[Rd] Re: argument srt for mtext(); was: [R] using text on the x axis ticks rather than numbers

[Marc Schwartz]

On Wed, 2004-09-08 at 03:13, Uwe Ligges wrote:
> Prof Brian Ripley wrote:
> 
> > On Wed, 8 Sep 2004, Prof Brian Ripley wrote:
> > 
> > 
> >>On Wed, 8 Sep 2004, Uwe Ligges wrote:
> > 
> > 
> > [...]
> > 
> > 
> >>>Indeed, I think it is possible to provide an srt command (e.g. in half a 
> >>>year for something like R-2.1.0). What is expected for "srt = 0"?
> >>>a) the current behaviour, i.e. srt=0 in respect to the las setting *and* 
> >>>the margin side to plot the text in, or
> >>>b) always horizontally drawn text?
> >>>
> >>>I'd vote for b).
> >>
> >>That's easy, see the precedent in
> >>
> >>
> >>>>BTW, if you want to use srt with mtext(at=) you can always use S ....
> >>
> >>S ignores las if at= is set, so srt=0 is the current default behaviour.
> > 
> > 
> > Sorry, I garbled that.  In S, srt=0 is horizontal whatever side=, and las
> > is always ignored.  Not that that is documented AFAICS, and it is hard to
> > remember ....
> > 
> > [...]
> > 
> 
> Since S is different for mtext() anyway:
> We can say that adjustment is determined automatically by las + side, as 
> it already is, and has to be adapted by the user if required.
> 
> Uwe


Perhaps this is because I have only had one cup of coffee so far this
morning, but is the bias at this point towards making the change or not
making the change? I'm a little confuzzled...

If it is towards making the change, I would vote for an explicit 'srt'
to override 'las' as per Uwe's option "b" and Prof. Ripley's last
comment. That would seem to me to be quite logical at first glance.

In either case, as a possible option, I could draft some text for a FAQ
on this issue of rotated axis labels, since it seems to get asked often,
and send it to Kurt.

Let me know.

Marc