Gnuplot

http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/
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Gnuplot is a portable command-line graphing utility for visualizing mathematical functions and data...
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### Show bindings examples

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc4025.html

Examples of showing bindings for a specific key or all bindings.

```gnuplot
    bind "ctrl-a"          # shows the binding for ctrl-a
    bind                   # shows all bindings
    show bind              # show all bindings

```

--------------------------------

### cd command basic examples

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc6925.html

Two examples of changing to a subdirectory and to the parent directory.

```gnuplot
      cd 'subdir'
      cd ".."

```

--------------------------------

### load command examples

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc7981.html

Examples of loading a file, a data file, and reading from a pipe using the '<' prefix. The pipe example requires a system that supports popen.

```gnuplot
      load 'work.gnu'
      load "func.dat"
      load "< loadfile_generator.sh"

```

--------------------------------

### show datafile binary example

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc11737.html

Example of showing current datafile binary settings with a comment.

```gnuplot
      show datafile binary   # list current settings

```

--------------------------------

### Iterative product example

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc3237.html

Example of using prod to compute factorial: N! == prod [i=1:N] i. If end is less than start, the value is 1.0.

```gnuplot
      N! == prod [i=1:N] i

```

--------------------------------

### Set bindings examples

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc4025.html

Examples of setting key bindings, including using modifiers like ctrl and alt, and the allwindows option.

```gnuplot
    bind a "replot"
    bind "ctrl-a" "plot x*x"
    bind "ctrl-alt-a" 'print "great"'
    bind Home "set view 60,30; replot"
    bind all Home 'print "This is window ",MOUSE_KEY_WINDOW'

```

--------------------------------

### pbm terminal examples

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc21813.html

Examples of setting the pbm terminal with different options and using NETPBM utilities for output conversion.

```gnuplot
      set terminal pbm small monochrome                # defaults
      set terminal pbm color medium size 800,600
      set output '| pnmrotate 45 | pnmtopng > tilted.png'  # uses NETPBM

```

--------------------------------

### zerrorfill example commands

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc6833.html

Example splot commands using zerrorfill with data files, inline functions, and a loop. The first two examples produce the same fill area.

```gnuplot
     splot 'data' using 1:2:3:4 with zerrorfill fillcolor "grey" lt black
     splot 'data' using 1:2:3:($3-$4):($3+$4) with zerrorfill
     splot '+' using 1:(const):(func1($1)):(func2($1)) with zerrorfill
     splot for [k=1:5] datafile[k] with zerrorfill lt black fc lt (k+1)

```

--------------------------------

### set terminal pdf example

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc16733.html

Example of setting the pdf terminal with font and size options, then generating two output files.

```gnuplot
      set terminal pdf font "Times,11" size 5in, 3in
      set output "figure_1.pdf"
      plot FILE1 with lines
      set output "figure_2.pdf"
      plot FILE2 with points
      unset output

```

--------------------------------

### Show watchpoints output example

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc4621.html

Example output from the show watchpoints command, showing hits for each watchpoint.

```gnuplot
     gnuplot> show watchpoints
     Plot title:     "DATA using 1:2 smooth cnormal"
       Watch 1 target y = 0.25         (1 hits)
               hit 1   x 49.7  y 0.25
       Watch 2 target y = 0.5          (1 hits)
               hit 1   x 63.1  y 0.5
       Watch 3 target y = 0.75         (1 hits)
               hit 1   x 67.8  y 0.75

```

--------------------------------

### gnuplot fit command examples with using and via qualifiers

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc7133.html

A set of fit command examples demonstrating various using specifications, error handling, and the via qualifier for parameter optimization. The examples include single and multiple independent variables, yerror, and inline function definitions.

```gnuplot
      f(x) = a*x**2 + b*x + c
      g(x,y) = a*x**2 + b*y**2 + c*x*y
      set fit limit 1e-6
      fit f(x) 'measured.dat' via 'start.par'
      fit f(x) 'measured.dat' using 3:($7-5) via 'start.par'
      fit f(x) './data/trash.dat' using 1:2:3 yerror via a, b, c
      fit g(x,y) 'surface.dat' using 1:2:3 via a, b, c
      fit a0 + a1*x/(1 + a2*x/(1 + a3*x)) 'measured.dat' via a0,a1,a2,a3
      fit a*x + b*y 'surface.dat' using 1:2:3 via a,b
      fit [*:*][yaks=*:*] a*x+b*yaks 'surface.dat' u 1:2:3 via a,b

