Cursor mode and metacode help for SPLOT (:.help)

Frank Valdes wrote on May 12, 1999

This question is more general and posted to remind people about how
to get help on the cursor mode options from any graphics tasks.  FV



Q:  It would be rather helpful if the ``:.'' commands were also listed in
the SPLOT help files (or whereever applicable). Eg, I can never remember
how one is suppose to generate a metacode file (and there is no help to
be found with the other tasks which operate on the metacode files) so
it would help that one can spot the `:.write file' in the help pages.
A separate on-line help page which sums up the methods with which one
can generate the metacode files and work on them would be very helpful
as well, as indicated.


A: I don't agree that the information belongs in the SPLOT help
page since then it really should be in every help page that has graphics.
What I have done is add the following to the SPLOT help page and the
run-time '?' help page:


:/help  Get help on GTOOLS options
:.help  Get help on cursor mode options


So to refresh yourself on the cursor mode options simply type ":.help"
(this is available from all graphics tasks).  Note also that when
help is paged by a task with '?' if you type 'q' and then <space>
(i.e. finish the task help and then instead of 'q' to return to the
cursor you type <space>) you also get the cursor mode help.

>From IRAF there is the "help cursors" which discusses the cursor mode
options.  Your suggestion about a quick guide to doing things with
metacode files is a good one.  We just have not had the staff to do
more of the general quick guides that we would like.  Maybe someday...

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Last post on May 12, 1999