Some suggestions for GNUPLOT...

[Thomas Williams]

In article <482 at lll-lcc.aRpA> seager at lll-lcc.aRpA (Mark K. Seager) writes:
>This is a posting because the address vu-vlsi!plot is not known by
>our macine...Would rather send this directly to the authors of
>GNUPLOT, but... 
>
Well, we are here.  I don't know which mail your using or how well your
maps have been upkept, but we have been here for quite a while.  If you
continue having problems try routing the mail through any of the machines
we are connected to { bpa, cbmvax, cbit, cuaepd, devon, drexel, ge-mc3i, 
hutch, hvrford, psuvax1, pyrnj, snark, swatsun, temvax, 3B2WS310 }
I'd suggest pyrnj, psuvax1, bpa, or cbmvax. 


But since you have posted this message, I think a followup is appropriate
as the response contains information useful to other GNUPLOT users.

>graphics, but there are a few problems.
>	1) The man page is not exactly verbose in it's explination of 
>	   GNUPLOT.  Why not write something that takes an absolute idot
>	   (like me) who knows nothing about GNUPLOT to being an
>	   "expert user".

I don't think this is a problem.  The man page was quickly constructed 
to describe the basic abilities of our program, not to teach you how to 
use it.  Time was a major consideration (translation - it WAS rushed),
but personally I prefer laconic man pages.  On-line help and the makeshift
help document are supposed to provide the details of program use.


>	2) Normal unix (and the MS-DOS pc's) don't have the HELP
>	   facility.  The *.HLP files look like they could be of some
>	   use, why not distribute the help package with GNUPLOT?

The VMS-like help program was posted (usable by UNIX systems).  We offered 
a formatted version of the help files for MSDOS users, and we have learned 
that someone has recently ported the help program to MSDOS.  We hope
to be able to distribute this with the next release of our program.


>	3) I tried to redirect the output of GNUPLOT to a file with:
>	   set output "filename"
>	   and the plot information still came to the stdout (although
>	   the file was created) and not to the file.  Could not
>	   figure out if I am using GNUPLOT correctly or not from the
>	   (lack of) documentation...

Hmmmm, you haven't describe the problem in detail so I can't speculate
on it's cause, only that this is the first time I have ever heard
of this happening.   It works on all the systems we've tried (including SUN's)


>	4) Any way to get support for POSTSCRIPT devices.  Obviously
>	   this would be wonderful for hardcopy output to various 
>	   laser printers.

A POSTSCRIPT driver has already been written by Rich Burridge at SUN Australia.
The driver was developed on a SUN 3/50 running V3.2 of SUN's OS.  This
will also be included in the next release of GNUPLOT.


>	5) Any thought to supporting 3-D plotting?  Contour plots and
>	   the ilk?
Briefly.  Polar plots should be added.  Also maybe a neat SUN driver...maybe.
PGA and Hercules graphics card might well be supported in the new version,
and anything else we deem important. So PLEASE, if you have any suggestions,
don't hesitate send them to vu-vlsi!plot.  

                                   Hope this was helpful
                                   -Thomas Williams

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