From graphics-request at octave dot org Mon Feb 13 14:05:23 2006
Subject: Re: Handle graphics plotting functions
From: Daniel J Sebald <daniel dot sebald at ieee dot org>
To: Shai Ayal <shaiay at gmail dot com>
CC: Sebastien Loisel <sloisel at gmail dot com>,         octave-graphics <graphics@octave.org>
Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2006 14:12:44 -0600

Shai Ayal wrote:
> Sebastien,
> 
> I meant to cc the list but I hit the "reply" instead of "reply-all".
> I'm cc'ing the list on this one.
> 
> Anyway, I am not sure I understand all of your email. I will start by
> presenting my ideas and octplot:
> 
> handle graphics
> ===========
> I see handle graphics as way for the user to gain total control of the
> plot. This allows for tweaking which is so often needed when making a
> formal plot (i.e. for a paper/presentation) and for inventing whole
> new kinds of graphs and building them using the primitive building
> blocks available. Both these features are missing in gnuplot.

What's missing in gnuplot?  There are plenty of parameters in gnuplot for tweaking plot appearance and creating publication quality graphics.  It requires gnuplot commands through something like "graw()" which I thought was supposed to be this new "graphics raw command" approach where any number of graphics drivers could be present.

What kind of new graphs are in mind?  If you mean simply that someone could build their own plot style using handle graphics and then port it from Matlab to Octave, sure I agree with that.  If there is a useful plotting style out there that gnuplot doesn't handle, mention it to gnuplot developers list for consideration if you like.

Dan