Directory info/pstdoc

This package is distributed under the LaTeX Project Public License.

It provides help with syntax and keywords associated with PSTricks commands. See the screenshot for typical output.

Installation of pstdoc.

Python 2.5 or more recent is required. The database file pstCommands.db must be in the same folder as the Python script pstdoc.py.

Mac:
1. Set up your Terminal Window so that it understands ANSI commands, by setting the following in ~/.profile or ~/.MacOSX/environment.plist.

CLICOLOR=true
TERM=xterm-color
LSCOLORS=exfxcxdxbxegedabagacad

2. Check that your version of Python is recent enough.

3. Rename pstdoc.py to just pstdoc, and copy it to some folder in your PATH. I copied it to ~/bin, along with the SQLite database file pstCommands.db

4. Enter, for example, 
pstdoc \psarc (or just pstdoc psarc)
to get the syntax and all keywords that might apply. Arguments with yellow background are optional. A red double left arrow indicates a default replacement value. Output look better when the Terminal window is twice as wide as normal.

Windows:

Install Python (the MSI version) from ActiveState and restart Windows. You invoke it as

python c:\mybin\pstdoc.py \psarc

after installing pstdoc.py and pstCommands.db in some folder in your PATH---say, C:\mybin. A batch file pstdoc.bat in c:\mybin containing just the line

python C:\mybin\pstdoc.py %1

will allow it to be invoked with 

pstdoc \psarc

The output has no color and no double left arrow character---a left pointing double-angle quote is used instead. The presence of this character indicates that the argument is optional, and spells out the default value.

Linux:

It should work if used in a terminal that understands ANSI color commands.

Apache Web Server:

This is the nicest interface, IMHO.

In the Webserver folder:

Documents <- pstCommands.db, psthelp.css, index.html
CGI-Executables <- parsehelp.py

I keep this running at all times on my Mac OS 10.6.7 (check Web Sharing in System Preferences/Sharing) so that help is available in the browser by browsing to http://localhost.