AGI – Applications Graphics Interface. AGI is a graphics-database system which is used to retain
information associated with a plot after the program creating the plot has finished. This
information can be recalled by subsequent programs. The information stored includes: the
plotting device used, the position and extent of the plot on the device, the co-ordinate system
and a user-supplied picture name. A typical use of the system is as follows: a program draws a
graph and the information described above is stored. A second program which invokes a cursor
can then retrieve the coordinate system used by the first program and can thus be used to
measure positions on the plot. This set of routines is linked as shown below. See SUN/48 for a
full description.
$ ALINK prog,AGI_DIR:AGILINK/OPT
IDI – Image Display Interface. IDI provides a device-independent way of writing programs to
perform image display. GKS provides limited image display facilities, i.e. an image can be
displayed and its look-up table changed. Unlike GKS, IDI allows an image to be zoomed and
panned, and a ‘snapshot’ can be taken of an image, enabling a hardcopy to be made (see KAPPA
SNAPSHOT application). IDI routines are linked as shown below; see SUN/65 for
details.
$ ALINK prog,IDI_DIR:IDILINK/OPT
SLALIB. This is a collection of subroutines and functions most of which are concerned with
astronomical position and time. If you want a routine to find the approximate heliocentric
position and velocity of the Earth on a particular date, SLALIB is the place to look. There are also
more general mathematical routines which perform matrix operations, random number
generation, trigonometrical functions etc. See SUN/67 for a full description. SLALIB routines are
linked as shown below:
$ ALINK prog,SLALIB_DIR:SLALIB/LIB
Magnetic tape handling. The MAG_ package provides facilities for positioning, reading, and writing
magnetic tapes. To link an ADAM program with the MAG library, it is necessary to include the
options file ADAM_LIB:MAGLINK/OPT in the link command as shown below. See APN/1 for
a full description.