The second internal package used by LONGLIB is the metafile or printer history file package. The library can optionally produce a plot metafile containing scaled, clipped pen motion commands. This "history" file can be processed by other programs to produce hardcopy output on the appropriate device. Using the REPLOT program, the plot history file can be redisplayed on a screen device. Raster scan converter programs produce a dot-image printable file from the metafile for printing to a dot matrix printer. Other metafile processing programs convert the LONGLIB metafile to other graphics description languages including POSTSCRIPT, HPGL, QUIC, etc.
Many of the LONGLIB metafile processing programs permit ``striping" of the graphics image. When the graphics image contained in the LONGLIB metafile exceeds the size of a single page (or whatever) of the output device, the the metafile image is ``cut" into "strips" which fit on the output page. Then each page is output. Normally, blank pages are suppressed. At the same time redundant pen motions, changes, etc. are filtered out.