pic(1) - Plan 9 from User Space

| PIC(1) | PIC(1)
| NAME
| pic, tpic, svgpic – troff and tex preprocessors for drawing pictures
SYNOPSIS
| `pic` [ files ]
`tpic` [ files ]
`svgpic` [ files ]
DESCRIPTION
| Pic is a troff(1) preprocessor for drawing figures on a typesetter. Pic code is contained between `.PS` and `.PE` lines:
| `.PS` optional-width optional-height element-list `.PE
`
or in a file mentioned in a `.PS` line:
| `.PS <`file
If optional-width is present, the picture is made that many inches wide, regardless of any dimensions used internally. The height is scaled in the same proportion unless optional-height is present. If `.PF` is used instead of `.PE`, the typesetting position after printing is restored to what it was upon entry.
An element-list is a list of elements:
| primitive attribute-list placename `:` element placename `:` position var `=` expr direction `{` element-list `} [` element-list `] for` var `=` expr `to` expr `by` expr `do {` anything `} if` expr `then {` anything `} else {` anything `} copy` file, `copy thru` macro, `copy` file `thru` macro `sh {` commandline `} print` expr `reset` optional var-list troff-command
Elements are separated by newlines or semicolons; a long element may be continued by ending the line with a backslash. Comments are introduced by a `#` and terminated by a newline. Variable names begin with a lower case letter; place names begin with upper case. Place and variable names retain their values from one picture to the next.
After each primitive the current position moves in the current direction (`up`,`down`, `left`,`right` (default)) by the size of the primitive. The current position and direction are saved upon entry to a `{`...`}` block and restored upon exit. Elements within a block enclosed in `[`...`]` are treated as a unit; the dimensions are determined by the extreme points of the contained objects. Names, variables, and direction of motion within a block are local to that block.
Troff-command is any line that begins with a period. Such a line is assumed to make sense in the context where it appears; generally, this means only size and font changes.
The primitive objects are:
| `box circle ellipse arc line arrow spline move` text-list
`arrow` is a synonym for `line −>`.
An attribute-list is a sequence of zero or more attributes; each attribute consists of a keyword, perhaps followed by a value.
| `h(eigh)t` expr `wid(th)` expr `rad(ius)` expr `diam(eter)` expr `up` opt-expr `down` opt-expr `right` opt-expr `left` opt-expr `from` position `to` position `at` position `with` corner `by` expr, expr `then dotted` opt-expr `dashed` opt-expr `chop` opt-expr `−> <− <−> invis same fill` opt-expr text-list expr
Missing attributes and values are filled in from defaults. Not all attributes make sense for all primitives; irrelevant ones are silently ignored. The attribute `at` causes the geometrical center to be put at the specified place; `with` causes the position on the object to be put at the specified place. For lines, splines and arcs, `height` and `width` refer to arrowhead size. A bare expr implies motion in the current direction.
Text is normally an attribute of some primitive; by default it is placed at the geometrical center of the object. Stand-alone text is also permitted. A text list is a list of text items:
| text-item`:
| "..."
`
| positioning ... `sprintf("`format`",` expr`,` ...`)` positioning ...
positioning`:
| center ljust rjust above below
`
If there are multiple text items for some primitive, they are arranged vertically and centered except as qualified. Positioning requests apply to each item independently. Text items may contain troff commands for size and font changes, local motions, etc., but make sure that these are balanced so that the entering state is restored before exiting.
A position is ultimately an x,y coordinate pair, but it may be specified in other ways.
| position`:`
| expr, expr place `±` expr, expr place `± (` expr, expr `) (` position`,` position `)` x from one, y the other expr [`of the way`] between position and position expr < position , position > ( position )
place`:`
| placename optional-corner corner `of` placename nth primitive optional-corner corner `of` nth primitive `Here`
An optional-corner is one of the eight compass points or the center or the start or end of a primitive.
| optional-corner`:
| .n .e .w .s .ne .se .nw .sw .c .start .end
` corner`:
| top bot left right start end
`
Each object in a picture has an ordinal number; nth refers to this.
| nth`:`
| n`th`, n`th last
`
The built-in variables and their default values are:
| `boxwid 0.75 boxht 0.5 circlerad 0.25 arcrad 0.25 ellipsewid 0.75 ellipseht 0.5 linewid 0.5 lineht 0.5 movewid 0.5 moveht 0.5 textwid 0 textht 0 arrowwid 0.05 arrowht 0.1 dashwid 0.1 arrowhead 2 scale 1`
These may be changed at any time, and the new values remain in force from picture to picture until changed again or reset by a `reset` statement. Variables changed within `[` and `]` revert to their previous value upon exit from the block. Dimensions are divided by `scale` during output.
Expressions in pic are evaluated in floating point. All numbers representing dimensions are taken to be in inches.
| expr`:`
| expr op expr `−` expr `!` expr `(` expr `) variable number` place `.x` place `.y` place `.ht` place `.wid` place `.rad sin(`expr`) cos(`expr`) atan2(`expr,expr`) log(`expr`) exp(`expr`) sqrt(`expr`) max(`expr,expr`) min(`expr,expr`) int(`expr`) rand()`
op`:
| + − * / % < <= > >= == != && ||
`
The `define` and `undef` statements are not part of the grammar.
| `define` name `{` replacement text `} undef` name
Occurrences of `$1`, `$2`, etc., in the replacement text will be replaced by the corresponding arguments if name is invoked as
| name`(`arg1`,` arg2`, ...)`
Non-existent arguments are replaced by null strings. Replacement text may contain newlines. The `undef` statement removes the definition of a macro.
Tpic is a tex(1) preprocessor that accepts pic language. It produces Tex commands that define a box called `\graph`, which contains the picture. The box may be output this way:
| `\centerline{\box\graph}
`
Svgpic accepts pic language and produces a Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) image suitable for use in HTML documents.
EXAMPLES
| `arrow "input" above; box "process"; arrow "output" above move A: ellipse
| circle rad .1 with .w at A.e circle rad .05 at 0.5 <A.c, A.ne> circle rad .065 at 0.5 <A.c, A.ne> spline from last circle.nw left .25 then left .05 down .05 arc from A.c to A.se rad 0.5 for i = 1 to 10 do { line from A.s+.025*i,.01*i down i/50 }
`
arrow "input" above; box "process"; arrow "output" above move A: ellipse
| circle rad .1 with .w at A.e circle rad .05 at 0.5 <A.c, A.ne> circle rad .065 at 0.5 <A.c, A.ne> spline from last circle.nw left .25 then left .05 down .05 arc from A.c to A.se rad 0.5 for i = 1 to 10 do { line from A.s+.025*i,.01*i down i/50 }
SOURCE
| `/usr/lib/plan9/src/cmd/pic`
SEE ALSO
| grap(1), doctype(1), troff(1) B. W. Kernighan, “PIC--a Graphics Language for Typesetting”, Unix Research System Programmer’s Manual, Tenth Edition, Volume 2
BUGS
| Svgpic is only lightly tested. It should handle troff commands in text output.