Quickstart for gnuplot

A complete guide to gnuplot is at http://www.gnuplot.info/help.html

COMMAND				ACTION

gnuplot				starts up the gnuplot "shell"
				all commands below are relevant in that shell

set data style linespoints	data points are connected by line segments

set title "This is the graph's title"
set xlabel "This is the label for the x axis"
set ylabel "This is the label for the y axis"

set logscale xy 2		converts x and y scales to log (base 2)
set nologscale			converts back

set key x,y			places the key (the legend) at coords x,y

set xrange [min:max]		specifies range of x axis
set yrange [min:max]		specifies range of y axis
set autoscale			gnuplot determines axes ranges

plot "file.1", "file.2"         plots the x,y data points from file.1 and file.2
splot "file.3" with pm3d	plots x,y,z data points with hidden surfaces

replot				use after changing a "set"ing to see the
				latest version of the graph

To create a postscript version of your graph suitable for printing:

set term postscript
set output "mygraph.ps"
plot "file.1", "file.2"		(or replot)
set term x11

To get encapsulated postscript for LaTeX:

set term postscript eps color
set output 'mygraph.eps'
plot 'file.1', 'file.2'
set term x11

In your LaTeX document, include

\usepackage{epsfig}

after the \documentclass command.  Then place

\begin{figure}[htbp] \centering
\centerline{\hbox{\psfig{figure=mygraph.eps}}}
\caption{A simple graph.}
\label{fig1}
\end{figure}

in your LaTeX document at the point you want the figure to appear (and cross
your fingers).