Gnuplot: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 21:17, 14 June 2022

Revision as of 21:37, 27 June 2022

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'''gnuplot''' is a [[command-line]] and [[GUI]] program that can generate two- and three-dimensional [[Plot (graphics)|plots]] of [[Function (mathematics)|function]]s, [[data]], and [[Curve fitting|data fits]]. The program runs on all major [[computer]]s and [[operating system]]s ([[Linux]], [[Unix]], [[Microsoft Windows]], [[macOS]], [[FreeDOS]], and many others).<ref>Gnuplot 5.0 Reference Manual, 2015 , {{ISBN|9881443644}}</ref>

It is a program with a fairly long history, dating back to 1986. Despite its name, this software is not part of the [[GNU Project]].

== Features ==

gnuplot can produce output directly on screen, or in many formats of graphics files, including [[Portable Network Graphics]] (PNG), [[Encapsulated PostScript]] (EPS), [[Scalable Vector Graphics]] (SVG), [[JPEG]] and many others. It is also capable of producing [[LaTeX]] code that can be included directly in LaTeX documents, making use of LaTeX's fonts and powerful formula notation abilities. The program can be used both interactively and in batch mode using scripts.<ref>{{cite web|website=Blogs.oucs.ox.ac.uk|title=How to generate graphs with gnuplot|url=http://blogs.oucs.ox.ac.uk/networks/2011/09/02/how-to-generate-graphs-with-gnuplot/|access-date=2012-07-19}}

{{citation|title=How to generate graphs with gnuplot|url=http://blogs.oucs.ox.ac.uk/networks/2011/09/02/how-to-generate-graphs-with-gnuplot/|access-date=2012-07-19}}

</ref>

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The name of this program was originally chosen to avoid conflicts with a program called "newplot", and was originally a compromise between "llamaplot" and "nplot".<ref>[{{Cite web|url=http://www.gnuplot.info/faq/faq.html#SECTION00032000000000000000|title=gnuplot FAQ|website=Gnuplot.info|access-date=27 FAQ]June 2022}}</ref>

Support of Epidemic daily and week formats in Version 5.4.2 is a result of pandemic coronavirus data needs.<ref>http://gnuplot.sourceforge.net/ReleaseNotes_5_4_2.html</ref>

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| publisher =

| date = 1986 – 1993, 1998, 2004

| spdx = gnuplot<ref name="spdx">{{cite web|url=https://spdx.org/licenses/gnuplot.html|title=gnuplot License|website=spdxSpdx.org}}</ref>

| OSI approved = Yes

| Debian approved = Yes

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Despite gnuplot's name, it is not named after, part of or related to the [[GNU Project]], nor does it use the [[GNU General Public License]]. It was named as part of a compromise by the original authors, punning on ''[[gnu]]'' (the animal) and ''newplot''.<ref name="gnuplot faq">{{cite web | url=http://www.gnuplot.info/faq/faq.html#x1-70001.2 | title=1.2 How did it come about and why is it called gnuplot? | publisherwebsite=gnuplotGnuplot.info | access-date=2015-02-21}}</ref>

Official source code to gnuplot is freely redistributable, but modified versions thereof are not. The gnuplot license allows instead distribution of patches against official releases, optionally accompanied by officially released source code. Binaries may be distributed along with the unmodified source code and any patches applied thereto. Contact information must be supplied with derived works for [[technical support]] for the modified software.<ref name=lice>{{citeCite web|url=https://sourceforge.net/p/gnuplot/gnuplot-main/ci/master/tree/Copyright|title=gnuplot : gnuplot-main : [bcc809] : Copyright|website=Sourceforge.net|access-date=27 June 2022}}</ref>

|url=https://sourceforge.net/p/gnuplot/gnuplot-main/ci/master/tree/Copyright

|title=gnuplot licence}}</ref>

<blockquote>

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* [[gretl]], a [[statistics package]] for [[econometrics]]

* JGNUPlot, a java-based GUI<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://jgp.sourceforge.net/|title=JGNUplot homepage|website=Jgp.sourceforge.net|access-date=27 June 2022}}</ref>

* Kayali<ref>{{Cite web|url=httphttps://kayali.sourceforge.net/index.htmprojects/kayali/|title=Kayali|website=Sourceforge.net|access-date=27 June 2022}}</ref> a [[computer algebra system]]

* xldlas, an old X11 statistics package<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://linux.maruhn.com/sec/xldlas.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=2014-10-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141031022018/http://linux.maruhn.com/sec/xldlas.html |archive-date=2014-10-31 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

