WAVE environment variables

WAVE uses many environment variables; they are listed in this section roughly in order of importance. Many of them need not be set at all, since WAVE uses reasonable default values in most cases. Those that are set must be set on the WAVE host. For general information on how to set environment variables, see the discussion of the DISPLAY variable.

DISPLAY
The name of the X server and display you are using (see the worksheet). If not set, WAVE will not be able to open windows on your display unless your display is attached to the WAVE host directly (not via network connection).

WFDB
The database path (see setwfdb(1), in the WFDB Applications Guide. If not set, WAVE can find database files only in the locations specified by the compiled-in default database path, which normally includes the current directory and the /usr/database directory (on the WAVE host), and PhysioBank's archives at http://physionet.org/physiobank/database (if the Internet is accessible from the WAVE host).

WFDBCAL
The WFDB calibration file (see setwfdb(1) and wfdbcal(5), in the WFDB Applications Guide, and Calibration). If not set, WAVE reads a default calibration file specified when the WFDB library was compiled. If the calibration file cannot be read, WAVE may not scale signals other than ECGs correctly.

WAVEMENU
The name of WAVE 's menu file). If not set, WAVE uses wavemenu in the current directory if possible; otherwise, it uses WAVE 's default menu ($MENUDIR/wavemenu.def).

SHELL
The command interpreter used within the Analysis Commands window. If not set, WAVE uses /bin/sh (the Bourne shell). Other shell-related variables, such as PATH, are also significant when WAVE is running commands within the Analysis Commands window.

EDITOR
The name of the text editor to be used for modifying WAVE 's menu file. If not set, WAVE uses textedit.

URLV
The name of the web browser to be used for viewing LINK annotation attachments and some of WAVE 's on-line help; normally, URLV should be one of galeon, konqueror, mozilla, netscape, or opera. If not set, WAVE uses Mozilla. See WAVE and the Web for details.

PRINTER
The name of a PostScript printer accessible to the WAVE host, to be used for paper output. If not set, WAVE uses the default printer.

PSPRINT
The command needed to print PostScript from the standard input. If not set, WAVE uses the command lpr (or lpr -P$PRINTER, if PRINTER is set).

TEXTPRINT
The command needed to print ordinary text from the standard input. If not set, WAVE uses the command lpr (or lpr -P$PRINTER, if PRINTER is set).

ANNTAB
The name of a file that contains custom annotation definitions (see the discussion of Wave.Anntab for details). If not set, WAVE uses standard annotation definitions only.

The environment variables below are not needed unless the WAVE binary distribution, or XView, has been installed in non-standard directories:

HELPPATH
The path for XView spot help; if not set, WAVE initializes it to /usr/lib/help. WAVE 's own spot help is in $HELPDIR/wave, which is appended to the end of HELPPATH by WAVE .

HELPDIR
The directory in which WAVE 's help directory is located; if not set, WAVE uses /usr/help.

MENUDIR
The name of the directory that contains WAVE 's default menu file; if not set, WAVE uses /usr/lib.

RESDIR
The name of the directory in which system-wide default X11 resource files are kept; if not set, WAVE uses /usr/lib/X11/app-defaults. See the man page for WAVE for information about other directories that are searched for resource files.

George B. Moody (george@mit.edu)
2019-03-08