Defining your own actions

If you do not want a menu, you should define your own %.action. The following two rules from SEP.idoc.rules allow you to capture what happens when %.idoc gets involved.

        %.idoc & :  %.action       if     cando %.action

        %.idoc & :  %.defaction    if not cando %.action

For example, if you want the figure caption pushbutton to launch an unusual action (whistle Dixie?) then your cakefile should have a target NAME.action that will whistle Dixie. Normally, you will prefer the default actions defined below. The default is to show a movie with X11movie if there is a movie or if one can be made. Otherwise, invoke tube on a vplot file.

        %.defaction& : FIGDIR/%.A      if     cando FIGDIR/%.A
                     < FIGDIR/%.A      MOVIE &

        %.defaction& : FIGDIR/%.A.save if not cando FIGDIR/%.A      \ 
                                          and exist FIGDIR/%.A.save
                     < FIGDIR/%.A.save MOVIE
        
        %.defaction&: %.tube if  not exist FIGDIR/%.A.save        \
                             and not cando FIGDIR/%.A

This means if your cake files build a file called FIGDIR/%.A, then your readers get movies when they press your caption pushbuttons. You need write no explicit rules to show movies.

Finally, if the directory contains a file called paper.tex you should be able to type cake read to bring up xtex with included figures or cake print to print it. This is because of the rules below.

        dvi&      :   PAPER.dvi

        PAPER.dvi :   PAPER.tex
                texpr TEXPROPTS -v -2 -d PAPER.tex

        view& read&:  figures         PAPER.dvi
                xtex                  PAPER.dvi

That's all! You have seen all the common part of our 100 cakefiles. If we add any more, it can only be philosophy, generalities, and maybe a few recalled pitfalls.