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Simtel MSDOS 1992 September
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splot57.arc
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SPLOT.DOC
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1990-01-25
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SPLOT USER INSTRUCTIONS
The program SPLOT (Screen PLOT) will plot two and three dimensional
data on the screen of an IBM compatible PC with CGA, EGA, VGA or
Hercules graphics. The SPLOT program creates a plot by executing a
sequence of plot commands which can be typed at the keyboard, selected
from a menu or read from a command file.
If the user types "SPLOT filename" at the DOS prompt the program SPLOT
will execute plot commands read from the text file "filename". The
plot commands specify plot parameters such as type of axes. Multiple
sets of data can be plotted on the same plot. The sets of data can be
in the command file or in separate data files. It is assumed that the
plot commands and data are stored as ASCII text by an editor, word
processor or a user written program that generates the plot commands
and/or data as output (as do the example Basic programs FUNGEN.BAS,
SURFGEN.BAS and CURVEGEN.BAS which generate data and commands to plot
user specified functions).
If just "SPLOT" is typed at the DOS prompt then the plot commands
can be typed at the keyboard or selected from a menu.
On most PCs the program will detect the type of installed graphics
card (CGA, EGA or Hercules) and use the highest resolution graphics
mode available with that card; EGA resolution is used with VGA
cards. If a monitor used with an EGA card will only support CGA
resolution or if the program incorrectly detects the type of
graphics card then the card can be specified with the DOS command
"SET SPLOT=card" where "card" is "CGA", "EGA" or "HER". For example,
the AT&T 6300 Display Enhancement Board is detected as being EGA but
it is not compatible with EGA; it is compatible with CGA. To specify
that the SPLOT program use CGA mode on an AT&T with a DEB, type the
DOS command "SET SPLOT=CGA" before starting the program or place the
command in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
The following plot commands specify the type of axes. The x axis is
the horizontal axis and the y axis is the vertical axis; a
3-Dimensional plot will also have a z axis perpendicular to the x-y
plane.
LINX - Selects linear x axis (the default).
LOGX - Selects log x axis.
PROBX - Selects cumulative normal probability x axis.
LINY - Selects linear y axis (the default).
LOGY - Selects log y axis.
PROBY - Selects cumulative normal probability y axis.
LINZ - Selects linear z axis (the default) for 3-D plots.
LOGZ - Selects log z axis.
By default the program will automatically set the scales of the axes
based on the minimum and maximum data values. The scales of the
axes can be set by the user with the following commands:
XSTART value - The x axis will start at "value".
XEND value - The x axis will end at "value".
XSTEP value - Linear x axis tic marks will be labeled
in steps of "value".
YSTART value - The y axis will start at "value".
YEND value - The y axis will end at "value".
YSTEP value - Linear y axis tic marks will be labeled
in steps of "value".
ZSTART value - The z axis on 3-D plots will start at "value".
ZEND value - The z axis will end at "value".
ZSTEP value - Linear z axis tic marks will be labeled
in steps of "value".
Automatic scaling of an axis can be re-enabled by setting the starting
and ending values equal to the same value, i.e., "XSTART 0" and "XEND
0". If the step size is omitted from a linear axis then the program
will select a step size and adjust the starting and ending values to
match the step size. The step size is ignored with a log axis. A log
axis will cover a maximum of four decades and will always start and
end at decade boundaries. Data plotted on a normal probability axis
must be in the range .0001 to .9999; the axis will be labeled using
the scaled range .01 to 99.99.
The following commands specify other axes parameters:
XGRID - Grid lines will be drawn at labeled x axis tic marks.
YGRID - Grid lines will be drawn at labeled y axis tic marks.
XGRID OFF - Turns off display of x axis grid lines.
YGRID OFF - Turns off display of y axis grid lines.
XTICS n - Selects "n" minor x axis tic marks between labeled
tic marks (default is 4).
YTICS n - Selects "n" minor y axis tic marks between labeled
tic marks (default is 4).
ZTICS n - Selects "n" minor z axis tic marks between labeled
tic marks (default is 4).
The following commands are used to read the data:
OPEN filename - Opens data file "filename" for read.
READ n - Reads "n" x y data points pairs.
If no data file is opened then the data is read from the command file
starting at the line after the READ command. Multiple READ commands
will result in multiple sets of data being plotted on the same plot.
