<?xml version="1.0"?>
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<refentry id="miktex-mpost">

<?dbhh topicname="MIKTEXHELP_MPOST" topicid="0"?>

<refmeta>
<refentrytitle>miktex-mpost</refentrytitle>
<manvolnum>1</manvolnum>
<refmiscinfo class="source">&PACKAGE_NAME;</refmiscinfo>
<refmiscinfo class="version">&miktexrev;</refmiscinfo>
<refmiscinfo class="manual">User Commands</refmiscinfo>
</refmeta>

<refnamediv>
<refname>miktex-mpost</refname>
<refpurpose>&MetaPost;, a system for creating graphics</refpurpose>
</refnamediv>

<refsynopsisdiv>

<cmdsynopsis>
<command>miktex-mpost</command>
<arg choice="opt" rep="repeat"><replaceable>option</replaceable></arg>
<group>
<arg choice="opt" rep="repeat"><replaceable>command</replaceable></arg>
<arg choice="opt"><replaceable>file</replaceable></arg>
</group>
</cmdsynopsis>

</refsynopsisdiv>

<refsect1>

<title>Description</title>

<xi:include xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude" href="_tlack.xml" />

<para>&MetaPost; interprets the &MetaPost; language and produces
&PostScript; (&EPS;) or Scalable Vector Graphics (&SVG;) pictures.
The &MetaPost; language is similar to Knuth's &METAFONT; with
additional features for including &TeX; commands and accessing
features of &PostScript; not found in &METAFONT;.</para>

<para>&MetaPost; is normally used with some preloaded macros, and it
will use its executable name as the name of the preload file to use.
For example, when called as &miktexmpost; the <filename>mpost.mp</filename>
file is used, which is identical to
<filename>plain.mp</filename>.  When the <option>--initialize</option>
option is given, preloading does not happen.</para>

<para>The <replaceable>commands</replaceable> 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 normal usage is to say <userinput>miktex-mpost
figs</userinput> to process the file <filename>figs.mp</filename>. The
basename of <replaceable>figs</replaceable> becomes the
<quote>jobname</quote>, and is used in forming output file names.  If
no file is named, the jobname becomes <filename>mpout</filename>. The
default extension, <filename>.mp</filename>, can be overridden by
specifying an extension explicitly.</para>

<para>When the <option>--dvitomp</option> option is given, &MetaPost;
acts as DVI-to-MPX converter only.  Run <userinput>miktex-mpost
--dvitomp --help</userinput> for option explanation.</para>

</refsect1>

<refsect1>

<title>Options</title>

<variablelist>
<xi:include xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude" href="../Options/alias.xml" />
<xi:include xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude" href="../Options/cstyleerrors.xml" />
<varlistentry>
<term><option>--debug</option></term>
<listitem><para>Print debugging info and leave temporary files in place.
<indexterm>
<primary>--debug</primary>
</indexterm>
</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<xi:include xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude" href="../Options/haltonerror.xml" />
<xi:include xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude" href="../Options/help.xml" />
<xi:include xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude" href="../Options/initialize.xml" />
<xi:include xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude" href="../Options/interaction.xml" />
<xi:include xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude" href="../Options/jobname.xml" />
<xi:include xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude" href="../Options/nocstyleerrors.xml" />
<varlistentry>
<term><option>--numbersystem=<replaceable>string</replaceable></option></term>
<listitem><para>Set number system mode
<indexterm>
<primary>--numbersystem=string</primary>
</indexterm>
(<replaceable>string</replaceable> one of: <option>scaled</option>,
<option>double</option>, <option>binary</option>,
<option>decimal</option>).</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<xi:include xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude" href="../Options/outputdirectory.xml" />
<xi:include xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude" href="../Options/recorder.xml" />
<varlistentry>
<term><option>--restricted</option></term>
<listitem><para>Be secure: disable <command>tex</command>,
<indexterm>
<primary>--restricted</primary>
</indexterm>
<command>makempx</command> and editor commands.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><option>-s <replaceable>internal</replaceable>="<replaceable>string</replaceable>"</option></term>
<listitem><para>Set <replaceable>internal</replaceable> to the
<indexterm>
<primary>-s internal=STRING</primary>
</indexterm>
<replaceable>string</replaceable> value.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><option>-s <replaceable>internal</replaceable>=<replaceable>number</replaceable></option></term>
<listitem><para>Set <replaceable>internal</replaceable> to the
<indexterm>
<primary>-s internal=NUMBER</primary>
</indexterm>
<replaceable>number</replaceable> value.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><option>--tex=<replaceable>texprogram</replaceable></option></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm>
<primary>--tex=texprogram</primary>
</indexterm>
<para>Use <replaceable>texprogram</replaceable> instead of
&miktextex; when compiling text labels.</para>
<para>This flag overrides the environment
variable <envar>TEX</envar>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><option>--troff</option></term>
<listitem>
<indexterm>
<primary>--troff</primary>
</indexterm>
<para>Set <command>prologues:=1</command> and assume <option>--tex=troff</option>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<xi:include xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude" href="../Options/undump.xml" />
<xi:include xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude" href="../Options/version.xml" />
</variablelist>

</refsect1>

<refsect1>

<title>Environment</title>

<variablelist>
<xi:include xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude" href="../EnvVars/MIKTEX_TRACE.xml" />
<xi:include xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude" href="../EnvVars/MPINPUTS.xml" />
<xi:include xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude" href="../EnvVars/MPINPUTS.xml" />
</variablelist>

</refsect1>

</refentry>
