## Ploticus Scripts Handbook

Version 2.32
Scripts

Manual page for Ploticus_Scripts_Handbook(PL)

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The pl(1) command produces plots from scripts, eg: `pl -png scat1.pl`
Gallery of script examples
What's new

### Quick start

1. Download the software, and install.
2. Write your script using your favorite text editor (peruse the script examples gallery to find examples)
3. Execute the pl command (`pl scriptfile`)

### Writing scripts

Introduction to scripts
Script syntax
Specifying procedures and attributes
Variables
Directives `#proc #endproc #procdef #saveas #clone
#set #setifnotgiven #call #if #ifspec
#for #while #loop #break #continue
#exit #include #cat #return
#write #shell #sql`
System variables

### Plotting procs

proc annotate - add annotation
proc areadef - define a plotting area
notes on automatic scaling
proc axis (xaxis/yaxis) - render an axis
proc bars - bar graphs, histograms, error bars, floating bars, timelines
proc categories - define a set of categories for an axis
proc curvefit - generate a curve from data points
proc drawcommands - draw using command set
proc getdata - get or specify plot data
proc legend - render a legend
proc line - draw arbitrary lines
proc lineplot - produce a line plot
proc page - set page-wide attributes/ break page
proc pie - produce a pie graph
proc rangebar - produce a rangebar / boxplot
proc rangesweep - produce a range sweep
proc rect - draw an arbitrary rectangle
proc scatterplot - produce a scatterplot or grid or data point display
proc settings - overall settings for units, notations, etc
proc vector - vector plots
proc venndisk - venn diagrams

### Utility procs

proc breakaxis - break an axis or bar, to display extreme values
proc defineunits - explicitly define scaling units
proc import - import an external PNG image file
proc legendentry - define a legend entry explicitly
proc print - show outliers, contents of variables, etc. (deprecated)
proc processdata - internal processing of data:
- accumulate
- break processing
- count/summate on instances
- joins
- row numbering
- compute percents
- reverse row order
- rotation of row/column matrix
- find mean, sd, min, max
- compute totals
proc tabulate - perform tabulations & frequency distributions
proc trailer - specify data at end of script
proc usedata - set the current data set for plotting

### Functions

Introduction
plotting functions
arithmetic functions
string functions
list handling functions
date functions
time functions
misc functions

### Reference

Input data for plotting
Data types and scaling: numeric, category, date, time
Absolute units, scaled units, etc.
Attribute types: dfield, plotvalue, locvalue, printf, string, text, multilinetext
Linedetails
Symboldetails
Textdetails
Select expressions
Colors
Fonts
Dates
Times
Your ploticus config file - settings to be in effect all the time
What's new - general
What's new - prefabs
FAQ
Newsgroup
pl(1) man page
libploticus API
Web usage notes
Imagemap, clickmap & mouseover text bubbles
Dynamic content and just-in-time usage notes
Direct CGI mode
Paper-based report usage notes
Large-sized poster usage notes
Pre-press work usage notes
SVG notes
SWF (shockwave-flash) notes
Download
Build instructions
Troubleshooting & support
Limitations
Copyright and permissions
Steve Grubb's home page

### Back to ploticus home

### Ploticus prefabs handbook

data display engine
Copyright Steve Grubb

Markup created by unroff 1.0, `` `` August 23, 2005.