```

--------------------------------

### plot examples

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc8146.html

Examples of plot commands showing various ways to plot functions, data files, and multiple elements.

```gnuplot
      plot sin(x)
      plot sin(x), cos(x)
      plot f(x) = sin(x*a), a = .2, f(x), a = .4, f(x)
      plot "datafile.1" with lines, "datafile.2" with points
      plot [t=1:10] [-pi:pi*2] tan(t), \
           "data.1" using (tan($2)):($3/$4) smooth csplines \
                    axes x1y2 notitle with lines 5
      plot for [datafile in "spinach.dat broccoli.dat"] datafile

```

--------------------------------

### every usage examples

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc8679.html

Examples of using the 'every' keyword to select specific blocks, points, or ranges in a data file.

```gnuplot
      every :::3::3    # selects just the fourth block ('0' is first)
      every :::::9     # selects the first 10 blocks
      every 2:2        # selects every other point in every other block
      every ::5::15    # selects points 5 through 15 in each block

```

--------------------------------

### wxt font examples

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc23641.html

Examples of setting the font for the wxt terminal, including changing both face and size, only the face, only the size, and resetting to defaults.

```gnuplot
      set term wxt font "Arial,12"
      set term wxt font "Arial" # to change the font face only
      set term wxt font ",12" # to change the font size only
      set term wxt font "" # to reset the font name and size

```

--------------------------------

### shell, system, and ! command examples

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc18426.html

Shows how to spawn an interactive shell with 'shell', execute a system command with 'system', use the '!' shortcut, and capture command output into a variable.

```gnuplot
      shell
      system "print previous_plot.ps"
      ! print previous_plot.ps
      current_time = system("date")

```

--------------------------------

### set xtics with negative start fails

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc17862.html

This example fails with 'invalid expression' because the negative start value is parsed as a subtraction from the preceding offset value. Use the workaround shown in the next examples.

```gnuplot
      set xtics border offset 0,0.5 -5,1,5

```

--------------------------------

### Position second histogram at x=8

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc5724.html

Example of using the at option to position the second histogram to start at x=8.

```gnuplot
       set style histogram cluster
       set style data histogram
       set style fill solid 1.0 border -1
       set xtic 1 offset character 0,0.3
       plot newhistogram "Set A", \
            'file.dat' u 1 t 1, '' u 2 t 2, \
            newhistogram "Set B" at 8, \
            'file.dat' u 2 t 2, '' u 2 t 2

```

--------------------------------

### Set context terminal font

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc20509.html

Example of setting the font name and size for the context terminal, and the resulting ConTeXt setup command.

```gnuplot
     set term context font "myfont,ss,10"

```

```context
     \setupbodyfont[myfont,ss,10pt]

```

--------------------------------

### set palette model syntax

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc15079.html

Shows the syntax for the 'set palette model' command. The model can be RGB, CMY, or HSV, with an optional 'start' parameter (in radians) for HSV to offset the hue cycle. For example, 'set palette model HSV start 0.3' makes H=0 and H=1 correspond to green.

```gnuplot
     set palette model { RGB | CMY | HSV {start <radians>} }

```

--------------------------------

### set key default configuration example

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc13008.html

Example commands that restore the default key configuration and set various key options such as notitle, nobox, noopaque, fixed placement, and layout parameters.

```gnuplot
     set key notitle
     set key nobox noopaque
     set key fixed right top vertical Right noreverse enhanced autotitle
     set key noinvert samplen 4 spacing 1 width 0 height 0 
     set key maxcolumns 0 maxrows 0

```

--------------------------------

### set xtics workaround with reordered options

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc17862.html

Alternative workaround for the negative start issue: place the border option after the offset to avoid the parser failure. Same effect as the previous example.

```gnuplot
      set xtics offset 0,0.5 border -5,1,5

```

--------------------------------

### Plot piped data with awk filtering comments

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc9527.html

Alternative to the first example that filters out comment lines starting with '#' using awk. Use this if the data file contains comments. Requires a popen function.

```gnuplot
      plot "< awk '$0 !~ /^#/ {print $1-1965, $2}' population.dat"

```

--------------------------------

### Run initialization file then interactive session then trailer file

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc754.html

Launches an interactive session after executing the initialization file 'header', and then runs the command file 'trailer' after the session ends. The '-' indicates the interactive session.

```bash
gnuplot header - trailer
```

