grap2graph
Convert grap (graph description) to graph format
SYNOPSIS
grap2graph [file]
PARAMETERS
file
The input file containing the grap description of the graph. If no file is specified, `grap2graph` reads from standard input.
DESCRIPTION
The `grap2graph` command is a utility designed to translate the textual description of a graph written in the `grap` language (a language used to describe graphs, often for typesetting purposes) into a more generic graph description format, suitable for processing with other tools. It essentially acts as a preprocessor, converting `grap`'s high-level syntax into a lower-level representation that can be more easily parsed or manipulated.
This allows for the automation of graph processing, analysis, and visualization by decoupling the graph's textual description (using grap syntax) from the specific tools or algorithms used to work with the graph's data. The tool is most often used in conjunction with `troff` document formatting utilities where grap is used to specify inline graphics.
CAVEATS
The output format of `grap2graph` is not strictly defined and may vary depending on the specific implementation or version. The use of grap is now rare.
OUTPUT FORMAT
The output produced by `grap2graph` is a textual representation of the graph structure. While the specific format may vary, it typically includes information about nodes (vertices) and edges, along with attributes such as node labels, edge weights, and visual properties. The format is generally suitable for parsing with scripting languages or other graph processing tools.
USAGE EXAMPLE
Example:
cat graph_description.grap | grap2graph > graph_data.txt
This pipes the contents of `graph_description.grap` to `grap2graph`, which converts the grap code to a different textual format, storing the result in `graph_data.txt`.
HISTORY
The `grap2graph` command is part of the `grap` package, which was designed to integrate graphics, specifically graphs, into troff documents. Grap was developed by Jon L. Bentley and Brian W. Kernighan at Bell Labs.
The tool was used with the `troff` text formatting system. The main use case was for scientific and technical documents where graphs are heavily used.
