plot

plot [options] [file ...]

-T
    Specifies the terminal type for the plot. Common types include xterm, dumb, and more.

-x ,
    Sets the minimum and maximum values for the x-axis.

-y ,
    Sets the minimum and maximum values for the y-axis.

-X
    Sets the label for the x-axis.

-Y
    Sets the label for the y-axis.

-t
    Sets the title of the plot.

-s
    Draws points as filled squares.

-S
    Draws points as open squares.

-O
    Overplots on the existing plot.

-h
    Suppresses drawing the axes and labels.

-l
    Sets label for the corresponding dataset in the legend.

The plot command is a versatile tool used to create graphical representations of data directly within a text-based terminal. It allows users to visualize data series as lines, points, or histograms. The command takes input data from files or standard input and generates plots based on the user-specified options. It supports various data formats and plotting styles, making it useful for quick data analysis and visualization when a graphical user interface is unavailable.

The flexibility of plot lies in its ability to customize the appearance of the plots, including line styles, symbols, axes labels, and titles. This command is particularly handy for visualizing numerical data, monitoring system performance, or generating quick previews of datasets. It is often used in scripting environments for automated data analysis and reporting. The command is part of the plotutils package.

The plot command generates terminal-based graphics, which may have limited resolution and visual appeal compared to dedicated plotting libraries. The output is dependent on the capabilities of the specified terminal type. Color support is terminal-dependent.

The plot command expects data as a series of x and y values, separated by whitespace. Each pair of x and y values represents a single data point. Multiple data series can be plotted from separate files, or from the same file using appropriate options.

Example usages:
1. Plotting data from a file: plot data.txt
2. Setting the axis ranges: plot -x 0,10 -y -5,5 data.txt
3. Plotting data from standard input: cat data.txt | plot -T dumb

The plot command is part of the plotutils package, which has been developed over several years to provide basic plotting capabilities in a command-line environment. It's designed for situations where a graphical environment isn't available or scripting automated visualization is required.

gnuplot(1), graph(1), spline(1)