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<title>ploticus: chron prefab</title>
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  <table cellpadding=2 width=550><tr>
  <td><br><h2>chron prefab</h2></td>
  <td align=right>
  <small>
  <a href="../doc/welcome.html"><img src="../doc/ploticus.gif" border=0></a><br>
  Version 2.30
     </small><br><a href="../doc/prefabs.html">Prefabs</a>
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</td></tr>
<td>
<br>
<br>
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.TH chron_prefab PL "25-AUG-2004   PL ploticus.sourceforge.net"

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<center><a href="prefab_chron_ex.html"><img src="../gallery/prefab_img/chron7thm.gif" border=0>
 <br><b>View the chron prefab examples</a></b><br><br></center>
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.LP
\fBchron\fR is a 
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<a href="prefabs.html">
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\0prefab
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for plotting chronological data.
Data may be expressed as
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<a href="dates.html">
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\0dates,
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<a href="times.html">
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\0times,
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or a combination of date and time called
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<a href="scaleunits.html#datetime">
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\0datetime.
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</a>
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\fBchron\fR can produce bar or line plots (1 to 4 bar sets or lines).
It can also tabulate by week, month, day, hour, etc. (see the \fBtab\fR parameter).
Time is shown along the X axis.
The data file must be in chronological order.

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<br><br><br>
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.SH Parameters 

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<table cellpadding=2 bgcolor=A0A0A0 width=600>

<tr bgcolor=FFFFEC align=center><td><b>Prefab<br>parameter<br>name</td><td>Data type</td>
<td>Default</td><td>Description</td>
<td>Examples<br><small>(ignore line wrapping)</td></tr>


<tr bgcolor=FFFFFF>
<td><b><a href="prefab_stdparms.html">Standard parameters</a></td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td colspan=2>Any of the <a href="prefab_stdparms.html">standard prefab parameters</a> may be used.
You <font color=D00000>must specify</font> <b>data</b> (the name of the input data file).
The <b>xinc</b> parameter supports <a href="axis.html#stubunits">constructs</a>
such as <tt>1 month</tt>; if only a
number is given, it is assumed to be days (the default for <b>xinc</b> is 7 days).
<b>xstubfmt</b> is often specified to present an appropriate date or time format in the stubs.
</td>
</tr>

<tr bgcolor=FFFFFF>
<td><b>x</td>
<td><a href="atypes.html#dfield">data field</a></td>
<td><font color=D00000>must be specified</font></td>
<td>Identifies the data field which contains <a href="scaleunits.html">dates, times, or datetimes</a>.</td>
<td><tt>x=2<br>x=tdate</td>
</tr>

<tr bgcolor=FFFFFF>
<td><b>y<br>y2<br>y3<br>y4</td>
<td><a href="atypes.html#dfield">data field</a></td>
<td><b>y</b> <font color=D00000>must be specified</font> 
(except when <b>tab</b>ulating)</td>
<td>Identifies the data field(s) that contain values to plot.
If you're not <b>tab</b>ulating (see below), <b>y</b>, <b>y2</b>, <b>y3</b>, and
<b>y4</b> are available to produce one, two, three, or four curves or bar sets, respectively, and all values must be numeric.
If you are <b>tab</b>ulating only one <b>y</b> is available, and it can contain alpha or numeric data.</td>
<td><tt>y=3<br><br>y=bp1 y2=bp2 y3=baseline</td>
</tr>

<tr bgcolor=FFFFFF>
<td><b>datefmt</td>
<td>a <a href="dates.html">date format</a></td>
<td><font color=D00000>must be specified</font>,unless plotting time values only.</td>
<td>Specifies the date notation present in the <b>x</b> field of your data.
If plotting datetime values, specify only the date portion.</td>
<td><tt>datefmt=dd-mmm-yyyy</td>
</tr>

<tr bgcolor=FFFFFF>
<td><b>err<br>err2<br>err3<br>err4</td>
<td><a href="atypes.html#dfield">data field</a></td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Identifies the data field(s) that contain numeric error amounts, such as standard deviations, for the error bars.
<b>err2</b>, <b>err3</b>, and <b>err4</b> are available for producing error bars on additional curves or bar sets.</td>
<td><tt>err=5</tt></td>
</tr>

<tr bgcolor=FFFFFF>
<td><b>mode</td>
<td><tt>bars</tt><br>or<br><tt>line</tt></td>
<td><tt>bars</td>
<td>Type of plot to render.</td>
<td><tt>type=line</td>
</tr>

