mpost — MetaPost, a system for drawing pictures
mpost [option...] [[command...] | [file]]
MetaPost (installed as mpost) reads a series of pictures specified in the MetaPost programming language, and outputs corresponding PostScript code.
Like TeX and METAFONT, MetaPost is normally used with a
large body of precompiled macros. This version of MetaPost looks at
its command line to see what name it was called under. Both inimpost
and virmpost are aliases for the mpost executable. When called as
inimpost (or when the --initialize option is given)
it can be used to precompile macros into a .mem
file. When called as virmpost it will use the plain mem. When called
under any other name, MetaPost will use that name as the name of the
mem to use. For example, when called as mpost the mpost mem is used,
which is identical to the plain mem. Other mems than plain are rarely
used.
The commands given on the command line to the MetaPost program
are passed to it as the first input line. (But it is often easier to
type extended arguments as the first input line, since shells tend to
gobble up or misinterpret MetaPost's favorite symbols, like
semicolons, unless you quote them.) The first line should begin with a
filename, a \controlsequence, or a
&.basename
The normal usage is to say mpost figs
to process the file figs.mp. The basename of
figs becomes the “jobname”, and is
used in forming output file names. If no file is named, the jobname
becomes mpout. The default extension,
.mp, can be overridden by specifying an extension
explicitly.
--alias=appPretend to be app, i.e.,
set program (and memory dump) name to app.
This may affect the search paths and other values used. Using this
option is equivalent to copying the executable file to
app.exeapp.exe
--aux-directory=dirSet the directory dir to which
auxiliary files are written. Also look for input files in dir first, before along the normal search path.
--c-style-errorsChange the way, error messages are printed. The alternate style looks like error messages from many compilers and is easier to parse for some editors. This option implies \scrollmode.
--disable-installerDisable automatic installation of missing packages. Specifying this option overwrites the global configuration setting in MiKTeX Options (see the section called “Automatic Package Installation”).
--disable-pipes--dont-parse-first-lineDisable checking whether the first line of the main input file starts with %&.
--enable-installerEnable automatic installation of missing packages. Specifying this option overwrites the global configuration setting in MiKTeX Options (see the section called “Automatic Package Installation”).
--enable-pipes--halt-on-error--helpGive help and exit.
--hhelpThis option is only available on Windows systems: show the manual page in an HTML Help window and exit when the window is closed.
--include-directory=dir--initialize--interaction=modeSet the interaction mode.
Must be one of batchmode,
nonstopmode,
scrollmode and
errorstopmode.
The meaning of these modes is the same as
the corresponding commands.
--job-name=nameSet the name of the job (\jobname. This has an affect on the output file names.
--job-time=fileSet the time-stamp of all output files equal to
file's time-stamp.
--no-c-style-errors--output-directory=dirCreate output files in dir.
This implies --include-directory=.dir
--parse-first-lineCheck whether the first line of the main input file starts with %&, and parse if it does. This can be used to specify extra command-line options.
--quietSuppress all output, except errors.
--record-package-usages=file--recorderEnable the file name recorder.
This leaves a trace of the files opened for input and output in a file
with the extension .fls.
--tcx=nameProcess the TCX table
name.
-tex=texprogramUse texprogram instead of
tex when compiling text labels.
This flag overrides the environment
variable TEX.
--time-statistics--trace[=tracestreams]Enable trace messages.
The tracestreams argument, if speciefied, is a
comma-separated list of trace
stream names (Chapter 6, Trace Streams).
--undump=nameUse name as the name of the format to
be used, instead of the name by which the program was called or a
%&
line.
--versionShow version information and exit.