Gnuplot an excellent tool for generating graphs
If you are looking for a program that allows you to generate graphs, display functions and mathematical data interactively in two and three dimensions, Gnuplot can be an excellent solution to your requirement.
Gnuplot is a graphics plotting tool that allows you to view data and functions in Unix, Windows and macOS environments. Account with support for various graphic file formats, such as PNG, EPS, SVG, JPEG and others. Offers the ability to produce LaTeX code for inclusion in documents, taking advantage of fonts and formula notation, and it can also be used interactively.
About Gnuplot
gnuplot It is widely used in scientific fields, engineering and other environments where data visualization is required, primarily for two-dimensional and three-dimensional graphs of numerical data sets. Gnuplot It is a command line tool, meaning that users provide commands directly in a text interface to generate graphs.
His main features, They stand out:
- Two-dimensional functions and data graphs that combine many different elements, such as points, lines,
- error bars, filled shapes, labels, arrows,…
- Polar axes, logarithmic scale axes, general nonlinear axes mapping, parametric coordinates
- Data representations such as heat maps, bee swarm plots, violin plots, histograms,…
- Three-dimensional plots of data points, lines and surfaces in many different styles (contour plot, mesh)
- Algebraic calculation using integers, floating point, or complex arithmetic
- Data-driven model fitting using Marquardt-Levenberg minimization
- Support for a large number of operating systems, graphics file formats and output devices.
- Extensive online help
- TeX-like text format for labels, titles, axes and data points
- History and interactive command line editing
- It can read files containing additional commands during an interactive session, or it can run in batch mode by piping a preexisting file or command stream to standard input.
- It is used as a back-end graphics driver in higher-level math packages such as Octave, and can be easily packaged into a cgi script for use as a web-based graphics generator.
- Supports iteration and flow control based on context or data using familiar if else continue break while for statements.
Gnuplot 6.0
It is worth mentioning that Gnuplot is currently in version 6.0, which was recently released and in ite highlights support for function blocks and scope variables, in addition to having added new specialized and complete functions.
It is also highlighted that they propose new chart types: 2D “with surface” plot style for 2D polar coordinates, e2D plot style “with sectors” to generate pie and donut charts, compass rose charts, and a polar equivalent to sparse matrix heat maps, 2D plot style “with lines” to detect peaks in a function graph that would be missed and 3D plot style “with outline fill” produces 2D or 3D surfaces with different z ranges indicated by a solid color fill.
In addition, it stands out that new types of strokes, masks and smoothing options have been added, new syntax has been added if {…} else if {…} else {…}, XDG base directory conventions for configuration files are supported, support for named palettes has been added, and new built-in functions and array operations have been added.
Of others changes that stand out:
- Support for data formats has been expanded.
- Added support for guard points.
- Terminals that display graphics in the same window where text is entered now support pseudo-mouse; That is, they respond to arrow keys and other hotkey combinations during "mouse pause."
- The new kittygd and kittycairo terminals provide windowed graphics for terminal emulators that support the kitty protocol.
- Multiple charts can now be saved, replotted, and resized interactively.
- New key layout options to force a specific width or number of columns. The automatic positioning of the key on the page can be modified manually by giving a scroll.
Finally if you are interested in knowing more about it about the new release, you can check the details In the following link
How to install Gnuplot on Linux?
For those interested in being able to install Gnuplot on their system, they should know that Installation packages are offered from the official project website. The link is this.
Installing Gnuplot on Linux may vary slightly depending on distribution, but you should know that the package is found in the repositories of the main Linux distributions, so its installation is quite simple:
In the case of users of Ubuntu / Debian and derivatives:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install gnuplot
In the case of fedora:
sudo dnf install gnuplot
While for those who use ArchLinux:
sudo pacman -S gnuplot