* gnuplotxyz, an old Windows program<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.uni-hamburg.de/Wiss/FB/15/Sustainability/schneider/gnuplot/|title = Home · uwe-schneider/Gnuplotxyz Wiki|website=Uni-hamburg}}</ref>

* wxPinter, a graphical plot manager for gnuplot<ref>{{cite web|title = Steingrube|url = http://www.steingrube-home.de/software_wxPinter.html|website = www.steingrube-home.de|access-date = 2015-08-21|first = Daniel S.|last = Steingrube|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151026154709/http://www.steingrube-home.de/software_wxPinter.html|archive-date = 2015-10-26|url-status = dead}}</ref>

* [[Maxima (software)|Maxima]] is a text-based [[computer algebra system]] which itself has several third-party GUIs.

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Other programs that use gnuplot include:

* [[GNU Octave]], a mathematical programming language

* statist, a terminal-based program<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wald.intevation.org/projects/statist/|title = Wald: Statist: Project Home|website=Wald.intevation.org}}</ref>

* gplot.pl provides a simpler command-line interface.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gplot.sourceforge.net/|title=GPlot|website=Gplot.sourceforge.net|access-date=27 June 2022}}</ref>

* [http://github.com/dkogan/feedgnuplot feedgnuplot] provides a plotting of stored and realtime data from a pipe.

* ElchemeaAnalytical,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.elchemea.com/|title=Elchemea Analytical|website=Elchemea.com|access-date=27 June 2022}}</ref> an [[Impedance spectroscopy]] plotting and fitting program developed by DTU Energy<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.energy.dtu.dk/english|title = DTU Energy|website=Energy.dtu.dk}}</ref>

* Gnuplot [add-in for M-S Excel<ref>https://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuplot-add-in-for-excel/ add-in for MS-Excel]</ref>

* Calc, the [[GNU Emacs]] calculator<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gillespie |first1=Dave |title=The GNU Emacs Calculator |url=https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/calc/Graphics.html#Graphics |website=www.gnu.org |publisher=Free Software Foundation, Inc. |access-date=13 November 2020 |page=Graphics}}</ref>

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gnuplot can be used from various programming languages to graph data, including [[Perl]] (via [[Perl Data Language|PDL]] and other [[CPAN]] packages), [[Python (programming language)|Python]] (via [https://github.com/dkogan/gnuplotlib gnuplotlib], [http://gnuplot-py.sourceforge.net/ Gnuplot-py] and [[SageMath]]), [[R (programming language)|R]] via ([https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/Rgnuplot/Rgnuplot.pdf Rgnuplot]), [[Julia (programming language)|Julia]] (via [https://github.com/mbaz/Gaston.jl Gaston.jl]), [[Java (programming language)|Java]] (via [https://github.com/mleoking/JavaGnuplotHybrid JavaGnuplotHybrid] and [http://jgnuplot.sourceforge.net/ jgnuplot]), [[Ruby (programming language)|Ruby]] (via [https://github.com/rdp/ruby_gnuplot Ruby Gnuplot]), [[Ch (computer programming)|Ch]] (via [http://www.softintegration.com/docs/ch/plot/ Ch Gnuplot]), [[Haskell (programming language)|Haskell]] (via [https://www.haskell.org/haskellwiki/Gnuplot Haskell gnuplot]), [[Fortran 95]],<ref>{{cite web|last1=Singh|first1=Madhusudan|title=gnuplotfortran - the Fortran 95 interface to gnuplot|url=http://gnuplotfortran.sourceforge.net|website=gnuplotfortran.sourceforge.net|access-date=10 May 2016}}</ref> [[Smalltalk]] ([[Squeak]] and [[GNU Smalltalk]]) and [[Rust (programming language)|Rust]] (via [https://github.com/SiegeLord/RustGnuplot RustGnuplot]).

gnuplot also supports [[Pipe (Unix)|piping]], which is typical of scripts.<ref>[http{{Cite web|url=https://linuxgazette.net/168/misc/lg/2_cent_tip__piping_to_gnu_plot_from_c.html|title=2-cent Tip: Piping to GNU Plot from C|website=Linuxgazette.net|access-date=27 by AmitJune Saha]2022}}</ref> For script-driven graphics, gnuplot is one of the most popular programs.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}}

== Gnuplot output formats ==

Gnuplot allows you to display or store plots in several ways:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gnuplot.info/|title=gnuplot homepage|website=Gnuplot.info|access-date=27 June 2022}}</ref><ref>http://fm137.ugr.es/imnf/descargas/archivos/manual-gnuplot.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref>

*On the console (output modes dumb, sixel)

*In a desktop window (output modes qt, wxt, x11, aquaterm, win, ...)