TablPlot version 1.0 for Linux
Author: Robert Best
License, warranty: GNU GPL, see http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html
Updates, source code: see http://rwbest.planetaclix.pt/tp.html
Installation: see Readme.
TablPlot is a little tool that reads a number table and makes a cartesian (XY) or polar (RΦ) plot. Automatic (log)scaling, spline interpolation, curve fitting, plot sizing and PostScript output. TablPlot does not make bar graphics or pie charts.
Like most programs, tablPlot can be started in several ways, for instance: 1. In KDE, click on tablPlot in your home directory; in GNOME, select System / Run Program, type ~/tablPlot and click Run. A file selection box appears; select xy1.tp and click OK. 2. Move tablPlot to your bin directory, start Konsole (KDE) or Terminal (GNOME), type "tablPlot xy1.tp" (without quotes) and hit [Enter]. The 2nd way gives some extra information.
Either way, a plot should appear under a menu bar. If not, review the installation. Try a few items in the Plot menu. Resize the window by dragging a bottom corner.
TablPlot counts rows and columns of the table. To start with, the first column is taken for X-values and the second for Y-values.
There are 2 ways to draw more than one curve in a plot. Use More in the Table menu if you have a file with several 2-column tables like xy2.tp. Use Columns in the Table menu to select a column for X and several columns for Y from a table with more than 2 columns like xy3.tp.
Menu
Items marked with * can be undone by hitting them once more. When asked for input, type number(s) or text and hit [Enter].
Table
Load: a number table.
Columns: make new plot. Not selectable after 'More'.
X or Φ: type column number for X- or Φ-values.
Y or R: type column number(s, separated by spaces) for left hand Y scale or R scale.
Y2: for right hand Y scale, see Y. Not selectable for 'Polar'.
Length: make new plot using same but shorter columns. Not selectable after 'More'.
More: plot all tables in the file. 1st column for X, 2nd column for Y. Selectable only once.
Plot
Polar*: takes X values for Φ and Y values for R. Selectable only if all R values are non-negative. Y2 values are ignored.
Mark*: all points.
Line*: connect points with straight lines.
Spline: draw curve through points. Repeat to make the curve smoother. Third repeat removes the spline curve.
Fit*: straight line that fits the points best ("least squares" or "linear regression"). Linear, exponential, logarithmic or power fit depending on X and Y (log)scales. Not selectable for polar plots. Konsole gives fit line equation(s).
Save: store data of current plot in TAB2PLOT file (see below). Type a name with .tp extension.
PS: save plot in PostScript file for printer.
Scale
Xmin: minimum value on X-axis. Must be less than maximum value Xmax and must be positive if Xlog (see below) is active.
Xdiv: number of divisions along linear X scale. Xdiv=0 removes scale. Not selectable if Xlog is active.
Xlog*: logscale on X-axis. Selectable only if Xmin is positive.
Xrev*: reverse X scale. Not selectable if Xlog is active.
Xmul: multiply all X values by positive factor. Use this to convert miles to km for instance.
Ymin, Ymax: see Xmin.
Y2min, Y2max: refer to right Y-axis. See Xmin.
Ylog*, Y2log*: like Xlog.
Yrev*, Ymul, Y2rev*, Y2mul: see Xrev, Xmul.
Numbers along axes (linear scales) are divided by Î=3.14159 if the lower or upper bound is specified as a multiple of Î/4 using more than two decimals.
Text
at X-axis, at bottom: can be moved to the right with preceding spaces.
at Y-axis, Y2-axis, R-axis: characters are stacked upon each other. In the PS-file the characters are turned 90 degrees anticlockwise.
at X-, Y- and Y2-axis is not selectable for polar plot.
at bottom: only keyboard chars.
anywhere 1 to 5: write text, hit [Enter], then click in plot to display text at mouse point.
Sub- or superscripts and/or Greek letters can be obtained by preceding them with _ ^ \. For instance, a^2 gives a², \b gives β and _\g gives subscript γ. See 'Greek letters' below.
Table
TablPlot accepts a file as a number table if: - the file name has the extension .tp and - numbers in a row are separated by spaces or tabs, and - each row, also the last one, is terminated by [Return], and - if the file contains several number tables, these are separated by === on a new line.
A row of numbers may be preceded or followed by text, but a dot, digit or minus sign is assumed to start a new row of numbers.
TablPlot scans the file for a table header ===. If it finds ===, everything preceding it is ignored. TablPlot looks again for === at the end of the table and ignores everything below that, unless 'More' is selected.
A TAB2PLOT file, created by 'Save', is a special number table to store a plot for further work. Start tablPlot anew to retrieve the plot. Remove the first line if you edit this kind of file.
Known bugs
TAB2PLOT files give wrong sized plots when Load in the Table menu is used. Clip does not work for polar plots.
Greek letters
(If you don't see Greek letters below, set the encoding to Unicode utf8.)
Type \a to get α, etc.
a α A Î j Ï J θ1 s Ïf S Σ b β B Î k κ K Î t Ï T Τ c Ï C Χ l λ L Î u Ï U Î¥ d δ D Î m μ M Î v Ï1 V Ï e ε E Î n ν N Î w Ï W Ω f Ï F Φ o ο O Î x ξ X Î g γ G Î p Ï P Î y Ï Y Ψ h η H Î q θ Q Î~ z ζ Z Î i ι I ÎTM r Ï R Ρ
θ1 and Ï1 are alternative letters which I cannot reproduce here.