Command Line Options

To make FIT2D more versatile and for ``batch'' mode applications and to allow it to run as a sub-process, e.g. integrated into the data acquisition system, a number of command line options are available. This allows a Unix script to be written to provide batch mode processing of a sequence of files (see Section 30.5, Page ). (Note: Now the SEQUENCE command can also be used to process a sequence of files with interactive control of the files to be treated, but for special tasks a Unix script may still be useful.) Program ``variables'' may be defined (See Section 30.1, Page ), a macro file may be specified to run FIT2D in macro mode (See Section 19, Page ), the program array dimensions may be specified, and FIT2D may be started with ``landscape'' graphics instead of the default ``portrait'' graphics. The graphics system may also be ``turned-off''. The manner in which the command line options work is best illustrated by an example. The following is an example command line which may be used on a Unix system:

> fit2d -dim1152x1482 -land -key -svar#IN=im.gel -svar#OUT=im.ps -macplot.mac

The equivalent for a Windows system is:

> fit2d /dim1152x1482 /land /key /svar#IN=im.gel /svar#OUT=im.ps /macplot.mac

(on DOS and Windows the forward slash is used instead of the dash, which is often used in Unix.)

The command line would start FIT2D in the following manner:

-dim1152x1482 or /dim1152x1482 Starts FIT2D with programs arrays of 1152 pixels in the X-direction and 1482 pixels in the Y-direction

-land or /land Starts the graphics in ``landscape'' mode i.e. the graphics window appears wider than its height and PostScript output is printed in this orientation.

-key or /key Starts FIT2D in ``keyboard'' mode.

-svar#IN=im.gel Defines a program variable of data type ``character string'' whose name is #IN and whose value is im.gel

-svar#OUT=im.ps Defines another ``character string'' program variable whose name is #OUT and whose value is im.ps

-macplot.mac Starts FIT2D in macro input mode, taking input from the macro file plot.mac.

Here the order of the options has been given in a ``logically sensible order'', but the order is not important except if options are repeated. This example only makes sense if the macro file plot.mac exists which would normally input a file defined by the variable #IN, plot the data or some region of the data using ``landscape'' mode, and output the graphics into a PostScript file defined by #OUT. (Complicated command line calls may be made simpler and shorter through the use of ``aliases''.)

The different options are described in greater detail below: