Graph (Unix)

{{Short description|Unix graphing utility}} {{lowercase}} {{Infobox software | name = graph | logo = | screenshot = | screenshot size = | caption = | author = Douglas McIlroy<br />(AT&T Bell Laboratories) | developer = Various open-source and commercial developers | released = | latest release version = | latest release date = | operating system = Unix, Unix-like | platform = Cross-platform | genre = Command | license = | website = }} In Unix, '''graph''' is a command-line utility used to draw plots from tabular data.

== History == The '''graph''' utility, written by Douglas McIlroy, was present in the first version of Unix, and every later version, for instance:

* Unix Version 7, released in 1979 <ref> {{cite web |title=graph |series=Unix v7 manual pages |url=https://www.unix.com/man-page/v7/1G/GRAPH/ |access-date=Nov 24, 2018 |year=1979 |publisher=Bell Labs }} </ref> * SunOS 5.10, the Solaris version released in 2005 <ref> {{cite web |title=graph |series=SunOS 5.10 manual pages |url=https://www.unix.com/man-page/sunos/1/graph/ |access-date=Nov 24, 2018 |year=2005 |publisher=Sun Microsystems }} </ref> Its output is a sequence of commands for the '''plot''' utility, which creates plots using ASCII graphics.

This design demonstrates the Unix philosophy: defining the plot ('''graph''') and drawing it ('''plot''') are separate tools, so they can be recombined with other tools. For instance, '''plot''' can be substituted with a different utility, that accepts the same plot commands, but creates the plot in a graphics file format, or sends it to a plotter.

Unix v7 also provided device drivers for plotting the results to various graphics devices; <ref> {{cite book |title=Computer programs in Seismology: CALPLOT graphics |editor1-first=Robert B. |editor1-last=Herrmann |page=vi |year=2004 |version=3.30 |url=http://www.eas.slu.edu/eqc/eqc_cps/CPS/CPS330/cps330p.pdf |access-date=Nov 24, 2018 }} </ref> this was announced as ''now standard''.<ref>{{cite news |title=7th Edition UNIX — Summary |publisher=Bell Laboratories |location=Murray Hill, New Jersey 07974 |page=1 |date=September 6, 1978 |url=http://a.papnet.eu/UNIX/v7/files/doc/01_summary.pdf |access-date=Nov 24, 2018 |archive-date=November 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181124220133/http://a.papnet.eu/UNIX/v7/files/doc/01_summary.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The GNU plotutils package provides a free non-exact reimplementation, available for Linux and many other systems. It can create plots in various graphics formats.

== Usage == In its simplest use, the '''graph''' utility takes a textfile containing pairs of numbers, indicating the points of a line plot.

It outputs the line plot. Several options can be supplied to modify its behavior.

== Example (Unix) == <gallery mode="packed" widths="258" heights="191"> Graph (SunOS 5.10) demo, part 1 of 2 - input and execution.png | Preparing example input and running '''graph''' with '''plot''' Graph (SunOS 5.10) demo, part 2 of 2 - output.png | The results </gallery>

These screenshots demonstrate basic operation on SunOS 5.10, on which '''graph''' and '''plot''' come preinstalled. The example input is from the first example in the GNU plotutils manual.

== Example (GNU plotutils) == <gallery mode="packed" widths="258" heights="191"> Graph (Ubuntu 14.04 Linux) demo, part 1 of 2 - input and execution.png | Preparing example input and running '''graph''' in Tektronix mode Graph (Ubuntu 14.04 Linux) demo, part 2 of 2 - output.png | The results </gallery>

These screenshots demonstrate the GNU plotutils version of '''graph''' when run in an xterm, exploiting xterm's ability to emulate a Tektronix 4010 plotter.

This demo was run on Ubuntu, which makes GNU plotutils available as an optional package; many other Linux distributions and other Unix-like systems do the same.

== References == {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Wikibooks|Guide to Unix|Commands}}

Category:Command-line software Category:Unix software