Move arbitrary text by an offset

[Harald H. <h.h...@tu...>]

On sourceforge, I have had a discussion with Hans-Bernhard about moving
ticmarks by an offset (patch #807026). We have decided to continue this
discussion in this mailing list.

In some cases, it is useful to move different kinds of text relative to
their default position. For example, the ticmarks are too far away from
the axis in some cases (for relatively small plots in postscript mode, for
instance). The axis labels (xlabel, ...) can already be moved by an
offset. But it seems useful to me to be able to move all kinds of text by
an offset that is given in measures of plot coordinates (`first',
`second'), `screen', `graph', or in font coordinates (as it is now for
xlabel). The font specific length may be called `glyph' or `character'.

A possible example:

set xtics offset graph 0.03,glyph 0.5
set xlabel 'x' offset screen 0.05,first 0.2

I suggest alwas to use the keyword `offset' to specify an offset with the
general coordinates (`first' ,`second', `screen', `graph', `glyph'). These
kinds of text that have an offset right now ([xyz]label, title) could then
behave as used when not using `offset' and use the general coordiantes
when using the keyword.

There is one problem with logarithmic axes: It is difficult to handle
offsets given in plot coordinates (`first', `second') with log axes.
Hans-Bernhard has suggested to use the coordinates as factors then.
`offset first 2,2' could mean to put the text to the position with double
value of the default position. This sounds good to me.

The main questions are:
- Which kind of interface do you think is best, and shall all kinds of
  text output have the `offset' functionality?
- How shall this new function be implemented? Which function and which
  struct are to be extended?
- And who will do the programming? (unfortunately, I am not able to start
  work on it before january.)

Yours
Harald

--=20
Harald Harders                           Langer Kamp 8
Technische Universit=E4t Braunschweig      D-38106 Braunschweig
Institut f=FCr Werkstoffe                  Germany
E-Mail: h.h...@tu...               Tel: +49 (5 31) 3 91-3062
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