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Customizing XTide

XTide is customized by changing its settings.  The most convenient way to do this is generally through the control panel that is documented in a previous section.  However, you can also change these settings in config.hh, in your X resources database, or on the command line.  The order of precedence, from least significant to most significant, is:

1. config.hh
2. Xdefaults (X resources)
3. ~/.xtide.xml (control panel)
4. command line

Note that only xtide (not xttpd or tide) reads Xdefaults.

Canonically, all command line settings take the form -xx value, with a space between the switch and the supplied value.  The yes-or-no settings get a value of "y" or "n".  However, XTide understands the following syntactic shortcuts:

• Arguments can be concatenated with their switches.
• A yes/no switch that omits its argument implies "y".
• Using +xx instead of -xx for a yes/no switch inverts the argument (so if the argument is omitted, "n" is implied).

Some shorthand forms are ambiguous.  For example, -lw5 could mean "set the line width to 5" (-lw 5) or it could mean "load the location named w5" (-l w5).  If this happens, you will get an error and will need to spell out what you meant.

Be aware that older versions of XTide will not support all of the documented settings.

XTide*background

Background color for text windows and location chooser.
Default: white
Command line: -bg
config.hh: bgdefcolor
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions bg="white"/>

XTide*buttoncolor

Background color of buttons.
Default: gray80
Command line: -bc
config.hh: buttondefcolor
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions bc="gray80"/>

XTide*caldayfmt

(New in XTide 2.14)  Strftime style format string for printing days in calendars.
Default: %a %d
Command line: -cf
config.hh: caldayfmt
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions cf="%a %d"/>

XTide*cbuttons

Create tide clocks with buttons? (y/n)
Default: n
Command line: -cb
config.hh: cbuttons
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions cb="n"/>

XTide*cheight

Initial height for tide clocks.
Default: 312
Command line: -ch
config.hh: defcheight
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions ch="312"/>

XTide*currentdotcolor

Color of dots indicating current stations in the location chooser.
Default: rgb:00/A0/00
Command line: -cc
config.hh: currentdotdefcolor
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions cc="rgb:00/A0/00"/>

XTide*cwidth

Initial width for tide clocks.
Default: 84
Command line: -cw
config.hh: defcwidth
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions cw="84"/>

XTide*datefmt

Strftime style format string for printing dates.  For calendars see caldayfmt.
Default: %Y-%m-%d
Command line: -df
config.hh: datefmt
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions df="%Y-%m-%d"/>

XTide*datumcolor

Color of datum line in tide graphs. [*]
Default: white
Command line: -Dc
config.hh: datumdefcolor
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions Dc="white"/>

XTide*daycolor

Daytime background color in tide graphs.
Default: SkyBlue
Command line: -dc
config.hh: daydefcolor
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions dc="SkyBlue"/>

XTide*ebbcolor

Foreground in tide graphs during outgoing tide.
Default: SeaGreen
Command line: -ec
config.hh: ebbdefcolor
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions ec="SeaGreen"/>

XTide*eventmask

Events to suppress (p = phase of moon, S = sunrise, s = sunset, M = moonrise, m = moonset), or x to suppress none.  E.g, to suppress all sun and moon events, set eventmask to the value pSsMm.
Default: x
Command line: -em
config.hh: eventmask
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions em="x"/>

XTide*extralines

Draw datum and middle-level lines in tide graphs? (y/n) [*]
Default: n
Command line: -el
config.hh: extralines
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions el="n"/>

XTide*flatearth

Prefer flat map to round globe location chooser? (y/n)
Default: n
Command line: -fe
config.hh: flatearth
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions fe="n"/>

XTide*floodcolor

Foreground in tide graphs during incoming tide.
Default: Blue
Command line: -fc
config.hh: flooddefcolor
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions fc="Blue"/>

XTide*font

Font used for button labels and verbiage in text windows. [**]
Default: as incoming from X11 or libXaw3dXft
Command line: -fn
config.hh: N/A
.xtide.xml: N/A

XTide*foreground

Color of text and other notations.
Default: black
Command line: -fg
config.hh: fgdefcolor
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions fg="black"/>

XTide*gaspect

Initial aspect for tide graphs and clocks.
Default: 1.0
Command line: -ga
config.hh: defgaspect
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions ga="1.0"/>

XTide*gheight

Initial height for tide graphs.
Default: 312
Command line: -gh
config.hh: defgheight
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions gh="312"/>

XTide*globelongitude

Initial center longitude for location chooser.  If GPS support is present and working, this setting is redundant.
Valid values: -180 -150 -120 -90 -60 -30 0 30 60 90 120 150 360
360 will pick the longitude with the most tide stations.
Default: 360
Command line: -gl
config.hh: defgl
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions gl="360"/>

XTide*graphfont

Font used in graphs and clocks in interactive client.  Does not affect tide, xttpd, or SVG-format output. [**]
Default: "embedded"
Command line: -gf
config.hh: defgraphfont
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions gf="embedded"/>

XTide*graphstyle

Style of graphs and clocks.
Valid values: d (default), l (line), s (semitransparent).
Default: d
Command line: -gs
config.hh: defgraphstyle
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions gs="d"/>

XTide*graphtenths

Label tenths of units in tide graphs? (y/n)
Default: n
Command line: -gt
config.hh: graphtenths
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions gt="n"/>

XTide*gwidth

Initial width for tide graphs.
Default: 960
Command line: -gw
config.hh: defgwidth
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions gw="960"/>

