
 -------------------------------------------------
 Simfit and Simdem configuration details (type 10)
 -------------------------------------------------
 
 Note: configure.txt = information bulletin w_readme.i2

 https://simfit.org.uk

 Changes to Simfit configuration at Version 8
 --------------------------------------------
 
 Many of the original Simfit configuration options are no longer required and
 will be removed or replaced. The main reasons are now explained.

 a) The Ghostscript program is no longer needed as the Ghostscript DLLs
    are distributed with Simfit and are in the ...\simfit\bin folder.

 b) The GSview program is now obsolete and not required as Simfit has an
    option either to view the *.eps code or use the Ghostscript DLLs to
    transform *.eps into *.pdf and view using a PDF viewer.

 c) It is not necessary to specify a PDF reader like Acrobat reader as
    Windows makes Edge the default PDF viewer. So if you want to use PDF 
    viewers like Adobe Acrobat Reader or SumatraPDF you simply have to make  
    your chosen PDF viewer the Windows default.

 Summary
 -------
 Note the following differences between the 32-bit and 64-bit packages.

 1) The 32-bit versions will run on either 32-bit or 64-bit operating systems.
    They will probably be installed in either
    the C:\Program Files folder with 32-bit systems, or
    the C:\Program Files (x86) folder with 64-bit systems.
    
 2) In 32-bit versions of Simfit the driver (i.e. program manager) is w_simfit.exe
    and the individual programs have the w_ prefix (e.g. w_simplot.exe)
    
 3) In 32-bit versions of Simdem the driver (i.e. program manager) is simdem.exe
 
 4) The 64-bit versions will only run on 64-bit operating systems.
    They will probably be installed in
    the C:\Program Files folder.
    
 5) In 64-bit versions of Simfit the driver (i.e. program manager) is x64_simfit.exe
    and the individual programs have the x64_ prefix (e.g. x64_simplot.exe)
    
 6) In 64-bit versions of Simdem the driver (i.e. program manager) is x64_simdem.exe

 The Simfit program manager (w_simfit.exe, or x64_simfit.exe) and the Simdem 
 program manager (simdem.exe, or x64_simdem.exe) have a button [Configure] that
 can be used to configure the Simfit and Simdem packages by interactive editing
 of the configuration file w_simfit.cfg.
 The [Check] button on the [Configure] control allows users to check and repair
 paths to auxiliaries, and this must be followed by using the [Apply] button to 
 install changes.
 
 Simfit users
 ------------
 The path to the Simfit driver (see item 15) must be correct,
 and the Simfit installation tree must be intact, or Simfit 
 will not function correctly. 
  
 Simdem users
 ------------
 The path to the Simdem driver (see item 15) is optional but,
 if this path is correct and the installation tree is intact, 
 then several further functionalities are available. Simdem 
 is a stand-alone library, and items 1 to 9 are not referenced.
 Where Simdem is being used in clusters, or with IDEs like NAG
 Fortran Builder or Silverfrost Plato, users should be able to
 download copies of the Simdem DLLs if they are not on the path,
 or this should be done automatically.
 
 Windows users
 -------------
 If you follow the default installation, then Simfit will 
 be ready to use after minor interactive editing of the
 file w_simfit.cfg in the Simfit folder. You do not need
 to edit the file l_simfit.cfg, but this must have the
 instruction 0 %windows% on the first line to cancel all
 Linux specific actions. 

 Location of w_simfit.cfg
 ------------------------
 The main configuration file w_simfit.cfg will be created 
 and accessed from the \ProgramData\Simfit\user\cfg folder.
   
 Linux users
 -----------
 The files w_simfit.cfg and l_simfit.cfg will be created by 
 Simfit in your Home directory and/or Simfit directory and 
 these must be edited by using the [Configure] and [Advanced]
 buttons. You should switch off option 32 and, note that some
 items (e.g. 21) are ignored in Linux. For  more details read
 the document linux.txt.

