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
and invoking
app.exe.app.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.
--bistack-size=n--buf-size=nSet the the maximum number of characters simultaneously present in current lines of open files and in control sequences between \csname and \endcsname. TeX uses the buffer to contain input lines, but macro expansion works by writing material into the buffer and reparsing the line. As a consequence, certain constructs require the buffer to be very large, even though most documents can be handled with a small value.
--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--error-line=n--extra-mem-top=nSet the extra size (in memory words) for chars, tokens, et al. Relevant only after the memory dump file has been read.
--font-mem-size=n--half-error-line=nSet the width of first lines of contexts in terminal error messages.
--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.
--lig-table-size=nSet the maximum number of ligature/kern steps. Must be at least 255 and at most 32510.
--main-memory=nChange the total size (in memory words) of the main memory array. Relevant only while creating memory dump files.
--max-print-line=nSet the
width of longest text lines output; should be at least
60.
--max-strings=n--no-c-style-errors--output-directory=dirCreate output files in dir.
This implies --include-directory=.dir
--param-size=nSet the the maximum number of simultaneous macro parameters.
--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.
--path-size=nSet the the maximum number of knots between breakpoints of a path.
--pool-size=nSet the maximum number of characters in strings, including all error messages and help texts, and the names of all fonts and control sequences.
--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.
--stack-size=n--string-vacancies=nSet the minimum
number of characters that should be available for the
user's control sequences and font names, after the
compiler's own error messages are stored.
Must be at least
25000 less than pool_size,
but doesn't need to be nearly that large.
--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 9, 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.