XTide*hourfmt

Strftime style format string for printing hour labels on time axis.
Default: %l
Command line: -hf
config.hh: hourfmt
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions hf="%l"/>

XTide*infer

Use inferred values for some constituents.  For expert use only.
Default: n
Command line: -in
config.hh: infer
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions in="n"/>

XTide*linebreak

(New in XTide 2.14)  Linebreak before prediction value in calendars? (y/n)
Default: n
Command line: -lb
config.hh: linebreak
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions lb="n"/>

XTide*lwidth

Width of line in graph styles l and s (pixels, positive real number).
Default: 2.5
Command line: -lw
config.hh: deflwidth
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions lw="2.5"/>

XTide*markcolor

Color of mark line in graphs.
Default: red
Command line: -mc
config.hh: markdefcolor
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions mc="red"/>

XTide*monofont

Monospace font used for location list, text predictions, help windows and about mode text. [**]
Default: "-misc-fixed-medium-r-normal--13-100-100-100-c-70-iso8859-1" (without libXaw3dXft) or "LiberationMono-12" (with libXaw3dXft)
Command line: -mf
config.hh: defmonofont
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions mf="LiberationMono-12"/>

XTide*mslcolor

Color of middle-level line in tide graphs. [*]
Default: yellow
Command line: -Mc
config.hh: msldefcolor
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions Mc="yellow"/>

XTide*nightcolor

Nighttime background color in tide graphs.
Default: DeepSkyBlue
Command line: -nc
config.hh: nightdefcolor
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions nc="DeepSkyBlue"/>

XTide*nofill

Deprecated.  Use graphstyle instead.
Default: n
Command line: -nf
config.hh: N/A (use graphstyle)
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions nf="n"/>

XTide*nosunmoon

Deprecated.  Use eventmask instead.
Default: n
Command line: -ns
config.hh: N/A (use eventmask)
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions ns="n"/>

XTide*omitunits

(New in XTide 2.14)  Print numbers with no ft/m/kt? (y/n)  Where possible, adds a header line stating the units and datum.
Default: n
Command line: -ou
config.hh: omitunits
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions ou="n"/>

XTide*pagebreak

(New in XTide 2.14)  Pagebreak and header before every month of a calendar? (y/n)
Default: y
Command line: -pb
config.hh: pagebreak
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions pb="y"/>

XTide*pageheight

Nominal length of paper in LaTeX output (mm). This need not match your actual paper; use "Shrink oversized pages" in print options.
Default: 420
Command line: -ph
config.hh: defpageheight
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions ph="420"/>

XTide*pagemargin

Nominal width of top, bottom, left and right margins in LaTeX output (mm). Actual width will depend on print scaling.
Default: 10
Command line: -pm
config.hh: defpagemargin
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions pm="10"/>

XTide*pagewidth

Nominal width of paper in LaTeX output (mm). This need not match your actual paper; use "Shrink oversized pages" in print options.
Default: 297
Command line: -pw
config.hh: defpagewidth
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions pw="297"/>

XTide*predictinterval

Number of days of predictions to generate when no end time is specified.
Default: 4
Command line: -pi
config.hh: defpredictinterval
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions pi="4"/>

XTide*tidedotcolor

Color of dots indicating tide stations in the location chooser.
Default: red
Command line: -tc
config.hh: tidedotdefcolor
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions tc="red"/>

XTide*tideopacity

Opacity of the fill in graph style s (semitransparent).
Default: 0.65
Command line: -to
config.hh: deftideopacity
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions to="0.65"/>

XTide*timefmt

Strftime style format string for printing times.
Default: %l:%M %p %Z
Command line: -tf
config.hh: timefmt
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions tf="%l:%M %p %Z"/>

XTide*toplines

Draw depth lines on top of tide graph? (y/n)
Default: n
Command line: -tl
config.hh: toplines
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions tl="n"/>

XTide*ttyheight

Height of ASCII graphs and clocks (characters).
Default: 24
Command line: -th
config.hh: defttyheight
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions th="24"/>

XTide*ttywidth

Width of text format (characters).
Default: 79
Command line: -tw
config.hh: defttywidth
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions tw="79"/>

XTide*units

Preferred units of length: ft, m, or x (no preference).
Default: x
Command line: -u
config.hh: prefunits
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions u="x"/>

XTide*zulu

Coerce all time zones to UTC? (y/n)
Default: n
Command line: -z
config.hh: forceZuluTime
.xtide.xml: <xtideoptions z="n"/>

[*] The National Ocean Service (NOS) defines both Mean Sea Level (MSL) and Mean Tide Level (MTL) in terms of averages taken over observations.  The middle-level line is drawn at the midpoint of the theoretical tidal range, which usually corresponds to the mathematical mean level of the predictions.  This approximates both MSL and MTL, but, strictly speaking, is equivalent to neither.  Moreover, subordinate station offsets may shift the actual mean so that it no longer falls at the midpoint of the tidal range.  The datum line is drawn at the zero level of the predictions, which usually corresponds to the station's benchmark, but this too can be rendered inaccurate by subordinate station offsets.

[**] Important usage note:  If XTide is built with Xaw3dXft, font names given to XTide must be in fontconfig format (e.g., "Helvetica-10"), rather than the traditional XLFD (e.g., "-*-helvetica-*-r-*-*-10-*-*-*-*-*-*-*").  Also, Xaw3dXft does not return errors if there are problems with a font name; it just loads a default font instead.

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