[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: publication quality graphs



Stuart Prescott <debian@nanonanonano.net> wrote:

> Here, I'd like to describe how I normally plot data and why the various
> apps that I've tried don't work for me (below).

Very thorough description and comparison.  Good work!
 
> *gri
> Works great for me for quick scriptable graphing to condense the data
> from several hundred simulations into a few graphs with minimal work.

Gri doesn't do 3D plots, but it's pretty good at lines, contours and
converting data grids to grayscale or colour images.

Gri is written and maintained by a friend of mine (Dan Kelley), a
professor in physical oceanography who was also my Ph.D. advisor.
Although he's busy with other things at this time of year, he's pretty
responsive to adding features.

I'm the Debian maintainer for Gri.  If you'd like to see what it's all
about, see the docs at:

 http://gri.sourceforge.net/
 http://gri.sourceforge.net/docs.php

some example code and resulting figures at:

 http://gri.sourceforge.net/gri-cookbook/index.html

and the manual itself at:

 http://gri.sourceforge.net/gridoc/html/index.html

I'm also the author of it's gri-mode.  The Emacs mode really helps to
write Gri code with the following features:

 - It can complete partially typed commands, builtin variables and
   synonyms (`gri-complete', `M-Tab') and help you edit the syntax that
   was thus inserted for you (`gri-option-select', `C-c C-o';
   `gri-option-kill', `C-c C-k').

 - It can provide a short help synopsis concerning the command on the
   current line (`gri-help-this-command', `C-c C-h'), or load the info
   manual for that command (`gri-info-this-command', `C-c C-i'). It
   knows the list of all Gri commands, and can provide help or info
   regarding any of them (`gri-help', `C-c M-h'; `gri-info', `C-c M-i')
   using command name completion at the prompt (`Tab').

 - All Gri commands are listed in a pull-down menu from the menubar,
   which you can use to either enter the text of the selected command,
   or obtain help or info about it.

   etc. See  http://gri.sourceforge.net/gridoc/html/Emacs.html

> But you can't quite get production quality graphs out of it (e.g. you
> can't have non-italicised subscripts or superscripts).

I'm sure this could be configurable.  Please file a feature request at
sourceforge: 

 http://sourceforge.net/projects/gri/

I use Gri exclusively and publish in various oceanographic journals.
Since it's a scripted language, it can also be automated which is good
for repeated tasks and web sites.  I made all the figures seen on this
web site using Gri:

 http://www.osl.gc.ca/tsg/index-e.html

-- 
Peter S. Galbraith, Debian Developer          <psg@debian.org>
                                 http://people.debian.org/~psg
GPG key 1024/D2A913A1 - 97CE 866F F579 96EE  6E68 8170 35FF 799E



Reply to: