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.

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