Changeset 364

Timestamp:

Dec 4, 2009 5:04:56 PM (11 years ago)

Author:

toby

Message:

# on 2000/12/22 21:14:32, toby did:
document error highlighting
new section on invocation of GSAS programs
new tcl section
minor other changes

File:

• trunk/doc/expgui.html (modified) (16 diffs, 3 props)

trunk/doc/expgui.html

@@ -41 +41 @@
 GSAS package such as EXPEDT, GENLES, FOURIER...
 These programs can be run from a menu or in many cases by pressing buttons.
-
+EXPGUI is written using the
+<A href="#tcltk">Tcl/Tk</A> scripting language.
 <P>
 This documentation describes the different actions that
@@ -67 +68 @@
 <DL><DL>
 When an experiment (.EXP) file is read, a copy is made in local 
-computer memory. The values in memory can then be edited 
-by selecting different 
-panes ("pages" or "panels") from the tabbed list, where 
-each pane is reserved for a different section of the .EXP file.
-The changes values are written back out to the .EXP file when the
-"File/Save" or "File/Save as" <A Href="expguic.html#1">menu bar options</A>
-are used. The .EXP file is also automatically written before running any GSAS
-programs, such as GENLES or EXPEDT.
-
+computer memory. In most cases, values are changed in this 
+"in memory" copy of the experiment file 
+as this information is changed by the user on the screen.
+<img SRC="rederror.gif" align=LEFT BORDER=3 alt="EXPGUI Screen snapshot">
+<IMG SRC="new.gif" HEIGHT=13 WIDTH=36 alt="New!">
+If there is an error in the typed value, (for example if "1..0" is typed, or
+"1.5" is typed where an integer is expected), these values are 
+not saved. In this case, the text is turned red, to indicate 
+that an error is present, as shown in the figure to the left, where "90.000x" 
+has been entered for alpha.
+The edited version of the experiment file is written back out to 
+disk when the "File/Save" or "File/Save as" 
+<A Href="expguic.html#1">menu bar options</A>
+are used. The File/Save operation is done automatically before any GSAS
+programs, such as GENLES or EXPEDT, are run.
+<P>
+
+Since the GSAS experiment file is quite complex, 
+values are grouped together by function, approximately
+following the outline of the EXPEDT program. 
+Each set of values is given a 
+"tabbed pane" on a window that has the appearance of a notebook (see below).
 <center><B>
 <br>The notebook pane tabs.
 <br><img SRC="panebar1.gif"  BORDER=3 alt="EXPGUI Screen snapshot">
 </center></B>
-More information about each pane can be found using the links below.
+In some cases, where values are 
+too numerious or complex to fit onto the notebook pane, one or more buttons
+may be present on a pane that will create a separate window,
+where the associated values can be modified. 
+These values are not recorded in the 
+"in memory" copy of the experiment file unless the "Save" button on this window
+is pressed. If "Cancel" is pressed, no changes are made.
+Each notebook pane is listed below with a link to the web page documenting 
+that pane.
 
 <A Href="expgui1.html">
@@ -97 +119 @@
 <h3>A.7 Preferential Orientation Pane</h3>
 </A>
-<P>
-<img SRC="rederror.gif" align=LEFT BORDER=3 alt="EXPGUI Screen snapshot">
-<IMG SRC="new.gif" HEIGHT=13 WIDTH=36 alt="New!">
-Values changed in the entry boxes in these panes are 
-immediately transferred to the "in memory" copy of the .EXP file, unless
-there is an error in the typed value, (for example if "1..0" is typed, or
-"1.5" is typed where an integer is expected.) When a value is invalid, it is
-not saved. In this case, the text is turned red, to indicate 
-that an error is present, as shown in the figure to the left, where "90.000x" 
-has been entered for alpha.
 <br clear=all>
 </DL></DL>
@@ -179 +191 @@
 </center></B>
 