--------------------------------

### Examples of gnuplot constants

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc1322.html

Shows integer, floating point, complex, and string constants. Integer constants starting with 0 are octal, 0x/0X are hexadecimal. Complex constants use curly braces. String constants: double quotes expand \n, single quotes treat backslash and n as ordinary characters.

```gnuplot
     1 -10 0xffaabb        # integer constants
     1.0 -10. 1e1 3.5e-1   # floating point constants
     {1.2, -3.4}           # complex constant
     "Line 1\nLine 2"      # string constant (\n is expanded to newline)
     '123\na\456'          # string constant (\ and n are ordinary characters)
```

--------------------------------

### history command examples

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc7877.html

Shows various ways to use the history command: display the complete history, limit to last N entries, quiet mode, write to a file, append to a file, write last N commands, pipe output, search by prefix, and reexecute a specific entry. Note that lines starting with 'history' are not stored in the history.

```gnuplot
      history               # show the complete history
      history 5             # show last 5 entries in the history
      history quiet 5       # show last 5 entries without entry numbers
      history "hist.gp"     # write the complete history to file hist.gp
      history "hist.gp" append # append the complete history to file hist.gp
      history 10 "hist.gp"  # write last 10 commands to file hist.gp
      history 10 "|head -5 >>diary.gp" # write 5 history commands using pipe
      history ?load         # show all history entries starting with "load"
      history ?"set c"      # like above, several words enclosed in quotes
      hist !"set xr"        # like above, several words enclosed in quotes
      hist !55              # reexecute the command at history entry 55
```

--------------------------------

### show vgrid example output

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc17187.html

Example output from the 'show vgrid' command, listing an active grid with its size, ranges, and voxel statistics.

```text
      $vgrid1: (active)
               size 100 X 100 X 100
               vxrange [-4:4]  vyrange[-4:4]  vzrange[-4:4]
               non-zero voxel values:  min 0.061237 max 94.5604
               number of zero voxels:  992070   (99.21%)

```

--------------------------------

### Example data file with column labels

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc9562.html

Example data file with a header row containing column labels (Height, Weight, Age) followed by data rows. This is used to illustrate selecting columns by label.

```text
      Height    Weight    Age
      val1      val1      val1
      ...       ...       ...

```

--------------------------------

### set view examples

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc17215.html

Two examples of the `set view` command: the first sets all four default values, the second changes only the scale to 0.5.

```gnuplot
      set view 60, 30, 1, 1
      set view ,,0.5

```

--------------------------------

### set datafile commentschars example

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc11715.html

Example of setting custom comment characters to '#', '!', and '%'.

```gnuplot
      set datafile commentschars "#!%"

```

--------------------------------

### set xtics list examples

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc17900.html

Four examples of explicit tic specifications. The second example labels all tics, the third labels only the end tics, and the fourth uses an unlabeled minor tic.

```gnuplot
      set xtics ("low" 0, "medium" 50, "high" 100)
      set xtics (1,2,4,8,16,32,64,128,256,512,1024)
      set ytics ("bottom" 0, "" 10, "top" 20)
      set ytics ("bottom" 0, "" 10 1, "top" 20)
```

--------------------------------

### set terminal push/pop example

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc16733.html

Example showing how to temporarily switch terminals using set terminal push and pop, with a caution about output redirection.

```gnuplot
      set terminal kitty anchor fontscale 0.5 size 700,500
      load "myplot.gp"
      set terminal push
      set terminal pdf font "Times,11" size 5in, 3in
      set output "myplot.pdf"
      replot
      unset output     # Required!  Must not write kitty output to a pdf file
      set term pop     # restore terminal kitty and options

```

--------------------------------

### set pm3d lighting and spotlight syntax

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc15415.html

Shows the full syntax for enabling lighting and configuring the optional spotlight. The primary light contributes 50% by default; the spotlight is only active if spec2 is greater than zero.

```gnuplot
     set pm3d lighting {primary <frac>} {specular <frac>} {spec2 <frac>}
     set pm3d spotlight {rgb <color>} {rot_x <angle>} {rot_z <angle>}
                        {Phong <value>} {default}

```

--------------------------------

### filledcurves closed example

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc5352.html

Example of using the closed option to fill a closed curve.

```gnuplot
    filledcurves closed   ... just filled closed curve,

```

--------------------------------

### Example: raising a plot window with wxt terminal

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc10348.html

Demonstrates creating two plot windows with the wxt terminal and using 'lower' and 'raise' to control their stacking order. The commands are known to be unreliable.

```gnuplot
      set term wxt 123     # create first plot window
      plot $FOO
      lower                # lower the only plot window that exists so far
      set term wxt 456     # create 2nd plot window may occlude the first one
      plot $BAZ
      raise 123            # raise first plot window

