This section provides an overview of the main features in TS‑WAVE. The main features are:

The main TS‑WAVE interface consists of a Title Bar, and multiple menus that are accessible through the Menu Bar, a Message Area where feedback information is returned to the user, and a drawing area where your work is displayed. Throughout this manual, the complete interface is referred to as the TS‑WAVE Page. The TS-WAVE Main Interface is shown in TS-WAVE Main Window.

The message area just below the Main menu initially says “Welcome to TS‑WAVE 4.0”. This message area typically displays information on the current task that you are performing.

The drawing area is the area in which you create and/or modify the graphical display of your data. By default, TS‑WAVE opens one TS‑WAVE Page for you to work with, but you can easily open another Page by selecting New Page from the File menu ("New Page" ). The layout and appearance of this Page are determined by the various resources that are defined in your resources files and can be modified to fit your needs. For more details on resources files, see "Using Resource Files" in this manual.

A Data Handler is the mechanism used by TS‑WAVE to read and write specific data file formats. It is a set of PV-WAVE procedures that have been designed specifically for your site-specific data file format. TS‑WAVE Data Handlers are typically written to make the most efficient use of memory utilization. For smaller datasets, the data might be read into memory all at once. For larger more complex data files, TS‑WAVE uses a technique where only the data being accessed by TS‑WAVE (plotting, extraction, analytical calcualtions, etc.) is loaded into memory at the appropriate time. In this case you may be dealing with many megabytes of data in the actual file, but TS‑WAVE only reads the necessary data to accomplish the task.

Data Handlers are created by programmers trained in the use of our PV‑WAVE product with specialized training in TS‑WAVE development techniques or by Rogue Wave’s Consulting group. For more information on Data Handlers, see "Creating TS-WAVE Data Handlers" .

TS‑WAVE provides the ability for an individual user or group of users to customize the product to meet their individual needs and preferences through the use of resource files. Resources that can be modified include output and display options, default printers, and much more. For a complete discussion, see "Resource Files" .

TS‑WAVE contains built-in standard functions that include many of the analysis routines needed when analyzing data. The standard functions are Bias, Difference, Differentiate, FFT, Gain, Gauss Fit, Smooth, Trim, and Wildpoint. These functions are typically used to create new parameters from the data that can then be saved to a file or displayed on your page. For more information, see "Using the Standard Functions" and the "Analyze Menu" .

TS‑WAVE provides the ability to export data to tabular ASCII data files, called Tab Files. Tab Files can be imported into third-party applications, incorporated into reports, read back into TS‑WAVE and viewed while you are running your TS‑WAVE session. Two methods are available for selecting data for export to a Tab File, you can export all the data points for selected parameters or you can interactively select a subset for export. For more information on Tab Files, see "Working with Tab Files" .

Batch Processing is a robust and easy to use automated feature that enables TS‑WAVE to be run as a self-executing background process without the use of an interactive graphical user interface. Batch Jobs are capable of performing most tasks possible in an interactive TS‑WAVE session. A Batch Job and its related files carry instructions for the automatic loading of templates, data, and printer settings as well as output information. Graphic output can be sent directly to a printer or it can be saved to a file in any of the graphics formats supported by TS‑WAVE. Data and data analysis results can be written to a Tab File. Batch Jobs are executed from a central shell script (UNIX) or batch file (Windows) that can be scheduled to run using any automated job scheduler. This gives TS‑WAVE users who work with data that changes the ability to automate and standardize the output, analysis and graphical presentation of each new data set. A common use for a TS‑WAVE Batch Job is in the processing of data that is collected daily by a separate automated process. You can schedule a job to be run at a specified time that automatically reads the data from the collection process and sends the plotted output to a printer. For more information on Tab Files, see "Batch Processing" .

These are the tools used for annotating your graphs, identifying a spot on a contour plot or adding informative text to your Page. These tools are lines, circles, boxes, text boxes, and headers. For a detailed discussion on each of these tools, see "Create Menu" .