g., deactivate a set or change the boundaries. A static blowup
is handy when e.g. you want to compare one part of the data with another part: make a static plot of the
first part, move to the second part, and compare. In contrast, a dynamic plot redraws its data whenever
necessary; therefore, it is an `enlargement' of the plot in the control window.
XPlot can create an unlimited number of blowups: that way, you can simultaneously view different sets
with different boundaries in different blowups..
Linetypesoftheplots
The radio buttons labelled `Line types', on the right hand side of the control window, select the line
types for the plotting of the datasets. All sets are plotted in the same style.
The default style, `solid or circles', plots a set either with a solid line, or with a solid line and
circles on the separate points. The points are plotted when the graph contains less than 20 points: the
idea here is that the presence of circles obfuscates a graph when more than 20 circles would be present
in the graph.
Other styles force either solid lines, solid lines with circles, or solid lines with squares.
Postponedorimmediateplotting
The button labeled `Auto-redraw', on the right hand side of the Control window, selects whether XPlot
should redo a plot when any change occurs (e.g., when the boundaries are altered or when a linestyle is
defined). Initially, auto-redraw is `on'.
Setting auto-redraw to `off' is a good idea when you are plotting large datasets. The reason for this is
that the replotting of all sets (e.g., when sliding one of the boundary sliders) may take too long. In
this case, you can disable the automatic redrawing, and `manually' redraw the plot when you are satisfied
with all necessary changes. The `manual redraw' is always done when you press the button labeled `Redraw
now'.
Plottitles
The input field labeled `Title', below the small plot on the Control window, lets you enter a title for
the plot. XPlot's title facility is restricted to one title, which als used in blowups. You might want to
define a title, make a blowup, and dump it to say a printer using `xwd' and related programs.
QuittingXPlot
The button labelled `dismiss' on the XPlot control window removes the control window from the screen. The
XPlot program will only terminate when no blowups are on-screen. To quit XPlot, you need to remove all
blowups (by clicking on them) and to click the `dismiss' button of the control window.
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