<tr bgcolor=FFFFFF>
<td><b>unittype</td>
<td><tt>date</tt><br>or<br><tt>time</tt><br>or<br><tt>datetime</tt>
<td><tt>date</td>
<td>Specifies the type of chronological scaling, and should
be the same as the datatype of your <b>x</b> field.
<a href="scaleunits.html#datetime">Datetime with windowing</a>
specs can also be used here.</td>
<td><tt>unittype=datetime</tt></td></tr>


<tr bgcolor=FFFFFF>
<td><b>autoyears <br> automonths <br> autodays</td>
<td><tt>yes</tt><br>or<br><tt><i>format</i></td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>These may be used to automatically mark year, month, or day boundaries
along the X axis.  For example, if your X axis increment is months, you can use <tt>autoyears=yes</tt>
to display the year below each year transition.  
You can specify <tt>yes</tt> or an appropriate <a href="dates.html">display format</a>.
<a href="axis.html#autoyears">More information</a>.
Note: The old name for <b>autoyears</b> is <b>xyears</b>.</td>
<td><tt>autoyears=yes</tt><br><br><tt>automonths=Mmm</tt></td>
</tr>

<tr bgcolor=FFFFFF>
<td><b>omitweekends</td>
<td><tt>yes</tt> or <tt>no</tt></td>
<td><tt>no</td>
<td>If <tt>yes</tt>, allows the graph to be 
drawn such that Friday is followed immediately by Monday.  Any data points
falling on a Saturday or Sunday are silently adjusted to the nearest weekday.</td>
<td><tt>omitweekends=yes</tt></td>
</tr>


<tr bgcolor=FFFFFF>
<td><b>tab</b></td>
<td>One of: <tt>hour day week month quarter-year year</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td><nobr>If specified, data will be tabulated on week, month, etc.</nobr>
For example, if your data has a number of entries for June 10, 2003 you can use this 
to plot one bar showing the number of entries for that date.
If a <b>y</b> data field is being used, the <b>y</b> values will be summated.
If no <b>y</b> data field has been specified, instances (rows) will be counted.
<b>tab</b> is incompatible with <b>y2 .. 4</b> and <b>ptselect</b>.
Note: <b>tab</b> (as well as related parameters <b>x</b>, <b>y</b>, <b>datefmt</b>)
cannot be #set from within the data file.</td>
<td><tt>tab=week</td>
</tr>


<tr bgcolor=FFFFFF>
<td><b>tabmode</td>
<td><tt>mid</tt><br>or<br><tt>first</td>
<td><tt>mid</td>
<td>This parameter is used with <b>tab</b> and influences how date adjustment will be done.
<tt>mid</tt> causes dates/times to be adjusted to the middle of the interval.
<tt>first</tt> causes dates/times to be adjusted to the beginning of the interval.
<td><tt>tabmode=first</td>
</tr>


<tr bgcolor=FFFFFF>
<td><b>timefld</td>
<td><a href="atypes.html#dfield">data field</a></td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Specifies a data field that holds time values.  Normally when plotting 
<a href="scaleunits.html#datetime">datetimes</a>
the date and time are combined into one data field, separated by a period (.),
but you can use <b>timefld</b> to allow the date and the time to be in two separate fields.
This parameter is available only with <b>tab</b>. </td>
<td><tt>timefld=ptime</td>
</tr>


<tr bgcolor=FFFFFF>
<td><b>xnearest</td>
<td>One of: <tt> hour  day  month  quarter year </td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>
This may be used to force X axis min and max to be located on round value boundaries.
For example, <tt>nearest=month</tt> would cause X min and max to be located at
month boundaries.  Old name: <b>nearest</b>.</td>
<td><tt>xnearest=month</td>
</tr>


<tr bgcolor=FFFFFF>
<td><b>curve</td>
<td><tt>yes</tt><br>or<br><a href="linedetails.html">linedetails</a></td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Causes a moving average curve to be generating using the first set of data points (only).
<b>curve</b> should not be confused with the lines being drawn with
<tt>mode=line</tt>.. it is a completely separate operation.</td>
<td><tt>curve=" color=blue width=0.5"</td>
</tr>

<tr bgcolor=FFFFFF>
<td><b>order</td>
<td>integer</td>
<td><tt>5</td>
<td>This is an additional parameter that may be used to control the number of points considered when 
computing the moving average curve (higher value = smoother curve).  </td>
<td><tt>order=10</td>
</tr>

</table>

<br>
<br>
<br>

<font size=+1><b>Parameters available when <tt>mode=bars</tt></b></font><br>
If more than one bar set is being rendered, bars will be clustered unless 
the <b>stack</b> parameter is specified.

