NAME

       Plotchar - Allows a user to draw characters of high, medium, or low quality.

SYNOPSIS

       PCHIQU (or PLCHHQ) - Draws high quality characters. By default, it uses the same database
       as the old NCAR Graphics routine PWRITX, but it can also use characters from any of the
       fontcap-defined databases, it has an improved interface, and it has many more capabilities
       than PWRITX.

       PCMEQU (or PLCHMQ) - Draws characters of "medium quality". It does this by drawing lines,
       just as PCHIQU does, but it does not produce quite such fancy characters. No function
       codes may be used. Using PCMEQU to draw a given string of characters will create a larger
       metafile than if PCLOQU were used, which may be a disadvantage. However, it may also be
       more dependable, in that it does not depend on capabilities the translator may or may not
       have.

       PCLOQU (or PLCHLQ) - Draws characters of "low quality" by calling the GKS character-
       drawing routines. No function codes may be used.  Using PCLOQU to draw a given string of
       characters will create a smaller metafile than if PCHIQU or PCMEQU were used; the results
       will depend on capabilities of the translator.

       PCGETC - Retrieves the character value of a specified internal parameter.

       PCGETI - Retrieves the integer value of a specified internal parameter.

       PCGETR - Retrieves the real value of a specified internal parameter.  PCRSET - Resets the
       values of all internal parameters to the default state.

       PCSETC - Gives a new character value to a specified internal parameter.

       PCSETI - Gives a new integer value to a specified internal parameter.

       PCSETR - Gives a new real value to a specified internal parameter.

       PCPNWI - A function of type CHARACTER*16 that, given the name of an internal parameter
       array and an index, has as its value the name of the specified element of the internal
       parameter array.

       PCDLSC - Defines the default list of "special colors" used by PCHIQU in drawing certain
       characters from the filled fonts.  Such a call will define color indices IFCI, IFCI+1,
       IFCI+2, . . . , IFCI+15 and it will set all elements of the internal parameter array ´CC´
       corresponding to indices 1 through 16. At the moment, although such a call does define a
       set of sixteen colors (ranging from blue to red) and set the elements of ´CC´, it´s a bit
       pointless, since there are no characters for which the special colors are used. In the
       future, there will be a few such (like the state highway symbol, which is normally drawn
       in a particular pair of colors); at that time, the routine will be of more use.

       PLCHHQ - An alternate name for the routine PCHIQU.

       PLCHMQ - An alternate name for the routine PCMEQU.

       PLCHLQ - An alternate name for the routine PCLOQU.

C-BINDING SYNOPSIS

       #include <ncarg/ncargC.h>

       c_pchiqu
       c_pcmequ
       c_pcloqu
       c_pcgetc
       c_pcgeti
       c_pcgetr
       c_pcrset
       c_pcsetc
       c_pcseti
       c_pcsetr
       c_pcpnwi
       c_pcdlsc
       c_plchhq
       c_plchmq
       c_plchlq

USER-MODIFIABLE INTERNAL ROUTINES

       PCMPXY - This routine is normally not called directly by the user (though it can be). It
       is called by PCHIQU and by PCMEQU when the user has set the mapping flag ´MA´ nonzero to
       request mapping of characters from one X/Y coordinate system to another.

ACCESS

       To use Plotchar routines, load the NCAR Graphics libraries ncarg, ncarg_gks, and ncarg_c,
       preferably in that order.

MESSAGES

       Various error conditions can occur in Plotchar.  Each of these results in a call to the
       error-handling routine SETER, with a final argument indicating that the error is
       recoverable; by default, an error message is printed and execution is terminated, but, if
       you turn on error recovery (as described in the "man" page for "error_handling"), you can
       get control back.

       The error messages are as follows; all should be more or less self-explanatory.

            PCDLSC - FIRST COLOR INDEX IS LESS THAN ZERO
            PCDLSC - UNCLEARED PRIOR ERROR
            PCGETC - UNCLEARED PRIOR ERROR
            PCGETC - UNRECOGNIZED PARAMETER NAME
            PCGETI - UNCLEARED PRIOR ERROR
            PCGETR - BOX COLOR ARRAY INDEX IS OUT OF RANGE
            PCGETR - COLOR ARRAY INDEX IS OUT OF RANGE
            PCGETR - UNCLEARED PRIOR ERROR
            PCGETR - UNRECOGNIZED PARAMETER NAME
            PCHIQU - UNCLEARED PRIOR ERROR
            PCLOQU - UNCLEARED PRIOR ERROR
            PCMEQU - UNCLEARED PRIOR ERROR
            PCPNWI - INTERNAL ERROR - SEE CONSULTANT
            PCPNWI - PARAMETER NAME TOO SHORT
            PCSETC - UNCLEARED PRIOR ERROR
            PCSETC - UNRECOGNIZED FONT NAME
            PCSETC - UNRECOGNIZED PARAMETER NAME
            PCSETI - UNCLEARED PRIOR ERROR
            PCSETR - BOX COLOR ARRAY INDEX IS OUT OF RANGE
            PCSETR - COLOR ARRAY INDEX IS OUT OF RANGE
            PCSETR - UNCLEARED PRIOR ERROR
            PCSETR - UNRECOGNIZED PARAMETER NAME
            PLCHHQ - DATASET NOT LOADED CORRECTLY
            PLCHHQ - ERROR EXIT FROM GQCNTN
            PLCHHQ - ERROR EXIT FROM GQFACI
            PLCHHQ - ERROR EXIT FROM GQFAIS
            PLCHHQ - ERROR EXIT FROM GQLWSC
            PLCHHQ - ERROR EXIT FROM GQNT
            PLCHHQ - ERROR EXIT FROM GQPLCI
            PLCHHQ - ERROR EXIT FROM GQTXCI
            PLCHHQ - INTERNAL LOGIC ERROR (NCRA TOO BIG) - SEE CONSULTANT
            PLCHHQ - INTERNAL LOGIC ERROR (NDGU = 0) - SEE CONSULTANT
            PLCHHQ - INTERNAL LOGIC ERROR (NPCS TOO BIG) - SEE CONSULTANT
            PLCHHQ - INTERNAL LOGIC ERROR (XCP1 OR XCP2 = OORV) - SEE CONSULTANT
            PLCHHQ - INTERNAL LOGIC ERROR (XCRA/YCRA TOO SMALL) - SEE CONSULTANT
            PLCHHQ - UNCLEARED PRIOR ERROR
            PLCHLQ - ERROR EXIT FROM GQCHH
            PLCHLQ - ERROR EXIT FROM GQCHUP
            PLCHLQ - ERROR EXIT FROM GQCNTN
            PLCHLQ - ERROR EXIT FROM GQNT
            PLCHLQ - ERROR EXIT FROM GQTXAL
            PLCHLQ - ERROR EXIT FROM GQTXP
            PLCHLQ - UNCLEARED PRIOR ERROR
            PLCHMQ - UNCLEARED PRIOR ERROR

SEE ALSO

       Online: plotchar_params, pcdlsc, pcgetc, pcgeti, pcgetr, pchiqu, pcloqu, pcmequ, pcmpxy,
       pcpnwi, pcrset, pcsetc, pcseti, pcsetr, ncarg_cbind.

       Hardcopy: NCAR Graphics Fundamentals, UNIX Version

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright (C) 1987-2009
       University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
       The use of this Software is governed by a License Agreement.