def gp_datdir(initial, topN):
  inDir, outDir = getWorkDirs()
  initial = initial.capitalize()
  inDir = os.path.join(inDir, initial)
  if not os.path.exists(inDir):
    return "initial %s doesn't exist" % initial
  data = OrderedDict()
  for file in os.listdir(inDir):
    country = os.path.splitext(file)[0]
    file_url = os.path.join(inDir, file)
    data[country] = np.loadtxt(open(file_url, 'rb'))
    data[country][:, 1] /= 1e6
    if data[country].shape[1] > 2: data[country][:, 3:] /= 1e6
  logging.debug(data)
  sorted_data = OrderedDict(sorted(
    data.items(), key = lambda t: np.mean(t[1][:,1]), reverse = True
  ))
  top_data = OrderedDict(
    sorted_data.popitem(last = False) for i in xrange(topN)
    if sorted_data
  )
  nSets = len(top_data)
  make_plot(
    data = top_data.values(),
    properties = [ getOpts(i) for i in xrange(nSets) ],
    titles = top_data.keys(),
    name = os.path.join(outDir, initial),
    key = [ 'at graph 1., 1.2', 'maxrows 2' ],
    ylabel = 'total population ({/Symbol \664} 10^{6})',
    xlabel = 'year', rmargin = 0.99, tmargin = 0.85, size='8.5in,8in'
  )
  return 'done'