There can be a maximum of 200 data sets and a maximum of 16000 data
points per data set; the number of data points per data set will also
be limited by the amount of available memory. If "n" is zero or
omitted then data points will be read until the end of the data file
(or until a Ctrl-Z is read); a maximum of 1024 data points can be read
in this manner. Successive data values must be separated by at least
one non-numeric character other than "+", "-", ".", "E" or "e".
Numbers can be in scientific notation with "E" or "e" preceding the
exponent.
Data can also be read inwhich all of the x values precede all of the y
values:
READX n - Reads "n" x data values; must precede READY command.
READY n - Reads "n" y data values; x = 1, 2, 3 ... if no READX.
If multiple READY commands are used to read multiple data sets inwhich
corresponding y values are associated with the same x value then only
one READX command is required. If a READY command is not preceded
by a READX (or READ) command then the y values will be plotted at even
intervals.
Multiple sets of data can also be read when the data is arranged in
the form of a table:
READTAB m n - Reads "n" rows of table with columns x, y1, ..., ym.
The x values must be in the first column and the
corresponding y values of data set #1 to data set #m
must be in the remaining "m" columns.
READTABY m n - Reads "n" rows of table with columns y1, ..., ym.
If the command is not preceded by a READX command
then the y values will be plotted at even intervals.
Multiple sets of data can be plotted on a 3-Dimensional plot inwhich
each data set corresponds to a point on the z axis:
READZ n - Reads "n" z data values for 3-D plots; one z value
per data set.
A single 3-Dimensional curve can be plotted inwhich the points on the
curve are the x-y points in data set #1 and the corresponding z values
read with the READZ command. There can be a maximum 1024 points on
the 3-D curve. A table of x y z data values can be read with the
following command:
READXYZ n - Reads "n" x y z values as single 3-D data set
for plotting as a 3-D curve or 3-D scatter plot.
READZXY n - Reads the 3-D data point values in the order z x y.
The following are some more commands used in reading data:
READBARX n - Reads "n" character strings to be used as the x
value labels on a bar graph.
SKIP n - Skips "n" lines of the data file.
SEARCH text - Reads from the data file until a line containing
"text" is read.
CLOSE - Closes the data file; opening a new data file will
also close a previously opened data tile.
The following commands will generate a curve fit of a data set:
POLY m n - Generates an mth degree polynomial least squares fit
of data set #n.
EXP m n - Generates an exponential of an mth degree polynomial
least squares fit of data set #n, i.e.,
m m-1
Cm X + Cm-1 X + ... + C1 X + C0
Y = e
AVG m n - Generates a nonweighted moving average fit of data
set #n using a moving window 2*m+1 data points wide.
The data points must be equally space.
If "m" is omitted then it defaults to one; a polynomial fit's degree
can not be greater than 10. If "n" is omitted it defaults to the last
read data set. The generated data is stored as a new data set. If
the POLY or EXP command is used again to fit the same data set with a
different degree polynomial or the AVG command is used again with a
different window size then the new fit will overwrite the old one.
KEEP - Keeps the last generated fit from being overwritten
by a new one.
OUTPOLY file - Outputs the last generated polynomial's coefficients
to the specified file; if the file is omitted then
the output will be to the screen.
Multiple sets of plotted data that correspond to different orders of
magnitude or different ranges can be compared by using the following
commands:
SCALEX value n - Multiplies the x values in data set #n by "value".
OFFSETX value n - Adds "value" to the x values of data set #n.
SCALEY value n - Multiplies the y values in data set #n by "value".
OFFSETY value n - Adds "value" to the y values in data set #n.
If "n" is omitted from any of the above commands then it defaults to
all data sets; this feature can be used to scale the data to keep
scientific notation from being used in axes tic mark labels.
The following commands select the type of 2-D plot for each data set:
LINE n - Selects a line plot (the default) of data set #n
inwhich successive data points are connected by
straight lines.
SPLINE n - Selects a natural cubic spline plot of data set #n
inwhich successive data points are connected by a
smooth curve.
CURVE n - Selects a smooth curve plot of data set #n using a
proprietary method that does not oscillate as much
as a spline curve.
SYMBOLS n - Specifies that symbols (small squares) are to be
drawn at the data points of data set #n along with
the connecting lines or curve.
SCATTER n - Selects a scatter plot of data set #n with just the
symbols for the data points and without the
connecting lines or curve.
SPIKES n - Specifies that vertical spikes are to be drawn to the
data points of data set #n along with the connecting
lines or curve.