 Advice  
 ------
 Simfit does not use the Windows registry. Instead, all the 
 configuration details are stored in ASCII text *.cfg files,
 the main Windows configuration file being w_simfit.cfg. 
 
 When Simfit has been configured so that the paths to all 
 auxiliaries are correct, and there are no missing programs, you 
 should switch off the options to check for missing or incorrectly 
 configured programs. This will considerably speed up the load
 time and prevent errors created by impatient double clicking
 of the desktop icon, and thus attempting to initiate multiple
 instances of the driver w_simfit.exe or x64_simfit.exe. This is
 because the DLLs and auxiliary files supplied with Simfit can
 only be linked  singly, and any attempt to run multiple copies 
 of Simfit will cause execution errors.

 Advanced users who want to speed up data analysis should read 
 about items 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36 and maybe
 switch them off.
 
 w_simfit.cfg
 ------------
 Simfit configuration options are changed using the [Configure],
 [Check], then [Apply] buttons on the main Simfit menu displayed
 by the Simfit and Simdem program managers. The configuration
 file w_simfit.cfg is then created each time you [Apply] a changed
 option. It configures Simfit for the Simfit folder from where
 w_simfit.exe or x64_simfit.exe is being run and, once you have 
 a satisfactory configuration, you could save a copy to restore
 your chosen defaults. However, if you upgrade the program manager
 to a new type, you may have to delete the obsolete version
 of w_simit.cfg, so that a new default version can be created.

 Note that you can delete w_simfit.cfg at any time and Simfit
 will replace it with the current default version.

 Configuration parameters 1 to 9 (0 = false, 1 = true)
 -----------------------------------------------------
 Except for 2 and 3 these options are only effective on re-run.
 These options are not referenced by the Simdem package.

 Item 1: 0 ... display a minimised and subdued front page
         1 ... display a full size front page with Simfit logo
         The version number follows a % sign as, in 1 % 9.
         Start with 1 for a full page display but, if this
         becomes tiresome, set 0 for a simplified interface.
         This option is automatically suppressed in Linux.
         
 Item 2: 0 ... save f$?????? and f$??????.tmp files on exit
         1 ... delete f$?????? and f$??????.tmp files on exit
         Simfit creates temporary files with names like 
         f$123456.tmp which are not normally of any interest
         and should usually be deleted at close-down.
         Almost always set 1, except for expert users who want to
          inspect and possibly archive data from temporary files.  

 Item 3: Unused from version 7.2.2 onwards
        
 Item 4: 0 ... silent start up
         1 ... display advisory messages on start up
         Set 1 for group use so that everybody gets a chance to
         appreciate the Simfit philosophy, but individual users
         will read the messages once then set 0 to switch off. 
         Advanced users should set this to 0. 
 
 Item 5: 0 ... no check for missing Simfit files
         1 ... display program file missing error messages
         The only reason to set 0 is to speed up initialisation,
         or where users know why certain files are missing. 
         Advanced users should set this to 0. 

 Item 6: 0 ... no check for running from the Simfit folder
         1 ... flag unsatisfactory simfit configuration
         This should be set to 1 as unpredictable results may occur
         when running from outside the Simfit folder. Expert users 
         with several dedicated versions containing special editions
         of some Simfit programs may wish to have one remote driver
         to switch between installations, and could try setting 0. 
         Advanced users should set this to 0. 

 Item 7: 0 ... no check for missing auxiliaries
         1 ... check that user-specified programs exist
         Set 1 unless some files have been deleted or not specified
         because they are never going to be used. 
         Advanced users should set this to 0. 

 Item 8: 0 ... no check that PS-viewer exists
         1 ... check that PS-viewer exists
         PS-viewers like gsview are no longer required by Simfit so
         users should set this to 0. 

 Item 9: 0 ... no check that the PS-printer driver exists
         1 ... check that the PS-printer driver exists
         As for Item 8. 