+<h3>Invoking of GSAS programs</h3>
+When GSAS programs are invoked, in most cases EXPGUI is suspended while 
+the GSAS program is run in a terminal (or DOS) window. When the terminal 
+window is closed, EXPGUI is restarted. If desired (see the 
+<A Href="expguic.html#Autoicon">
+"Iconify during GSAS"</A>
+option) while this occurs, EXPGUI can be made into an icon 
+to save screen space.
+<P>
+<img src="powpref4a.gif" align=left>
+Once the GSAS program has finished, if the program has modified 
+the .EXP file, 
+<a Href="expguierr.html#Overwrite">
+"File has been modified..."</a>message box 
+similar to the one to the left is displayed (also see the more complete 
+discussion on the <a Href="expguierr.html#Overwrite">messages page</A>.
+Note that this message can be avoided if the
+<A Href="expguic.html#Autoupdate">
+"Autoload EXP"</A>
+option is used.
+<BR clear=all>
+<P>
+Note that in both Windows-95 and Windows-NT, a file named <tt>EXPGUI.LCK</tt>
+is created while the GSAS program runs. The presence of this file is used 
+to suspend the LIVEPLOT program, since LIVEPLOT has sometimes crashed 
+when run at the same time as GENLES (no such problem has been seen in Unix). 
+This file is deleted when the GSAS program completes.
+<P>
+<img src="lock.gif" align=left>
+In Windows-9x, the <a Href="expgui_Win_readme.html#Winexec">Winexec</a>
+package is used to execute a command that creates a DOS window. 
+The GSAS programs are then run by a batch file in this DOS window. 
+Due to limitations in Tcl/Tk & Windows, the DOS window runs independently
+of EXPGUI, so the lock file (<tt>EXPGUI.LCK</tt>) is also used to suspend
+EXPGUI. While EXPGUI is waiting, the 
+<a Href="expguierr.html#lock">
+Please wait...
+</a>
+window shown to the left is displayed. When the GSAS program completes, the
+lock file is deleted, the window automatically disappears and EXPGUI resumes. 
+Should a problem arise where the file is not deleted, EXPGUI can be resumed by
+pressing the "Continue" button.
+
+<BR clear=all>
+<h3>GSAS menus</h3>
+
 A description of the EXPGUI menus follows. Use the links to obtain
 more information, including a very 
@@ -255 +313 @@
 
 <br clear=all>
-<H3>LSTVIEW</H3>
+<H3>D.1 LSTVIEW</H3>
 
 <DL><DL>
@@ -264 +322 @@
 
 <br clear=all>
-<H3>LIVEPLOT</H3>
+<H3>D.2 LIVEPLOT</H3>
 <DL><DL>
 liveplot shows the observed, calculated and difference plots for powder
@@ -289 +347 @@
 
 <br clear=all>
-<H3>WIDPLT</H3>
+<H3>D.3 WIDPLT</H3>
 <DL><DL>
 WIDPLT can be used to plot the actual peak widths generated by the profile
@@ -301 +359 @@
 <br clear=all>
 <a name="ConvertUnix"></a>
-<h3>Unix File Conversions</h3> 
-<DL><DL>
-In UNIX, GSAS data, experiment and instrument parameter files are expected to 
+<h3>D.4 File Conversions</h3> 
+<DL><DL>
+<B>In UNIX</B>, 
+GSAS data, experiment and instrument parameter files are expected to 
 have a format with exactly 80 characters per line and no line
 separators (no carriage returns or linefeeds). Files in this format
@@ -315 +374 @@
 direct access for use in GSAS or to convert direct access files to 
 sequential, for use in standard UNIX programs, such as editors or e-mail.
-</DL></DL>
-
-<br clear=all>
+<P>
 <a name="ConvertWin"></a>
-<h3>Windows File Conversions</h3> 
-<DL><DL>
-In Windows, GSAS data, experiment and instrument parameter files are
+<B>In Windows</B>, GSAS data, experiment and instrument parameter files are
 expected to have a format with exactly 80 characters per line followed 
 by a carriage returns and a linefeed (82 characters total per line). 
@@ -333 +388 @@
 <br clear=all>
 <a name="Composition"></a>
-<h3>Compute Composition</h3> 
+<h3>D.5 Compute Composition</h3> 
 <DL><DL>
 The composition box shows the unit cell and asymmetric unit composition
@@ -342 +397 @@
 <br clear=all>
 <a name="ExportMSI"></a>
-<h3>Export coordinates in MSI .xtl format</h3> 
+<h3>D.6 Export coordinates in MSI .xtl format</h3> 
 <DL><DL>
 The Export/exp2xtl routine writes a .xtl file, as is used in Insight-II and
@@ -353 +408 @@
 <br clear=all>
 <a name="DeleteHistoryRecords"></a>
-<h3>Delete History Records</h3> 
+<h3>D.7 Delete History Records</h3> 
 <DL><DL>
 Every time a GSAS program (including EXPGUI) is run, an entry is added to 
@@ -370 +425 @@
 </DL></DL>
 
