Graph_d already. It produces
graphs and histograms, preferably from files of *.dbf type. It
can handle also text files, which have some columns of numbers inside
of them. Its another special feature is, that it can stack the data
according to the given period, or even find their symmetry axis (this
is a common task in astronomy).
The same directory Util contains a couple of another
programmes I often use. One of them is a programme CutBE,
which can copy a part of any (large) file, and by running several
times, divide the file to several parts (see batch file
cut10). The copied parts of reasonable size can be then edited
by common editing programmes and by a MS-DOS command copy
glued together to a single file again (see copy10.bat). The
CutTrBla programme cuts away obsolete spaces at ends of lines
of a text file (most editing programmes make it as well, but just for
small files).
From the Astro directory I use many programmes quite often. The
most complicated one is contained in a separate directory Map_BSC
and described in the last section of this booklet. Another mapping
programme is Map_mGSC. It uses the famous Guide Stars
Catalogue, in the version of the MegaStar atlas [12]. To be
able to use it, you have to buy a CD with that marvelous computer star
atlas. As a facility not contained in the MegaStar itself (at least not in
version 3), my programme offers a possibility to create maps according to
command-line parameters or according to parameters in some of the
configuration files. Both Map_* programmes can be run by means of
batch files m*.bat, which, e.g., make a map centered on a given
object (a comet or Moon). The new versions of MegaStar can do it as well,
but it takes more time to make them do so. I used to write just
mb_hb to have an actual map of the surroundings of the Hale-Bopp
comet.
As said above, these graphic programmes can produce also true PostScript [13] (or LATEX[15]) file, easy to edit. However, even the screen is nicer than for most star-mapping programmes, as grayscale is employed to get smooth stars, with faintest ones visible only using the full luminance. If you like to save the screen to a file, use, e.g., the Screen Thief programme by Villa Software [14]. Some examples I offer have been saved this way [17].
Then there is a group of programmes giving tables of positions of
celestial bodies and sky events, namely Sun, Moon and
Planet programmes. Various small programmes deal with
transformations of coordinates and of photometric quantities --
these may be quite instructive. A large programme SunDial
offers a proposal and accurate construction of sundials and computes
insolation of absorbers in solar collectors.
In the Screen directory the most useful programme is
VMod. I employ it mainly through v.bat, which reads
Vmod 3. When a screen is due to some conflict of software and
hardware entirely confused, entering this only letter is sufficient
to see again what you write.