In order to provide a device-independent graphics package, the Italian Astronet Graphic Library has been adopted as the standard low level library for the plot package in MIDAS. One of the main reasons for using the AGL package rather than one of the more evolved and sophisticated packages ( e.g. GKS) was the fact that the AGL package is simple; meanwhile AGL is still capable of doing the things one needs for reasonably advanced graphics, in particular with respect to interactive facilities. The AGL graphics library is fully integrated within the MIDAS directory structure and is generated like every other MIDAS subroutine library during installation. For an extensive description of the package we refer to the AGL User's and Installation Guides for Version 3.
The graphic facilities available in MIDAS can be divided into three main categories of commands, based on their functionality:
Below, subsection first describes how graphic display units ( e.g. terminals, workstations) can be activated inside the MIDAS environment. Thereafter, in the subsections to the plot commands available in MIDAS will be discussed. In subsection information can be found about how plot files can be manipulated. In section a number of examples are presented to illustrate the available commands and their syntax. Finally, in subsection an overview is given of all the available graphic commands in MIDAS.