 Configuration parameters 10 to 12
 --------------------------------- 

 Item 10: percentage of monitor to be used for plotting
          Overflow or small on-screen graphics can be adjusted, but
          usually a value between 70 and 90 should be satisfactory. 

 Item 11: percentage expansion of text and menu fonts
          Overflow or small list box or tutorial fonts can be adjusted,
          but usually a value between 90 and 110 should be satisfactory.  

 Item 12: number of lines before table output pauses
          With large fonts and/or small displays this will have to be 
          set to 30 or less, but with small fonts and/or large displays 
          40 or more may be preferred.   

 
 Configuration parameters 13 to 24
 ---------------------------------

 Item 13: your chosen editor (path/filename)
          This would usually be Notepad.exe in Windows, but could be
          gedit, kedit, kwrite, vi, emacs, etc. in Linux.

 Item 14: your chosen explorer (path\filename)
          This could be a disk explorer, an internet explorer, or
          in fact any other file handler or browser, e.g., in Linux 
          it could be konqueror or nautilus.

 Item 15: path to the Simfit or Simdem program files

          For Simfit this would usually be, e.g., C:\Program Files\Simfit\bin,
          or else C:\program Files (x86)\Simfit\bin with 32-bit Windows.
          Simfit will only function correctly if this path is correct, i.e.,
          the Simfit driver is C:\Program Files\Simfit\bin\x64_simfit.exe.

          For Simdem this would usually be, e.g., C:\Program Files\Simdem\bin, 
          or C:\program Files (x86)\Simdem\bin with 64-bit Windows.
          Simdem will only function correctly if this path is correct, i.e.,
          the Simdem driver is C:\Program Files\Simdem\bin\x64_simdem.exe.

          If neither Simfit nor Simdem is installed, a blank string can be set
          to inhibit further checking for the Simfit or Simdem drivers. 
          However, a blank string disables several Simfit and Simdem functions 
          which rely on the package installation tree. In particular, some files  
          will be treated as local files unless specifically given full paths. 
          Also, the ability to install NAG library and other test data sets will
          be disabled if item 15 is not the path to a Simfit or Simdem driver.
        
 Item 16: The folder where Simfit results are placed 
          ...\ProgramData\Simfit\user\res

 Item 17: The folder where Simfit users can store files created by simfit
          ...\ProgramData\Simfit\user\usr

 Item 18: The folder where configuration files are stored
          ...\ProgramData\Simfit\user\cfg
         
 Item 19: Reserved for future developments          

 Item 20: Ghostscript is now supplied as a DLL, and there is no need to
          install the Ghostscript package. 

 Item 21: The folder where temporary files are placed, i.e. where the
          environmental variable %TEMP% points.
       
 Item 22: your chosen PS view/print program (path\filename)
          As Item 8, but in Linux it could be any of the built-in PostScript 
          viewers, such as evince, ggv, kghostview, etc. 
          
 Item 23: your chosen PDF reader (path\filename)
          As in Item 8 because In Windows it could be Edge, SumatraPDF, or Acrobat
          Reader, etc. but in Linux it could be any of the built-in pdf readers,
          such as evince, kghostview, acroread, kpdf, etc.

 Item 24: your chosen Calculator (path\filename)
          Thge deafult is the Windows program Calcl, but any calculator
          program will suffice. 

 Advanced configuration parameters 25 to 36 (0 = false, 1 = true)
 ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
 These would normally all be set to 1 except for Linux users who
 would normally switch off items 32 and 33.
 
 If spaces are present in file names it may be necesary to surround
 the filenames by quotes as, for example, in the command

 Acrobat "C:\Program Files\Simfit\doc\w_manual.pdf" 

 to prevent file names with spaces being broken up into tokens.
 
