Histogram Tool [HistTool]

     The Histogram Tool is a program that allows you to generate
histograms of process variables.

     This is a preliminary version.  The program has not been tested
extensively.

Contents
========

1. Overview and Main Window
2. Options
3. File Menu
4. Tools Menu
5. Help Menu

1. Overview and Main Window
===========================

     The HistTool interface consists of a small main window from which
you can generate an arbitrary number of plot windows.  In the main
window you can enter a process variable or drag it from another
program, in particular MEDM or Probe, that implements the Motif Drag
and Drop mechanism.  There are two buttons, one to clear the process
variable name entry, and one to start a histogram plot in its own
window.  The histogram plot shows the counts in each bin plotted
against values of the process variable.  There are options to set the
bin and plot parameters.

2. Options
==========

     The options consist of options for the histogram bins and options
for the X axis.  The Y axis is automatic.

     The default options will be read from an initialization file if
it can be found.  The search path is:

     histToolrc in the current working directory.
     .histToolrc in the user's home directory.
     .histToolrc in the root directory (/ or \\ for Microsoft Windows).

     When the program exits, it will automatically save the default
options in the file where it found them or in .histToolrc in the
user's home directory if it did not find them.  If you do not do
anything yourself, they will be in the user's home directory after
HistTool is run once.

     If the options dialog box is accessed from the HistTool main
window, they will be the default options.  If it is accessed from an
individual plot window, they will be the options for that plot.

Limits Mode: Can be either Channel or User Specified.  With Channel
the bin limits are determined automatically from the LOPR and HOPR
values for the process variable and the User-Specified Lower and Upper
Limits are ignored.  With User Specified, the limits are as specified
in the User-Specified Lower and Upper Limit entry boxes.

Channel Lower Limit and Channel Upper Limit: These are values of LOPR
and HOPR for the process variable.  They are shown for convenience but
cannot be changed from HistTool.

User-Specified Lower Limit and User-Specified Upper Limit: Specifies
the lower and upper values for the range of bins when the Limits Mode
is User Specified.

Number of Bins: Specifies how many bins are in the range.

Update period: Specifies the time in milliseconds between updates to
the bin counts.  The current value of the process variable is
internally updated whenever it changes.  At the end of each update
period the bin count is incremented for the bin into which the current
value falls at that time, if it falls into one of the bins in the
range.  Otherwise there is no change in the counts.

Axis Mode: Can be either Autoscale or User Specified.  With Autoscale,
the program determines the X axis.  With User Specified, the axis
limits are determined by the Lower Limit and Upper Limit entry boxes.

Lower Limit and Upper Limit: Specify the lower and upper values for
the X axis in User Specified mode.

Apply: Apply the current values to either the defaults or a plot, as
appropriate.  The name at the top of the dialog will indicate either
DEFAULTS or the name of the process variable for the plot that will be
affected.

OK: Same a Apply, except the Options Dialog box goes away.

Cancel: Remove the Options Dialog box without setting anything.

Save: Save the current values as the defaults.  New plots will use
these values at the start and they will be saved in the initialization
file when the program exits normally.

Help: Help on the Dialog Box.

3. File Menu
============

     Note that all menus are tear-off.  The File Menu contains only a
Quit button in the main window.  In a plot window there are also Save,
Save As SDDS, and Save As EPS options.

Save: Save the current values in a file.  Reuses the last opened
file and the type (SDDS or EPS) for that file.

Save As SDDS...: Saves the plot parameters as an SDDS file, prompting
for the file name.

Save As EPS...: Saves the plot as an Encapsulated Postscript file,
which is sized to print full page.

4. Tools Menu
=============

     The Tools Menu contains the following items:

Start
Stop
Reset
Options

     Start starts the accumulation of counts in the bins and Stop
stops it.  Reset sets the bin counts to zero.  Options brings up the
Options Dialog.  (See Options.)  Only Options is available from the
main window, and it applies to the default options.

5. Help Menu
============

     The Help Menu contains the following items:

Overview
Version

     The Overview button displays this text.  If you want a written
manual, select the text and copy it to a place where it can be
printed.  The Version button displays the version of SGA.