HISTOGRAM n - Selects a histogram of data set #n with the data
points represented by vertical spikes and without the
connecting lines or curve.
STEP n - Selects a step plot of data set #n with successive
data points connected by horizontal steps.
If "n" is omitted from any of the above commands then the command
applies to all data sets. In order to make a spline or curve plot the x
values must be in ascending order.
Each set of data is plotted in a different color with EGA/VGA graphics;
dash lines are used with CGA and Hercules graphics.
COLOR m - Specifies that color index "m" be used for drawing
axes and labels with EGA/VGA graphics.
DATACOLOR m n - Specifies that color index "m" be used for plotting
data set #n with EGA/VGA graphics. Colors can be
specified only for the first 10 data sets; these
colors will be repeated if more than 10 data sets are
plotted.
DASH ON - Enables dashed lines (default for CGA & Hercules).
DASH OFF - Disables dashed lines (default for EGA/VGA).
The following commands are used to specify a title, axes labels and
data set legends:
XLABEL text - The character string "text" will be printed below
the x-axis.
YLABEL text - The character string "text" will be printed to the
left of the y-axis.
ZLABEL text - The character string "text" will be printed to the
right of the z-axis on 3-D plots.
TITLE text - The character string "text" will be printed above
the plot.
LEGENDn x y text - The legend "text" associated with data set #n will
be printed at coordinate (x,y).
The LEGENDn coordinate (x,y) is the coordinate of the lower left corner
of the first character in the text. The coordinate values are specified
as fractions of axis length and must be between 0. and 1., i.e, (0.,0.)
is at the origin, (1.,0.) is at the end of the x-axis and (0.,1.) is at
the top of the y-axis. LEGEND1, LEGEND2, ..., LEGEND9 are associated
with data sets 1 to 9, respectively, and LEGEND0 is associated with
data set 10; only the first 10 data sets can be given a legend. The
legends are displayed using the same colors used to plot the
corresponding data sets with EGA graphics. Legends are printed on 2-D
plots only.
Rather than use the LEGENDn command, an easier way to display a
legend for data set #n is to manually place the legend on the plot.
After the plot is drawn:
(1) Press function key Fn.
(2) Move the cursor to the desired position on the screen.
(3) Type the text of the legend.
(4) Press the ENTER key.
The cursor appears after a function key has been pressed; it disappears
after the ENTER key has been pressed. The arrow keys will move the
cursor in pixel increments; the HOME and END keys will move the cursor
left and right in character increments and the PgUp and and PgDn keys
will move the cursor up and down in character increments. If the plot
is saved with the SAVE command (described below) then the legends
entered on the screen will be saved as LEGENDn commands. If just one
function key is used to enter more than one legend then only the last
one entered is saved. Note that the legend coordinates are screen
coordinates; the legends are not repositioned if the origin or axes
scales are changed. Legends can be temporarily disabled or cleared
with the following commands:
LEGENDS OFF - Disables display of legends.
LEGENDS ON - Enables display of legends.
LEGENDS CLR - Clears all legends.
A 2-Dimensional plot will be made when the end of the command file is
reached or the following command is read:
PLOT - Makes a 2-Dimensional plot.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The plot will be cleared from the screen
when the ESC key is pressed.
A 3-Dimensional plot will be made when one of the following commands is
read:
PLOT3D - Makes a 3-Dimensional plot of multiple x-y data sets
with the z axis a parameter axis.
PLOT3D SURFACE - Makes a 3-Dimensional plot of multiple x-y data sets
representing curves on a surface y = f(x,z).
PLOT3D CURVE - Makes a plot of a 3-Dimensional curve.
PLOT3D SCATTER - Makes a 3-Dimensional scatter plot.
Each x-y data set will correspond to a point on the z axis. If z
values were read with the READZ command then the kth x-y data set will
correspond to the kth z value. The z values must be in ascending
order. If no z values were read then the x-y data sets will be plotted
at even intervals along the z axis. With a normal 3-D plot the data
sets are plotted in different colors. With a surface 3-D plot all
data sets are plotted with the same color using a different hidden line
algorithm that allows the bottom of the surface to be visible as well
as the top.
With a surface 3-D plot each data set is assumed to contain the points
of a curve on the surface that corresponds to a constant value of z,
i.e., Y = f(X,Zk) where Zk is the value of z that corresponds to the
kth data set containing the x and y values. If all data sets contain
the same sequence of x values then the easiest way of reading the
points on the surface is to use a READZ command and a READTAB command:
READZ m
Z1 Z2 ... Zm
READTAB m n
X1 Y11 Y12 ... Y1m
X2 Y21 Y22 ... Y2m
. .