 Item 25: 0/1, quoted filenames passed to editor

 Item 26: 0/1, quoted filenames passed to PS-viewer, no longer required

 Item 27: 0/1, quoted filenames passed to Ghostscript, no longer required

 Item 28: 0/1, quoted filenames passed to PS-printer, no longer required

 Item 29: 0/1, quoted filenames passed to PDF-reader

 Item 30: 0/1, paint background for executing program
               The background colour painted before an executable is
               called may prove irritating to some users, or may not
               work correctly under Windows emulation in some OS, so    
               setting 0 will suppress it.
               This is automatically suppressed in Linux

 Item 31: 0/1, provide the option to View/Open/Cancel each time a data
               file is selected. Advanced users may wish to set this
               to 0 to speed up data analysis. 

 Item 32: 0/1, display all Windows-specific messages.
               Advanced users should set this to 0.
               Note that several warning messages are only meaningful
               to the Windows Operating System and have no value under
               Linux/Wine, where users should always set this to 0, 
               i.e. switch off

 Item 33: 0/1, display ... Now input a file formatted like *.* advice
               each time a procedure is selected. Advanced users may
               wish to set this to 0 to speed up data analysis. 

 Item 34: 0/1, provide the option to type in data values directly as an
               alternative to using File/Clipboard. Advanced users may
               wish to set this to 0 to speed up data analysis. 
 
 Item 35: 0/1, display ... First time user messages, e.g. alternative
               file formats when using program Simplot. Advanced users may
               wish to set this to 0 to speed up data analysis. 
 
 Item 36: 0/1, provide the option to cancel quitting from advanced graphics
               displays in order to continue with further editing, saving 
               configuration or graphics files, etc.  Advanced users may 
               wish to set this to 0 to speed up data analysis. 

 Advanced configuration parameters 37 to 45
 ------------------------------------------

 These are millisecond wait-times to refresh after calling CreateProcess
 and usually the defaults should be sufficient. 

 a) The case wait = -1
 If -1 is set, CreateProcess will be invoked until the executable
 terminates. This should be suitable to drive even the most   
 difficult executables, usually those like older versions of GSview
 which read a file and start a thread with another executable, like 
 Ghostscript. Unfortunately this causes suppression of screen refresh
 which can cause annoying persistent screen splash if executables
 are moved or re-sized. It also prevents executables such as Adobe 
 Acrobat Reader being minimized to the task bar during Simfit
 operations.

 b) The case wait = 0
 If 0 is set there will be no wait and this will be correct for
 processes that may need to be minimized during simfit operations,
 like Acrobat reader, Notepad, explorer, or the calculator.

 c) The case iwait > 0
 A value of 100 will use a 100 millisecond delay before refreshing and
 this could be a good compromise for some programs.

 d) Defaults
 The recommended defaults are 0, except for possibly Simfit
 and some other executables when 100 (or even -1 in extreme cases) may 
 be better. 

 Item 37: PDF-viewer
 Item 38: Calculator
 Item 39: Reserved for future use
 Item 40: Editor 
 Item 41: Explorer
 Item 42: PS-viewer ... no longer required 
 Item 43: Simfit programs
 Item 44: Arbitrary programs
 Item 45: PostScript printer driver ... no longer required

 Advanced configuration parameters 46 to 48
 ------------------------------------------

 The Simfit editor has, by default, 15 rows (down) and 6 columns (across).
 If the matrix being edited fits into this frame, then the frame is 
 adjusted to the size of the matrix and no scroll bars are added. If the
 matrix being edited does not fit into the default frame, then scroll bars
 are added to adjust the offsets into the matrix which permits editing of
 distant matrix values projected into the editing frame. Users with wide
 monitors may wish to increase the number of columns (across) and users
 with large displays may also wish to increase the number of rows (down)
 before scroll bars are added. The dimensions acceptable will also depend
 on the user's font size, and can be discovered by experimentation.    

 Item 46: Maximum editor rows before scrolling
 Item 47: Maximum editor columns before scrolling
 Item 48: Use DGI+ antialiasing if this number is positive   
          This is automatically disabled in Linux.   
 
 

  
                                                                       
