1.2 Software Organization

Scilab is divided into a set of directories. The main directory SCIDIR contains the files scilab.star (startup file), the copyright file notice.tex, and the configure file (see(1.3)). The subdirectories are the following:

• bin is the directory of the executable files. The starting script scilab on Unix/Linux systems and runscilab.exe on Windows95/NT, The executable code of Scilab: scilex on Unix/Linux systems and scilex.exe on Windows95/NT are there. This directory also contains Shell scripts for managing or printing Postscript/L^ATEX files produced by Scilab.

• demos is the directory of demos. The file alldems.dem allows to add a new demo which can be run by clicking the ``Demos'' button. This directory contains the codes corresponding to various demos. They are often useful for inspiring new users. Most of plot commands are illustrated by simple demo examples. Note that running a graphic function without input parameter provides an example of use for this function (for instance plot2d() displays an example for using plot2d function).

• examples contains useful examples of how to link external programs to scilab, using dynamic link or intersci

• doc is the directory of the Scilab documentation: L^ATEX , dvi and Postscript files. This documentation is SCIDIR/doc/intro/intro.tex. See also the manual (on-line help) in the directory SCIDIR/man

• geci contains source code and binaries for GeCI which is an interactive communication manager created in order to manage remote executions of softwares and allow exchanges of messages beetwen those programs. It offers the possibility to exploit numerous machines on a network, as a virtual computer, by creating a distributed group of independent softwares (help communications for a detailed description). GeCI is used for the link of Xmetanet with Scilab.

• pvm3 contains source code and binaries of the PVM version 3 which is another interactive communication manager.

• imp is the directory of the routines managing the Postscript files for print.

• libs contains the Scilab libraries (compiled code).

• macros contains the libraries of functions which are available on-line. New libraries can easily be added (see the Makefile). This directory is divided into a number of subdirectories which contain ``Toolboxes'' for control, signal processing, etc... Strictly speaking Scilab is not organized in toolboxes : functions of a specific subdirectory can call functions of other directories; so, for example, the subdirectory signal is not self-contained but its functions are all devoted to signal processing.

• man is the directory containing the manual divided into submanuals, corresponding to the on-line help and to a L^ATEX format of the reference manual. The L^ATEX code is produced by a translation of the Unix format Scilab manual (see the subdirectory SCIDIR/man). To get information about an item, one should enter help item  in Scilab or use the help window facility obtained with help button. To get information corresponding to a key-word, one should enter apropos key-word or use apropos  in the help window. All the items and key-words known by the help and apropos commands are in .cat and whatis files located in the man subdirectories.

  To add new items to the help and apropos commands the user can extend the list of directories available to the help browser by editing the file SCIDIR/man/Chapters. See the README file.

• maple is the directory which contains the source code of Maple functions which allow the transfer of Maple objects into Scilab functions. For efficiency, the transfer is made through Fortran code generation which is dynamically linked to Scilab.

• routines is a directory which contains the source code of all the numerical routines. The subdirectory default is important since it contains the source code of routines which are necessary to customize Scilab. In particular user's C or Fortran routines for ODE/DAE simulation or optimization can be included here (they can be also dynamically linked).

• intersci contains the program provided for building interface programs necessary to add new Fortran or C primitives to Scilab. This program is executed by the intersci script in the bin/intersci directory.

• scripts is the directory which contains the source code of shell scripts files. Note that the list of printers   names known by Scilab is defined there by an environment variable.

• tests : this directory contains evaluation programs for testing Scilab's installation on a machine. The file ``demos.tst'' tests all the demos.

• tmp : some examples written by users for courses, etc have been added in this directory.

• util contains some utility functions for calling Scilab as a sub-routine or for making the documentation

• xless is the Berkeley file browsing tool

• xmetanet is the directory which contains xmetanet, a graphic display for networks. Type metanet() in Scilab to use it.