<table cellpadding=2 bgcolor=A0A0A0 width=600>
<tr bgcolor=FFFFEC align=center><td><b>Prefab<br>parameter<br>name</td><td>Data type</td>
<td>Default</td><td>Description</td>
<td>Examples<br><small>(ignore line wrapping)</td></tr>


<tr bgcolor=FFFFFF>
<td><b>color<br><br>color2<br>color3<br>color4</td>
<td><a href="color.html">color</a></td>
<td><tt>gray</td>
<td>Specify bar color(s).</td>
<td><tt>color=dullyellow</td>
</tr>


<tr bgcolor=FFFFFF>
<td><b>barwidth</td>
<td><i>width</i><br>or<br><tt>line</tt></td>
<td>based on data, single bars</td>
<td>Controls the width of bars.
<i>width</i> is a value in <a href="atypes.html#punits">inches or cm</a>.
Or, <tt>line</tt> may be specified to render very thin bars.
Note: generally the default bar width is acceptable for single bars,
but for clusters it usually must be specified explicitly.</td<
<td><tt>barwidth=0.2 <br><br> barwidth=line</td>
</tr>

<tr bgcolor=FFFFFF>
<td><b>stack</td>
<td><tt>yes</tt> or <tt>no</tt></td>
<td><tt>no</td>
<td>If <tt>yes</tt>, show stacked bars instead of bar clusters.
Note: <b>ptselect</b> cannot be used with stacked bars.  </td>
<td><tt>stack=yes</td>
</tr>


<tr bgcolor=FFFFFF>
<td><b>outline</td>
<td><tt>yes</tt><br>or<br><a href="linedetails.html">linedetails</a></td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Outline the bars.</td>
<td><tt>"outline= color=pink"</td>
</tr>


<tr bgcolor=FFFFFF>
<td><b>crossover</td>
<td>value in Y</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>This may be specified as the value in Y where bars begin
to point downward instead of upward.  For instance, <tt>crossover=0</tt>
is often useful when dealing with financial income, to show loss
using downward bars.</td>
<td><tt>crossover=0</td>
</tr>
</table>

<br>
<br>
<br>

<font size=+1><b>Parameters available when <tt>mode=line</tt></b></font><br>
<table cellpadding=2 bgcolor=A0A0A0 width=600>
<tr bgcolor=FFFFEC align=center><td><b>Prefab<br>parameter<br>name</td><td>Data type</td>
<td>Default</td><td>Description</td>
<td>Examples<br><small>(ignore line wrapping)</td></tr>


<tr bgcolor=FFFFFF>
<td><b>linedet<br><br>linedet2<br>linedet3<br>linedet4</td>
<td><a href="linedetails.html">linedetails</a></td>
<td><tt>width=1 color=black</td>
<td>Controls the appearance of rendered line(s).
If doing multiple lines you can specify <tt>linedet2</tt> without having to specify <tt>linedet</tt> (etc.)
</td>
<td><tt>"linedet= color=red width=0.5"</td>
</tr>

<tr bgcolor=FFFFFF>
<td><b>fill <br><br>fill2<br>fill3<br>fill4</td>
<td><a href="color.html">color</a></td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>If specified, the area under the line will be filled with the specified color.
If doing multiple lines you can specify <tt>fill2</tt> without having to specify <tt>fill</tt> (etc.)
</td>
<td><tt>fill=dullyellow</td>
</tr>



<tr bgcolor=FFFFFF>
<td><b>step</td>
<td><tt>yes</tt> or <tt>no</tt></td>
<td><tt>no</td>
<td>Render a stairstep line.  Applies to all lines.</td>
<td><tt>step=yes</td>
</tr>


<tr bgcolor=FFFFFF>
<td><b>gapmissing</td>
<td><tt>yes</tt><br>or<br><tt>small</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>If <tt>yes</tt>, missing data will cause a gap in the line (normally
the line connects plottable points without a gap).  <tt>small</tt> is
the same as <tt>yes</tt> except that it leaves a small overhang.
Applies to all lines.
</td>
<td><tt>gapmissing=small</td>
</tr>

</table>

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<td align=right>
<a href="../doc/welcome.html">
<img src="../doc/ploticus.gif" border=0></a><br><small>data display engine &nbsp; <br>
<a href="../doc/Copyright.html">Copyright Steve Grubb</a>
<br>
<br>
<center>
<img src="../gallery/all.gif"> 
</center>
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