```

--------------------------------

### set timestamp example

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc16926.html

Example of setting a timestamp with a custom format, offset, and font.

```gnuplot
      set timestamp "%d/%m/%y %H:%M" offset 80,-2 font "Helvetica"

```

--------------------------------

### Example data file with time/date records

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc4550.html

Sample data file 'data' containing a time/date string and a numeric value, used in the plotting example.

```text
      03/21/95 10:00  6.02e23

```

--------------------------------

### Summation examples

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc3237.html

Examples of using the sum operator: printing the sum of integers 1 to 10, and using sum in a plot command to sum columns. The second example is commented as equivalent to a long expression.

```gnuplot
      print sum [i=1:10] i
          55.
      # Equivalent to plot 'data' using 1:($2+$3+$4+$5+$6+...)
      plot 'data' using 1 : (sum [col=2:MAXCOL] column(col))

```

--------------------------------

### set datafile binary examples

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc11737.html

Examples of setting binary data file defaults: using filetype=auto and specifying array dimensions and format.

```gnuplot
      set datafile binary filetype=auto
      set datafile binary array=(512,512) format="%uchar"

```

--------------------------------

### filledcurves axis/line/point examples

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc5352.html

Examples of filling to an axis, a horizontal line, a point, and a polar radius.

```gnuplot
    filledcurves x1       ... x1 axis,
    filledcurves x2       ... x2 axis, etc for y1 and y2 axes,
    filledcurves y=42     ... line at y=42, i.e. parallel to x axis,
    filledcurves xy=10,20 ... point 10,20 of x1,y1 axes (arc-like shape).
    filledcurves above r=1.5  the area of a polar plot outside radius 1.5

```

--------------------------------

### String variable and function examples

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc3313.html

Examples of a user-defined string variable and a user-defined string function.

```gnuplot
      file = "mydata.inp"
      file(n) = sprintf("run_%d.dat",n)

```

--------------------------------

### print command examples

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc10301.html

Examples of using the print command with numeric expressions, strings, variables, formatted output, arrays, iteration, and datablocks.

```gnuplot
     print 123 + 456
     print sinh(pi/2)
     print "rms of residuals (FIT_STDFIT) is ", FIT_STDFIT
     print sprintf("rms of residuals is %.3f after fit", FIT_STDFIT)
     print "Array A: ", A
     print "Individual elements of array A: ", for [i=1:|A|] A[i]
     print $DATA

```

--------------------------------

### dumb terminal example output

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc20691.html

The ASCII plot output produced by the preceding example commands.

```text
          1 +-------------------------------------------------+
        0.8 +|||++                   ++||||++                 |
        0.6 +|||||+                 ++|||||||+  sin(x) +----+ |
        0.4 +||||||+               ++|||||||||+               |
        0.2 +|||||||+             ++|||||||||||+             +|
          0 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++|
       -0.2 +        +|||||||||||+              +|||||||||||+ |
       -0.4 +         +|||||||||+                +|||||||||+  |
       -0.6 +          +|||||||+                  +|||||||+   |
       -0.8 +           ++||||+                    ++||||+    |
         -1 +---+--------+--------+-------+--------+--------+-+
               -4       -2        0       2        4        6  

```

--------------------------------

### bind syntax

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc4025.html

Shows the syntax for the bind command, including the allwindows option, key-sequence, and commands. Also shows how to remove a binding and reset all bindings.

```gnuplot
      bind {allwindows} [<key-sequence>] ["<gnuplot commands>"]
      bind <key-sequence> ""
      reset bind

```

--------------------------------

### Example data file population.dat

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc8736.html

A sample data file with comments and two columns of data: year and population.

```text
      # Gnu population in Antarctica since 1965
         1965   103
         1970   55
         1975   34
         1980   24
         1985   10

```

--------------------------------

### Set start and increment for contour levels

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc11352.html

Sets the start and increment while retaining the number of levels.

```gnuplot
      set cntrparam levels incremental 100,50

```

--------------------------------

### Fit time data by shifting to start time

Source: http://www.gnuplot.info/docs_6.0/loc7652.html

Recasts the problem as change in time since the start of measurement, shifting the x range to [0 : 86400] which is more tractable. Uses strptime to compute the start time offset.

```gnuplot
     set xdata time       # data format "27-02-2023 12:00:00 measurement"
     timefmt  = "%d-%m-%Y %H:%M:%S"
     set timefmt timefmt
     t0 = strptime( timefmt, "27-02-2023 00:00:00" )
     fit T(x) 'temperature.dat' using ($1-t0):3 via a,b,c

```
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