psxy: Add broken arrows

doc/rst/source/explain_line_draw.rst_

@@ -13,4 +13,10 @@
     - For gragraphic projections, *x* and *y* are parallels and meridians.
     - For polar projections, *x* and *y* are theta and radius.
 
+    When used together with |-S|\ **v** (Cartesian vectors), the **x** and **y**
+    directives produce *broken* (right-angle elbow) arrows: instead of a straight line
+    from tail to tip, the vector is drawn along two perpendicular legs meeting at a
+    corner. **x** draws the horizontal leg first, then the vertical leg; **y** draws
+    the vertical leg first, then the horizontal leg. The arrowhead is placed at the tip.
+
     **Note**: In :doc:`plot3d`, the |-A| option requires constant *z*-coordinates.

doc/rst/source/plot.rst

@@ -468,6 +468,14 @@ to cm given the scale 3.60::
 
     gmt plot -R20/40/-20/0 -JM6i -Sv0.15i+e+z3.6c -Gred -W0.25p -Baf data.txt -pdf map
 
+To draw the same Cartesian vectors as broken (right-angle elbow) arrows, traveling
+horizontally first and then vertically to reach the tip, use |-A|\ **x**::
+
+    gmt plot -R0/50/-50/50 -JX6i -Sv0.15i+e -Gred -W0.5p -Baf -Ax -pdf map << EOF
+    10 10 45 2i
+    30 -20 0 1.5i
+    EOF
+
 To plot a triangle with smooth color gradients using RGB values directly::
 
     cat << EOF > triangle.txt

src/psxy.c

@@ -2279,11 +2279,11 @@ EXTERN_MSC int GMT_psxy (void *V_API, int mode, void *args) {
 								v4_rgb = current_fill.rgb;
 							else
 								v4_rgb = GMT->session.no_rgb;
-							if (v4_outline) gmt_setpen (GMT, &Ctrl->W.pen);
+							if (v4_outline) gmt_setpen(GMT, &Ctrl->W.pen);
 							if (S.v.status & PSL_VEC_BEGIN) v4_outline += 8;	/* Double-headed */
 							dim[PSL_VEC_HEAD_SHAPE] = GMT->current.setting.map_vector_shape;
 							dim[PSL_VEC_HEAD_WIDTH] *= 0.5;	/* Since it was double in the parsing */
-							psl_vector_v4 (PSL, xpos[item], plot_y, dim, v4_rgb, v4_outline);
+							psl_vector_v4(PSL, xpos[item], plot_y, dim, v4_rgb, v4_outline);
 						}
 						else {	/* Current vector model */
 							dim[PSL_VEC_HEAD_SHAPE]      = S.v.v_shape;
@@ -2293,7 +2293,51 @@ EXTERN_MSC int GMT_psxy (void *V_API, int mode, void *args) {
 							dim[PSL_VEC_TRIM_BEGIN]      = (double)S.v.v_trim[0];
 							dim[PSL_VEC_TRIM_END]        = (double)S.v.v_trim[1];
 							dim[PSL_VEC_HEAD_PENWIDTH]   = s * headpen_width;	/* Possibly shrunk head pen width */
-							PSL_plotsymbol (PSL, xpos[item], plot_y, dim, PSL_VECTOR);
+							if (Ctrl->A.active && (Ctrl->A.mode == GMT_STAIRS_X || Ctrl->A.mode == GMT_STAIRS_Y)) {
+								/* Broken (right-angle elbow) arrow: two legs meeting at a corner point.
+								 * Round line caps are used so each leg's semicircular endpoint fills the
+								 * outer-corner gap that butt caps would leave at the elbow. */
+								double elbow_x, elbow_y, leg1_length, leg2_length, s1, s2;
+								unsigned int leg1_status, leg2_status;
+								if (Ctrl->A.mode == GMT_STAIRS_X) {	/* Horizontal first, then vertical */
+									elbow_x = x_2;		elbow_y = plot_y;
+								}
+								else {			/* GMT_STAIRS_Y: vertical first, then horizontal */
+									elbow_x = xpos[item];	elbow_y = y_2;
+								}
+								leg1_length = hypot(elbow_x - xpos[item], elbow_y - plot_y);
+								leg2_length = hypot(x_2 - elbow_x, y_2 - elbow_y);
+								s1 = gmt_get_vector_shrinking(GMT, &(S.v), data_magnitude, leg1_length);
+								s2 = gmt_get_vector_shrinking(GMT, &(S.v), data_magnitude, leg2_length);
+								PSL_setlinecap(PSL, PSL_ROUND_CAP);	/* Round ends fill the elbow corner */
+								/* Leg 1: tail → elbow.  Keep begin-head (if any); no end-head. */
+								leg1_status = S.v.status & ~(PSL_VEC_END | PSL_VEC_END_L | PSL_VEC_END_R | PSL_VEC_OFF_END);
+								dim[PSL_VEC_XTIP]          = elbow_x;
+								dim[PSL_VEC_YTIP]          = elbow_y;
+								dim[PSL_VEC_TAIL_WIDTH]    = s1 * S.v.v_width;
+								dim[PSL_VEC_HEAD_LENGTH]   = s1 * S.v.h_length;
+								dim[PSL_VEC_HEAD_WIDTH]    = s1 * S.v.h_width;
+								dim[PSL_VEC_HEAD_PENWIDTH] = s1 * headpen_width;
+								dim[PSL_VEC_TRIM_BEGIN]    = (double)S.v.v_trim[0];
+								dim[PSL_VEC_TRIM_END]      = 0.0;
+								dim[PSL_VEC_STATUS]        = (double)leg1_status;
+								PSL_plotsymbol(PSL, xpos[item], plot_y, dim, PSL_VECTOR);
+								/* Leg 2: elbow → tip.  Keep end-head (if any); no begin-head. */
+								leg2_status = S.v.status & ~(PSL_VEC_BEGIN | PSL_VEC_BEGIN_L | PSL_VEC_BEGIN_R | PSL_VEC_OFF_BEGIN);
+								dim[PSL_VEC_XTIP]          = x_2;
+								dim[PSL_VEC_YTIP]          = y_2;
+								dim[PSL_VEC_TAIL_WIDTH]    = s2 * S.v.v_width;
+								dim[PSL_VEC_HEAD_LENGTH]   = s2 * S.v.h_length;
+								dim[PSL_VEC_HEAD_WIDTH]    = s2 * S.v.h_width;
+								dim[PSL_VEC_HEAD_PENWIDTH] = s2 * headpen_width;
+								dim[PSL_VEC_TRIM_BEGIN]    = 0.0;
+								dim[PSL_VEC_TRIM_END]      = (double)S.v.v_trim[1];
+								dim[PSL_VEC_STATUS]        = (double)leg2_status;
+								PSL_plotsymbol(PSL, elbow_x, elbow_y, dim, PSL_VECTOR);
+								PSL_setlinecap(PSL, PSL_BUTT_CAP);	/* Restore default */
+							}
+							else
+								PSL_plotsymbol(PSL, xpos[item], plot_y, dim, PSL_VECTOR);
 						}
 						break;
 					case GMT_SYMBOL_GEOVECTOR:

