### 9.14 Commands

Besides entity definitions, arrows, dividers, boxes, parallel block definitions and options, msc-generator also has a few commands.

`nudge`

  This command inserts a small vertical space useful to misalinging two arrows in parallel blocks, see Parallel Blocks.

`hspace`

  This command forces horizontal distance between two (not necessarily negighbouring) entity. See Spacing.

`vspace`

  This command inserts an arbitrary size vertical space, see Spacing.

`newpage`

  This command starts a new page, see Multiple Pages.

`heading`

  This command displays all entity headings that are currently turned on. It is useful especially after a newpage command. Note that if there are any immediately preceeding or following entity definition commands before or after `heading`, only one copy of the entity headings is drawn.

`show`
`hide`

  Prepending these in front of an entity definition (or later mention) will set the ‘`show`’ attribute of those entities (there can be a comma separated list) to yes or no, respectively. Using them alone with no following entity names, will show or hide all entities of the chart defined before this point. (Just a shorthand to save typing a lot of entity names.) Specifically `show` will show all hidden entities. If you want to display a heading for all entities, follow it by a `heading` command.

`activate`
`deactivate`

  Prepending these in front of an entity definition (or later mention) will set the ‘`active`’ attribute of those entities (there can be a comma separated list) to yes or no, respectively. In addtion, when these commands are used to activate or deactivate certain entities immediately after an arrow, the activation or deactivation will take place at the tip of the arrow and not after it. This is to indicate that the activation or deactivation happened as a result of the arrow. This effect is not applied if an entity is activated or deactivated by setting its `active` attribute. Using them alone with no following entity names, will activate or deactivate all entities of the chart that currently show. (Just a shorthand to save typing a lot of entity names.) The activation status of hidden entities is left unchanged.

`mark`

  This command creates a marker by storing the vertical position of this command. Symbols, verticals and notes can then refer to this location. See Verticals for more information.

`note`
`comment`
`endnote`

  These commens are useful to annotate the chart, see Notes and Comments.

`symbol`
`text`

  These commands can be used to draw arbitrary graphics to the chart, see Free Drawing.

`defcolor`

  This command is used to define or re-define color names, see Specifying Colors.

`defstyle`

  This command is used to define or re-define styles, see Defining Styles.

`defdesign`

  This command is used to define new designs, see Chart Designs.

`defshape`

  This command is used to define new shapes, see Defining Shapes.