If the left mouse button is pressed in the graphical window, the current cursor position (both x and y) will be printed out.
Two windows are used: commands are typed into the same window that was used to invoke xplot while the graphical display appears in a separate window.
begin Used with the loop command to demarcate the start of an infinite loop. It can only be used in the file command mode.
box - displays the box on the screen with ticks and puts the numerical values of the x and y axes (from the current limits ).
clear - erases the screen. It is the same as erase.
color color_name - changes the drawing color of subsequent drawing commands or text to the specified value. Legal color names are: "white", "red", "green", "blue", "black", "cyan", "brown", "gold", "navy", "grey", "gray", "magenta", "khaki", "orange", "maroon", "orchid", "pink", "salmon", "tan", "thistle", "violet", "yellow", "wheat".
connect [delay] - connects the data that have been read as continuous line of the current line type. An optional time delay (in tenths of a second) can be specified between drawing line segments.
cursor - the Mongo cursor command is not needed.. just press the left button.
data filename - specifies the filename that contains the data. This command is required for most applications.
draw xp yp - draws a line of the current type from the current pen position to (xp, yp) set by the relocate command.
dot - plots a point at the current location defined by relocate.
ecolumn n - sets the n'th column in the data file as the one from which values for the errorbars (or used in vfield) will be read.
end - exits the program.
erase - erases whe graphics screen. Same as clear.
errorbar K - sets the direction in which errorbars will be drawn from each point. K=0 draws bar to right, K=1 up, K=2 to left, and K=3 down. ecolumn must be invoked first.
exit - exits the program.
expand - changes the point size.
hardcopy sends the displayed graph to the line printer.
help [command] - if used without arguments lists all the commands. With an argument, briefly explains the use of the given command.
hist - connects the points in the x and y columns with horizontal lines as commonly used in a histogram.
input filename - reads a file containing xplot commands. Note: input commands cannot be nested.
label `string' - puts the given string at the current pen position, defined by relocate.
limits [xmin xmax ymin ymax] - if used without arguments, finds the extreme values of the x and y axes, and sets the plot limits to those values. With arguments, sets all four plot limits explicitly. If an asterisk (*) is substituted for any of the limits, the appropriate extremum value is used. If a minus sign is substituted for any of the limits, the previously determined extremum is used.
lines n1 n2 - reads the data only from lines n1 to n2 Data lines starting with the character `#' are interpreted as comments and are skipped.
loop - sends control back to the previous begin command, to create an infinite loop. It can only be used in file command mode. Often used with wait to suspend execution till something happens.
ltype LTYPE n - changes the current line type to various flavors of dots and dashes. The possible types are: 0 = solid, 1 = dotted, 2 = dash-dotted, 3 = dashed.
pcolumn n - sets the n'th column as the one from which the length of arrows in vfield will be read.
points - plots the points in the current point type.
plot fname [dummy] -plot file Does the following (very common combo) in order 1. data "file" 2. xc 1 3. yc 2 4. limits 5. box 6. connect.
If you specify an additional dummy argument (any letter will do), it will plot single column data using 'xc 0' and 'yc 1'
ptype [npoints solid]- sets the point type to a n-sided polygon of shape solid where solid=0 for open, solid=1 skeletal, solid=2 starred, solid=3 filled. The point size can be changed by using the expand command.
quit - causes program to stop. Same as exit or end.
relocate [xp yp] - sets the current pen position for drawing points, lines or text at (x, y). If used without arguments it displays the current location.
reverse - changes between black on white to white on black.
save filename - records the subsequent xplot commands to the specified file. This file can then be edited for use by other statements.
title `string' - puts the given string along the top of plot.
wait time or wait data Waits for the specified number of seconds before continuing. Or waits for the file specified by the data command to change its file modification time.
vfield - plots a vector field of arrows. The origin of each vector is specified by x and y columns. The angle (measured CCW from x-axis in degrees) is entered by the e-column, and the length of the line is entered in the p-column.
xcolumn N - tells that the data points for the x-axis are contained in the Nth column of the file specified by the data command.
xlabel `string' - puts the given string below the X axis.
xlog - converts all the x-column values to their logarithm to the base10.
xsixty N - tells that the data points for the x-axis are contained in the Nth column and are in Babylonian dd:mm:ss format.
ycolumn N - tells that the data points for the y-axis are contained in the Nth column of the file specified by the data command.
ylabel `string' - puts the given string vertically along the Y axes.
ylog - converts all the y-column values to their logarithm to the base10. Any values less than or equal to zero will be set to -50.
ysixty N - tells that the data points for the y-axis are contained in the Nth column and are in Babylonian dd:mm:ss format.
The Postscript plotfile sometimes crashes and leaves files with xplot????.tmp in /tmp.