test/baseline/psxy.dvc

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 outs:
-- md5: 887b912ced405376a548ce0a575b8c18.dir
-  nfiles: 144
+- md5: 510204715a512de392ee93ea016a172f.dir
+  nfiles: 145
   path: psxy
   hash: md5
-  size: 9428273
+  size: 9459764

test/psxy/elbowvec.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Test broken/elbow arrows: -Sv combined with -Ax (horizontal-first) or -Ay (vertical-first).
+# Three arrows 120 degrees apart (30/150/330 deg Cartesian CCW-from-E).
+# Tails at three corners, tips all near centre, so the L-legs are clearly visible
+# and non-overlapping in both -Ax and -Ay modes.
+#
+# With -JX3i/-R-3/3/-3/3: scale = 0.5 in/unit, 1.5i = 3 data units.
+#   Arrow 1: tail(-2,-2) angle=30  tip( 0.60,-0.50)  -Ax elbow at( 0.60,-2)
+#   Arrow 2: tail( 2, 0) angle=150 tip(-0.60, 1.50)  -Ax elbow at(-0.60, 0)
+#   Arrow 3: tail( 0, 2) angle=330 tip( 2.60, 0.50)  -Ax elbow at( 2.60, 2)
+ps=elbowvec.ps
+
+cat << EOF > elbowvec.txt
+-2  -2   30  1.5i
+ 2   0  150  1.5i
+ 0   2  330  1.5i
+EOF
+
+R=-R-3/3/-3/3
+J=-JX3i
+
+# Left panel: horizontal-first elbow (-Ax)
+gmt psxy elbowvec.txt $R $J -P -Bafg1 -BWSne+t"Ax" \
+    -Sv0.2i+e -Gred -W1p -Ax -K -X1.25i -Y4.5i > $ps
+
+# Right panel: vertical-first elbow (-Ay)
+gmt psxy elbowvec.txt $R $J -O -Bafg1 -BWSne+t"Ay" \
+    -Sv0.2i+e -Gred -W1p -Ay -X3.75i >> $ps