: :
Xn Yn1 Yn2 ... Ynm
A 3-D curve is plotted as as sequence of (x,y,z) values inwhich the x-y
values were read as data set #1 using the READ command and the z values
were read using the READZ command. The (x,y,z) values can also be read
using the READXYZ command (or the READZXY command).
If a group of (x,y,z) values contained in data set #1 and z is plotted
as a 3-Dimensional scatter plot then a symbol is drawn at each data
point along with a vertical line connecting the symbol to the xz
plane.
A different view of the a 3-D plot can be specified with the following
command:
ROTATE - Next 3-D plot will be rotated 90 degrees.
ROTATE OFF - Next 3-D plot will be displayed using the normal
view.
Equally spaced y data values can be plotted as a bar graph with the
following command:
BAR - Makes a bar graph of equally spaced y data values.
If multiple sets of data are to be plotted as a bar graph then all of
the data sets must have the same number of data points. A maximum of
25 data points can be plotted as a bar graph. If no character strings
were read with the READBARX command as the x value labels then the
x-axis is labeled using the values specified by the "XSTART" and
"XSTEP" commands; if the the XSTEP value is zero then the x-axis is
labeled as 1, 2, 3, ...
If just "SPLOT" is typed at the DOS prompt then the plot commands and
data can be entered at the keyboard. The following commands are
useful when commands are entered interactively at the keyboard:
HELP - Displays a summary of the plot commands.
MENU - Allows plot commands to be selected from a menu.
CLRDATA n - Clears data set #n; clears all data sets if "n" is
omitted.
CLRPLOT - Resets all plot parameters to their default values.
SHOW - Displays the current status of plot parameters.
DO filename - Executes the plot commands in file "filename".
SAVE filename - Saves the data and plot commands to the file
"filename". If the filename is omitted then it
defaults to "SAVE.PLT". If the file already exists it
is overwritten.
DOS command - Executes the specified DOS command; a copy of
COMMAND.COM must be accessible by the system.
EDIT n Invokes a user supplied editor to edit data set #n.
Before starting the SPLOT program, the name of the
editor must be specified with the DOS command "SET
SPEDIT=editor". For example, "SET SPEDIT=EDLIN"
specifies that the DOS EDLIN editor will be used; a
path to the editor must also be specified. The EDIT
command will write data set #n to the temporary file
SPLOTDAT.TMP in the default directory then invoke the
specified editor to edit the file. After the editor
terminates, the SPLOT program reads the data back in
from the file then deletes the file SPLOTDAT.TMP and
the file SPLOTDAT.BAK. The edited data set must not
contain more than 100 additional data points.
QUIT - Terminates the program.
Keyboard input of commands can be particularly useful when doing a
polynomial curve fit and it is not known what degree will give the
best fit. When entered from the keyboard, the POLY command will
display a statistic, the residual variance. First try a first degree
fit with the command "POLY 1" and note the residual variance. Then
try a second degree fit with the command "POLY 2" and again note the
residual variance. Then try a third degree fit, etc. When a degree is
reached inwhich the residual variance did not change by much from the
previous value then the previous degree is the degree that should be
used.
The DOS memory resident program GRAPHICS will dump a plot to an IBM
compatible dot matrix printer when the Shift and PrtSc keys are
simultaneously pressed; the program must have been previously
installed with the DOS command "GRAPHICS". The GRAPHICS program
draws the plot sideways and some versions will not work with EGA or
Hercules graphics. The memory resident program PLOTDUMP draws the
plot right side up and will work with CGA, EGA or Hercules graphics.
It is installed with the command "PLOTDUMP" and is invoked by
simultaneously pressing the Ctrl and PrtSc keys. If plot dumps are
made often then the PLOTDUMP command should be placed in the
AUTOEXEC.BAT file (the file PLOTDUMP.COM must be in the root
directory or a path must be specified to the directory containing
the file).
PLEASE NOTE: In order to dump a plot to a printer the PLOTDUMP
program must be installed in memory before making the plot.