+<A name=tcltk>
+<H2>
+<A Href="http://www.ncnr.nist.gov/programs/crystallography/software/tclpkgs.html">
+Tcl/Tk</A></H2>
+The 
+<A Href="http://www.ncnr.nist.gov/programs/crystallography/software/tclpkgs.html">
+Tcl/Tk program</A> is a platform-independent scripting language that is
+used to implement most of EXPGUI. This software is available for free
+and must be loaded in order to use EXPGUI. See the 
+installation notes for 
+<A HREF="expgui_Win_readme.html">Windows</A>,
+and for
+<A HREF="expgui_Unix_readme.html">UNIX</A> for information on how to do this.
+While learning Tcl/Tk is a great thing to do, it is not a requirement
+for using or installing EXPGUI.
+
+<A name=winexec>
+<H3>
+WINEXEC</H3>
+<UL>
+The WINEXEC package is needed under Windows-95 and its offspring 
+(-98 and -ME). See the <A HREF="expgui_Win_readme.html">Windows installation 
+notes</A> for more details.
+</UL>
+
 <A name=blt>
-<H2>
-BLT</H2>
+<H3>
+BLT</H3>
+<UL>
 The BLT graphics package is used by the WIDPLT and LIVEPLOT routines. If the
-package can not be loaded these routines, an error message, 
-"Error -- Unable to load the BLT package", will be displayed. A frequent
-problem is the package is installed, but not configured so that common 
-support routines are loaded automatically. If this is the case, 
-a message, "BLT Setup Error: could not access a Blt_ routine...",
-will be displayed.
-Please see 
+package can not be found these routines, an error message, 
+"Error -- Unable to load the BLT package", will be displayed. It is also 
+possible for the package to be installed, but not configured properly. 
+If this is the case, a message, 
+"BLT Setup Error: could not access a Blt_ routine...", will be displayed.
+This is most common in UNIX and is discussed further in the 
+<A HREF="expgui_Unix_readme.html">UNIX installation notes</A>. Also see 
 <A HREF="http://www.ncnr.nist.gov/programs/crystallography/software/tclpkgs.html">
 http://www.ncnr.nist.gov/programs/crystallography/software/tclpkgs.html
 </A> for more information on installation of BLT.
+</UL>
 
 <H2>
@@ -394 +476 @@
 for convincing me to learn Tcl/Tk 
 and Jonathan Wasserman for helping get this project started.
-Large sections of the Preferred Orientation GUI were written by 
-Pamela Whitfield of the NRC (Canada).
+Thanks also to 
+Pamela Whitfield of the NRC (Canada) for writing large 
+sections of the 
+<A Href="expgui7.html">Preferential Orientation Pane</A>
+and the 
+<A Href="expgui6.html">Profile Constraints pane</A>
+code.
 <P>
 <A Href="http://www.ncnr.nist.gov/programs/crystallography/software/gsas.html">
@@ -420 +507 @@
 software.
 
-<P>EXPGUI is not subject to copyright. Have fun with it. Modify it. Write 
+<P>The author of EXPGUI is a U.S. Government employee which means that
+EXPGUI is not subject to copyright. Have fun with it. Modify it. Please write 
 new sections and make them available to the rest of the world. 
 
@@ -426 +514 @@
 expressed or implied, or assumes any liability or responsibility 
 for the use of this information or the software described
-here. Brand names cited here are used for
+here. Brand names cited herein are used for
 identification purposes and do not consitute an endorsement by NIST.