Menu Commands
File Menu
The File menu contains commands for opening and saving
documents, as well as starting new instances of Siag
and exiting running ones.
New
Opens a new empty Siag window.
Open
Asks for a file name and opens the file with that name as a
Siag document.
Save
Saves the currently open document
using the most recently used filename. If no name has been
given to the document, the name "noname" is used.
Save As
Asks for a filename and saves the currently open document
using that filename.
Preview
Preview the contents of the current buffer.
Print
Prints the current buffer using the lpr command.
Load External
Calls an external program to load a document. This can be used to
load over a network, using a program like httpget. The program
must print the document on stdout.
Save External
Calls an external program to save a document. The program must
read the document from stdin.
Exit
Quits from Siag. If there are any changes that have not
been saved, Siag asks if they should be saved.
Edit Menu
The Edit menu contains commands for deleting, cutting and
pasting, as well as for inserting and removing lines
and columns.
Undo
Undoes the latest undoable operation. Not all operations can be
undone; in particular, operations involving very large ranges of
cells can require so much space that it is not realistic to store
the previous state. Also, some commands simply don't implement undo.
Delete
Delete the contents of the current cell.
Insert Line
Insert a line into the document, shifting the rest of the document
down.
Remove Line
Remove one line, shifting the rest of the document up.
Insert Column
Insert one column, shifting the rest of the document right.
Remove Column
Remove one column, shifting the rest of the document left.
Select All
Select every cell in the grid.
Find
Search the grid for a cell where the text matches a string.
Find Backward
Like Find, but search backwards.
Label
Asks for a label to insert into the current cell.
SIOD Expression
Asks for a SIOD expression to insert into the current cell.
C Expression
Asks for a C expression to insert into the current cell.
Guile Expression
Asks for a Guile expression to insert into the current cell.
Requires the optional Guile interpreter.
Tcl Expression
Asks for a Tcl expression to insert into the current cell.
Requires the optional Tcl interpreter.
Change Default Interpreter
Changes which interpreter should be used when entering expressions
by pressing '='.
Embed Object
Asks for the name of a file in X11 bitmap format to display in the
current cell.
Remove Object
If there is an image displayed in the current cell, it is removed.
Open Object
If the image file had been created by Siag, Pathetic Writer or
Egon Animator, it contains information on how to open the original
document with the original application. Otherwise, the bitmap is
simply opened with the Bitmap application.
Save Object
The currently visible grid is saved in X11 bitmap format. Comments
are added so that an application following the Independent Object
Architecture can open the original file with the original
application. Other than those comments, it is a plain bitmap which
can be loaded into any application that handles such files.
Block Menu
The block menu contains commands to manipulate the rectangular
area of the document which is called the block.
Set Mark
Moves the mark to the current cell.
Set Block
Sets the block to be the rectangular area between the mark and
the current cell.
Unset Block
Clears the block from the grid.
Copy Block
Copies the contents of the block to the area to the right and
below the current cell.
Delete Block
Deletes all the cells in the block.
Fill Block
Fill every cell in the selection with a single value or a pattern
of values.
Block Sum
Inserts a formula calculating the sum of the cells in the block
into the current cell.
Block Minimum
Inserts a formula calculating the smallest value of the cells in the block
into the current cell.
Block Maximum
Inserts a formula calculating the largest value of the cells in the block
into the current cell.
Block Average
Inserts a formula calculating the average of the cells in the block
into the current cell.
Borders
Puts borders around the block.
Grid
Puts borders around every cell in the block.
Underline
Puts borders under the last line of the block.
None
Removes borders from every cell in the block.
Format Menu
The format menu contain commands that control the appearance of the cells,
on the screen as well
as on paper.
Column Width
Sets the width in pixels of the current column.
Fit Block Width
Sets the width of every column in the selection to be just wide
enough for the values that are to be displayed.
Row Height
Sets the height in pixels of the current row.
Fit Block Height
Sets the height of every row in the selection to be just
high enough for the values that are to be displayed.
Cell Format
Displays a dialog which allows setting a number of options for the current
cell.
- Font
- Courier
- Helvetica
- New Century Schoolbook
- Times
- Borders
- Size
- Vertical adjustment
- Horizontal adjustment
- Attributes
Block Format
Allows setting display options for the entire block.
Cell Style
Selects how values in a cell are displayed. Available
styles are:
- Default
- Siag tries to guess the right number of decimals
to display.
- Invisible
- The values are not displayed at all.
- Integer
- The values are displayed as integer values.
- Scientific
- Values are displayed as floating point numbers.
- Fixed
- A predetermined number of decimals are displayed.
