st: twoway charts by(, rows(#) cols(#)) suggestion

[Mauricio Vargas <jpmauricio.vargas@gmail.com>]

Dear all,

It is known that current Stata version defines rows(#) and cols(#) as
alternative choices when using combined charts applying by() option.

Nevertheless it would be a powerful tool having rows(#) and cols(#) as
complementary choices. For standardizing reasons sometimes you need to have
a multiple chart page but you don't want them to fill all available space.

For example, let's say we want only half of the 'page' filled, and we have
two charts corresponding to only two categories in the variable used in
by(variable) .  So , we would have one of next results:


------------
-      1    -
-           -
-      2    -
-           -
-----------

or



------------
-  1    2  -
-          -
-----------

What if we want next structure with 3rd and 4th spaces in blank?

------------
-   1    2  -
-           -
-   3    4  -
-           -
-----------

Currently, it is impossible (unless we use graph combine with some blank
charts as in http://www.stata.com/statalist/archive/2011-09/msg00604.html)

If rows() and cols() options would be complimentary (thinking in these
options as matrix options), we could get the desired structure with no so
much effort. Something like this:

                     twoway line y x, by(variable, rows(2) cols(2) holes(3
4) )


Same logic could apply to `graph combine' command options in order to avoid
auxiliar blank charts.

Hope Stata programmers could implement this in the future.
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