TPlot Component Readme

Purpose

Author: Mat Ballard

Email: mat.ballard@Chemware.hypermart.net

Home Page: Old page at Hypermart, New page at SourceForge

Version: 3.00

Version History: See the file Source\History.txt

Licence: Mozilla Public License

Release Dates:

• 1.00: 12 September 2000
• 1.10: 12 October 2000
• 2.00: 10 May 2001
• 2.42: 21 Aug 2001
• 3.00: 15 Jan 2003

Major changes since previous release:

• License is now MPL rather than QPL;
• Axes, Series, Notes and Textboxes are now TCollection objects. This means that their properties can be seen and set in the IDE
• There is now a SeriesType property. The benefits of this are: a. It simplifies the creation and use of complex data structures such as High-Low-Open-Close Series; b. It allows the presentation of different styles of graph on the same plot.
• TAxis has been re-written so that axes can be at any angle: this means that all axes (X, Y and Z) are all the same class, and there is no longer a TAngleAxis class.
• Screen drawing has been made far more robust (though slightly slower) - it can even cope with logarithms of negative numbers !
• A new file format, for more robust file IO. This file format is only slightly different, but incompatible with the older format. TPlot can still read the older format - see plot.inc.
• The directory structure has totally revamped to make working with different compilers much easier.
• Supporting 3rd party files are now included in the distribution.
• The help file is now included in the distribution.
• Tools for cross-platform development (Cleandfm), building (Maker) and installation (Plot.iss) are now included.

Supported Compilers:

• Delphi versions 4-7
• Kylix versions 1-3
• partial support for BC++ Builder versions 3-6

TPlot now requires TCollection: which only appeared in BC++3, Delphi 4 and above.

Upgrading:

Installation:

TPlot requires the 'Misc' package for several utilities. This is now included in the TPlot distribution. If you define 'GIF', 'PNG' or 'FUNCTIONS' in 'Plot.inc', then you will need various third party packages. These are now in the distribution. For all compilers, I suggest you install the TPlot and Misc packages under the $(DELPHI)\Source directory.

To build TPlot manually:

Delphi 4 .. 7:

1. open the project group in the appropriate directory: eg: TPlot/D7/Plot300.bpg;
2. open the defines file Plot.inc and set your options;
3. Create (if they do not already exist) the following directories:
   • $(DELPHI)\Projects\Bpl
   • $(DELPHI)\Projects\dcu
4. compile the Misc run-time package: 'Misc300_Run.bpl' = Misc\D7\Misc300_Run.dpk;
5. compile the Misc design-time package: 'Misc300_Design.bpl' = Misc\D7\Misc300_Design.dpk;
6. install the Misc design-time package into the IDE;
7. compile the TPlot run-time package: 'Plot300_Run.bpl' = TPlot\D7\Plot300_Run.dpk;
8. compile the TPlot design-time package: 'Plot300_Design.bpl' = TPlot\D7\Plot300_Design.dpk;
9. install the TPlot design-time package into the IDE.

   If you have the professional of better products, then:
   

10. compile the TDBPlot run-time package: 'DBPlot300_Run.bpl' = TPlot\D7\DBPlot300_Run.dpk;
11. compile the TDBPlot design-time package: 'DBPlot300_Design.bpl' = TPlot\D7\DBPlot300_Design.dpk;
12. install the TDBPlot design-time package into the IDE.
13. note that you can undefine NO_MATH in Plot.inc.

BC++:

Kylix:

• ~\Projects\Bpl
• ~\Projects\dcu

Limitations:

• In the Delphi 6 Personal IDE, TPlot cannot be placed on a form: it throws an exception. Attempts to track down this exception have not succeeded.
• TDBPlot is not ready for serious use - it is new and has some bugs.
• Property editors do not work properly under BCB++5 and above yet.

Usage:

1. Click and drop all four components:
   • TPlot,
   • TPlotMenu
   • TPlotImageList, and
   • TPlotToolBar
   onto a form. See the "SimpleDemo" example program.
2. Set the TPlot.Images, TPlotMenu.Images and TPlotMenu.Plot properties.
3. Add an OnKeyDown event and an Action component as described when TPlot is dropped on a form.
4. See the Help file for more detailed information on the use of TPlot.

Help File:

Bugs

Suggestions and Requests

Mat Ballard
Jan 2003.