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4 The coordinate box

The plot header describes the axes and captions/labels of a diagram. If no such coordinate box is needed, use nDEFAULTS instead.

The coordinate box is specied by a block of six lines, starting with the keyword HEADER. Their sequence is mandatory, but comment lines starting with * are allowed in between).

Example:
 
HEADER :nCENTERnCentered header caption
X-AXIS :X-Axis description
Y-AXIS :Y-Axis description
_    SCALE    MIN    MAX     TICKS     LABELED  INCLUDING
X :     1.    15.    16.       1.         5.         0. [options (x)]
Y :     0.     0.    20.       1.         5.         0. [options (y)]

Important:
- The interpretation of lines 2 and 3 starts from character 9
- The fourth line (SCALE etc.) is only comment, but may not be omitted!
- The interpretation of lines 4 and 5 starts from character 4

Explanation of parameters:
HEADER : Headline, printed on top of the box (may be left blank)
X-AXIS : Description of the X axis (may be left blank)
Y-AXIS : Description of the Y axis (may be left blank)

By default, these three text strings appear left-justied. Optionally, if the strings starts with nCENTERnthey will be centered. Header and X-axis description are ushed right if starting with nRIGHTn, the Y-axis descripter is ushed to the upper corner with nUPn.

Example:
\HEADER :\CENTER\Plot of interesting data

Axis specications

The lines starting with X : and Y : (lines 5 and 6) specify details of the X-axis and the Y-axis, respectively.

AUTO / AUTOX / AUTOY
 
Automatic scaling allows a quick inspection of data. The scale(s) are chosen by the program such that the range of data that are to be plotted (see below) is covered. Automatic scaling can be chosen only for the x-axis, only for the y-axis, or for both. In the automatic mode, the user has no inuence on the length of corresponding axis (X axis: 20cm; Y axis: 15cm), nor on its ticks and labels.

Automatic scaling is invoked by the corresponding keyword in the lines 5 and 6 as rst parameter:
X :  AUTO ...

both axes are scaled automatically; the Y : line is dummy;

X :  AUTOX ...

only the X-axis is scaled automatically; the Y : line is valid;

Y :  AUTO (or AUTOY) ...

the Y-axis is scaled automatically.

SCALE
 
if not AUTO (see above), the rst parameter species the scale of this axis in cm per unit. Note: a reversed axis requires a negative scale.

Alternatively, if this parameter ends on the letters CM (for example, 10.5CM), it gives the length of this axis in cm. If the scale parameter is 0 (zero), the length of the axis is default (X-axis: 20 cm, Y-axis: 15 cm).

MIN
 
value at the left / lower box boundary
MAX
 
value at the right / upper box boundary; note that MAX is smaller than MIN in case of a reversed axis.
TICKS
 
Dierence between the values marked with ticks; if the axis is reversed, this number must also be negative)
LABELED
 
Dierence between values marked with longer ticks and labels if the axis is reversed, this number must also be negative)
INCLUDING
 
one of the values which should appear among the labels;
[options
] 
optional parameters, see Table 3; especially useful in multi-plots where plots are directly backed to each other

Table 3: Options for the plot box axes
Option Eect
ALT place the labels and numbers of that axis at the alternate side
(top or right, respectively) of the box;
MAXIND slightly indent the last number to the left (downwards);
MAXNOIND suppresses the default indentation of the last number if it has
overhang to the right (top) of the box;
MININD slightly indent the rst number to the right (upwards);
NOLAB suppresses the labels on this axis;
NOMAX suppresses the last (i.e. rightmost / upmost) label;
NOMIN suppresses the rst (i.e. leftmost of the X axis) number for this axis;
NOTICK suppresses the tick marks at the un-labeled side of the box
(by default the right or upper side);
NOTICK-BOTHsuppresses the ticks at both sides of the box;

The box is plotted with the current (i.e. of the last KASDEF commands) color, pen (line width) and font. To change the font size, see LETTERSIZE; to change the size of the ticks see TICKSIZE (Sect. 3.2).

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