Re: st: Exploring graph colors / colours

[vwiggins@stata.com (Vince Wiggins, StataCorp)]

Allan Reese <allan.reese@cefas.co.uk> divines that, although
undocumented, anyone can create new named colors in Stata's graphics by
adding simple .style files to their PERSONAL or SITE directories (type
-adopath- to find these),

> [...] This suggests a mechanism for adding your own named
> color (eg IBMblue) but what is the -sequence- command and how do you
> compute the parameter?
>
> Eg, color-sienna.style contains
>
> *! version 1.0.0  22dec2002
> sequence 740
>
> set rgb "160 82 45"

Because you can specify an RBG value to obtain any color you wish, we
did not anticipate a large demand for creating named colors.
Regardless, you can indeed add your own named colors to Stata's
graphics.  For example, adding the file color-myblue.style at the top
level of your SITE or PERSONAL directory with the contents,

---------------------- BEGIN --- color-myblue.style --------------------
*! version 1.0.0  15feb2011
set rbg "20 20 179"
---------------------- END   --- color-myblue.style --------------------

will create a new colorstyle, "myblue", that you can use anywhere a
colorstyle is accepted in graph commands.  For example,

    . scatter mpg weight, color(myblue)

See -help colorstyle- for a list of official named colors.

Allan asks about sequence numbers such as -sequence 740-.  Your .style
file does not need a sequence, but it may contain one.  The sequence
number determines the order in which named styles appear in graphics
dialog boxes and in the Contextual Toolbar of the Graph Editor.  So,
if you truly like your colorstyle, give it -sequence 1-.  It will then
appear at the top of any colorstyle list in the GUI.  (You will need to
either type -discard-, or restart Stata for your style to appear in the
GUI.)

I must warn Allan that there is another reason we did not document
creating your own named styles.  If you use "myblue" in a graph, save
the graph to disk, then share that graph file with a friend; you will
also need to share your .style file.  Otherwise, when your friend
-graph use-s your graph, the color "myblue" will not be found; Stata
will complain; and a default color, likely black, will be substituted.


-- Vince 
   vwiggins@stata.com

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