The Plotutils Package - Functions

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## The functions in `libplot`: A detailed listing

In the current release of GNU `libplot`, any Plotter supports 92 distinct operations. A language binding for `libplot` necessarily includes 92 functions that correspond to these operations. In the C binding, these 92 functions belong to the C API (application programming interface). In the C++ binding, they are implemented as public member functions of the `Plotter` class.

A language binding may also include functions for creating, selecting, and deleting Plotters. For example, the C binding includes the additional functions `pl_newpl`, `pl_selectpl`, and `pl_deletepl`. See section The C application programming interface. In the C binding, the names of all functions should be preceded by "pl_" unless the header file `plotcompat.h` is included. See section C compiling and linking.

The 92 functions that operate on a specified Plotter are divided into the four sets tabulated below.

1. Setup functions: functions that open, initialize, or close the Plotter.
2. Functions that cause the Plotter to draw objects.
3. Functions that set or affect the Plotter's drawing attributes.
4. Functions affecting the affine map used by the Plotter to transform user coordinates to device coordinates.

Many functions come in two versions: integer and double precision floating point. Internally, `libplot` uses double precision floating point. The integer versions are provided for backward compatibility. If there are two versions of a function, the name of the floating point version begins with the letter ``f'`.

Many functions come in both absolute and relative versions, also. The latter use relative coordinates (i.e., coordinates relative to the current position of the graphics cursor), and their names end in ``rel'`.

Currently, only a few of the 92 functions have meaningful return values.

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