EXAMPLES
Suppose the file EXAMPLE.PLT contains the following commands:
title Example Plot
xlabel This is the x axis
ylabel This is the y axis
xstart 5
xend 15
xstep 2.5
ygrid
open data2.dat
read 16
read
open data1.dat
read
close
read 12
6 178 7 193 7.5 212 8 243 8.5 365 9.5 185
10 72 12 43 12.5 150 13 240 13.5 30 14 85
symbols 3
symbols 4
plot
And suppose data file DATA2.DAT contains:
5 30 6 40 7 70 8 120
9 250 9.5 450 10 800 10.25 900
10.5 950 10.75 880 11 700 11.5 290
12 150 13 80 14 50 15 40
5 980 6 980 7 980 8 950 8.5 900 9 800
9.5 500 10 400 10.5 300 11 250 11.5 220 12 200
13 200 14 200 15 200
And suppose data file DATA1.DAT contains:
4 50 6 75 8 125 10 275 12 575 14 950
A plot will be displayed by typing "SPLOT EXAMPLE.PLT" at the DOS
prompt. The x and y axes will be labeled and the plot will be titled.
The x-axis will be linear by default and will range from 5 to 15 and
be labeled in increments of 2.5. By default the program SPLOT will
set the scale of the y-axis which will also be linear. Horizonal grid
lines will be drawn. Four sets of data will be plotted. The first set
of data will consist of 16 data points read from file data2.dat. The
second set of data will be all of the remaining data in file
data2.dat. The third set of data will be read from file data1.dat.
The fourth set of data will be the 12 data points in the command
file. All four sets of data will be plotted as line plots. Symbols
will be drawn at the data points in the third and fourth sets of
data.
The data in the following command file will be plotted at even
intervals as a histogram using a log Y-axis:
title Example Log & Histogram Plot
xlabel X
ylabel Y
logy
histogram
ready 24
2.1 2.9 3.3 3.8 4.6 6.2 8.3 12.4 17.1 29.3 53.7 75.4
92.1 62.3 25.4 15.2 11.2 7.4 5.9 4.1 3.6 2.8 2.3 1.95
plot
The following commands will produce a third degree polynomial curve
fit:
title Third Degree Polynomial Curve Fit
xlabel X
ylabel Y
read 10
.5 3 1.5 7 2.5 12.5 5.5 14.5 6.5 16
9.5 14.5 10.5 16 12.5 16 14.5 21 15.5 23
poly 3
plot
The following commands will produce a bar graph:
title Bar Graph Demo
xlabel Season
ylabel Number
readbarx 4
Winter Spring Summer Fall
ready 4
24 42 78 88
ready 4
28 35 65 72
ready 4
58 63 72 70
ready 4
80 83 72 53
bar
SPLOT SOFTWARE, VERSION 5, LICENSE AGREEMENT
The SPLOT software (programs SPLOT, HPLOT and PLOTDUMP and all
documentation and examples) is copyrighted by the author. If you find
the SPLOT software useful please send payment of $20.00 to the author:
William G. Hood
711 Mitchell
Conway, AR 72032 (USA)
The SPLOT software is protected by copyright law; it is not public
domain. You are granted a limited license to have possession of an
unpaid for copy of the SPLOT software for the purpose of evaluation of
the software and a license to make and freely give away unmodified
copies for the purpose of evaluation of the software by others. The
software may not be sold, separately or in conjunction with any other
software or hardware, without written permission of the author; a
reasonable (under $10) media and handling fee may be charged for
diskettes or other media containing the software or for access to the
software on bulletin boards.
Actual use of the SPLOT software, other than for reasonable evaluation
purposes, without payment of $20.00 to the author is a copyright
violation. Payment of $20.00 entitles a single user to use the SPLOT
software.
Those who have previously paid for the right to use version 3 or
version 4 of the SPLOT software can purchase the right to use version 5
for $10.00.
The software is provided "AS IS" without warranty of any kind, either
expressed or implied.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you find the SPLOT software useful please send payment to
William G. Hood
711 Mitchell
Conway, AR 72032 (USA)
[ ] Payment by check of ________ for a license for ____ (1 to 9) users
to use the SPLOT software @ $20.00 / user ($10.00 / user if you have
previously paid for use of version 3 or 4).
[ ] Payment by check of ________ for a license for ____ (10 to 24) users
to use the SPLOT software @ $15.00 / user.
[ ] Payment by check of ________ for a license for ____ (25 to 49) users
to use the SPLOT software @ $10.00 / user.
[ ] Payment by check of $500.00 for a license for an unlimited number
of users of the SPLOT software (within a single organization).
Name: ___________________________________________________________
Company: ___________________________________________________________
Address: ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Phone: ___________________________