- Date
- The number is interpreted as seconds since Jan 1, 1970
and the result is displayed as a date.
- Time
- Like Date, but the time is displayed instead.
- Comma
- Groups thousands, millions and so on. Not implemented.
- Percent
- Displays the value as a percentage, where 1 is 100%.
- Hex
- The value is displayed in hexadecimal.
- Currency
- Adds the currency symbol and displays two digits.
- User 1 - 5
- Five styles are reserved for the user's own purposes.
Block Style
Sets the style for all the cells in the selection at once.
Define Style
All the styles can be redefined, given a little care and understanding
of how printf works. Most formats are simply variations of floating
point, but Integer and Hex are by definition integer and are called
with integer arguments. Date and Time are really weird and should
be more flexible.
Cell Color
Selects a colour for the current cell.
Block Color
Selects a colour for the block.
Data Menu
Siag has certain features that allow it to be used as a trivial
data base. There is nothing in the way of transaction tracking,
access control or any other of the features one would expect in
a real database. The data is stored as labels, as that is the
most general type of data in Siag.
Edit Record
Enter values into a record, where the field names are taken from the
first line of the block. This way, all a user has to do is to set the
block where the database is to be, put the cursor on the line where
he wants to edit a record and select Data - Edit Record.
Data Entry
This function is useful when entering data into many cells. After
a record has been edited, the program automatically moves down one
line and continues with the next.
Siag-Net
Starts a trivial TCP based data server which listens on port 8080
and understands the following commands:
- PUT r1 c1 r2 c2
- Reads one label per line and puts them into r1c1..r2c2.
- GET r1 c1 r2 c2
- Prints one label per line from the range r1c1..r2c2.
- QUIT
- Exits the server and returns to Siag.
Note that once the server is started, Siag no longer responds to
user input until it recieves a QUIT command.
Window Menu
Siag can handle multiple windows and buffers.
The Window menu contains commands for manipulating buffers and windows.
Change Buffer
Change which buffer is displayed in the current window.
Delete Buffer
Delete the current buffer.
Split Window
Split the current buffer in two.
Remove Window
Remove the current window and give its space to its neighbors.
One Window
Remove all windows except the current one.
Change Window
Make the next window current.
Protect Cells
Prevents the point from moving into any of the cells above and to
the left of it. Also makes those lines and columns stay on the
window so that they are visible even if the grid is scrolled.
Remove Protection
Removes the protection previously set by Window - Protect Cells.
Grid Lines
Toggles visibility of the grid lines on the screen. This does not
in any way affect the output when the sheet is printed.
Disable Helptexts
Removes the yellow popup bubbles when the mouse pointer is moved over
the toolbar buttons. See also the function (helptext-mode N).
Plot Menu
The Plot menu contins commands for plotting using Siag and Gnuplot.
Lines
Plots a graph using lines.
Points
Plots a graph using points.
Linespoints
Plots a graph using lines and points.
Impulses
Plots a graph using impulses.
Dots
Plots a graph using tiny dots.
Steps
Plots a graph using steps.
Boxes
Plots a graph using boxes.
Surface
Makes a surface plot using lines.
Advanced
This is not yet implemented in any useful way.
Tools Menu
The Tools menu comtains miscellaneous commands that are either
experimental or don't fit anywhere else. As a result, this menu
is more likely to change so that the documentation becomes incorrect.
SIOD Command
Enter a command to be executed by the SIOD interpreter.
C Command
Enter a command to be executed by the C interpreter. This currently
is not operational.
Guile Command
Enter a command to be executed by the optional Guile interpreter.
Tcl Command
Enter a command to be executed by the optional Tcl interpreter.
Terminal
Starts an Xterm window.
File Manager
Starts the Files file manager. Files is DND (drag and drop) compliant,
so that files can be dragged from Files and dropped on Siag and have
Siag start with the document loaded.
Pathetic Writer
Starts the Pathetic Writer word processor.
Egon Animator
Starts the Egon Animator animation tool.
Webserver
Starts a simple one-shot web server on port 8080.
Mail
Mails the current document using SMTP. Requires sendmail running on
the local host.
File Manager
A simple demo of Siag as a file manager. Adds a few file management
commands and displays the contents of the current directory in the grid.
Help Menu
The Help menu contains commands for displaying online help for Siag.
Contents
Displays the Siag online documentation.
Search
This command does nothing.
Copying
Displays the GNU public licence.
Help for Help
Displays help for using the online help.
About Siag
Displays the current version string.
Ulric Eriksson - October 1997 - ulric@edu.stockholm.se