Config files and the view format

archiveview keeps its files in $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/archiveview when XDG_CONFIG_HOME is set, otherwise ~/.config/archiveview:

~/.config/archiveview/
├── settings.json
├── history.json
└── views/
    ├── default.json
    └── beam.json

All are pretty-printed JSON, written atomically (to a hidden temporary file, then renamed), so a crash never leaves half a file. Missing fields take their defaults, so files can be edited by hand; fields archiveview doesn't know are kept when it saves settings.json. A settings.json that is not valid JSON gives the defaults for that run, with a warning, and is not saved over until it is fixed.

settings.json

{
  "archiver_url": "http://archiver.example.org:17668/retrieval",
  "recent_archivers": [
    "http://archiver.example.org:17668/retrieval",
    "http://127.0.0.1:17668/retrieval"
  ],
  "theme": "system",
  "save_default_on_exit": true,
  "ui_zoom": 1.25
}

field	default	meaning
`archiver_url`	none	the archiver used when neither `--archiver` nor the view opened at start-up names one. Written by `--archiver`, and by switching to another archiver in the pill or by opening a view (not by No archiver).
`recent_archivers`	none	archivers used recently, newest first (at most 8), offered by the archiver pill
`theme`	`"system"`	`"system"` (follow the OS), `"light"` or `"dark"`; set from the ≡ menu
`ui_zoom`	`1`	the interface zoom set in the ≡ menu or with `Ctrl+=`/`Ctrl+−`/`Ctrl+0`, from `0.5` to `3`; left out at `1`. `--ui-scale` and `ARCHIVEVIEW_UI_SCALE` win over it. For now there is one for the app; once archiveview has windows and layouts, each window keeps its own in its layout.
`save_default_on_exit`	`true`	save the plot as the `default` view on quit, so the next start (with no PVs or `--view`) reopens where you left off

A missing or unreadable settings.json gives the defaults (an unreadable one logs a warning).

history.json

The search box's recent searches, newest first, saved each time they change:

{
  "searches": [
    { "text": "BL16I-EA-*" },
    { "text": "SR01C-DI-EBPM-01:SA:.*", "regex": true }
  ]
}

field	meaning
`searches[].text`	the text as typed
`searches[].regex`	`true` when the `.*` toggle was on; default `false`

At most 50 are kept. A missing or unreadable file means no recent searches (an unreadable one logs a warning, and is replaced the next time a search is remembered). Delete it, or use Clear search history in the ≡ menu, to forget them.

views/NAME.json

{
  "version": 1,
  "pvs": [
    { "name": "SR-DI-DCCT-01:SIGNAL", "axis": 0 },
    { "name": "SR-DI-DCCT-01:LIFETIME", "axis": 1 },
    { "name": "pva://bl01t:SUM", "color": "#d62728", "visible": false, "axis": 1 }
  ],
  "range": { "kind": "relative", "secs": 28800 },
  "y": { "autoscale": true },
  "axes": [ { "autoscale": false, "min": 1, "max": 100, "log": true, "name": "Lifetime" } ],
  "archiver": "http://archiver.example.org:17668/retrieval"
}

field	meaning
`version`	the format version, `1`. A file with a newer version than the program knows is refused.
`pvs`	the traces, in chip order
`pvs[].name`	the PV as typed: `NAME`, `ca://NAME`, `pva://NAME`, `sim://sine`, ...
`pvs[].color`	`#rrggbb`; when absent, the palette colour for its position
`pvs[].visible`	`false` for a hidden trace; default `true`
`pvs[].axis`	its value axis: `0` for `y`, `1` for the first of `axes`, ... When absent (as in files from before there were several axes), the trace picks an axis when its data arrives
`range`	`{"kind": "relative", "secs": S}`: the last `S` seconds, following now; or `{"kind": "absolute", "start": "...", "end": "..."}` with RFC 3339 UTC times such as `"2026-10-17T09:00:00Z"`
`y`	the first value axis
`axes`	the value axes after the first, in order; omitted when there is one
`y.autoscale`, `axes[].autoscale`	default `true`
`y.min`, `y.max`	the value range when `autoscale` is `false`
`archiver`	the retrieval URL in use when the view was saved; opening the view switches to it. Optional: older files lack it, and the format version is still `1`.
`y.log`	`true` for a log value axis; default `false`
`y.name`	the name typed for the axis; when absent it names itself

The value-axis fields were added without changing version: older files load (their traces pick axes as they are added; y stays with the first visible PV, and y.log applies to every axis), and an older archiveview reads newer files with every trace on its unit's axis.

View names can't be empty, start with ., or contain / or \. The view called default opens at startup when no PVs and no --view are given.

A host app that embeds the plot gets the same structure from Plot::view() and can store it in its own files; see Embed the plot.