gnuplot development

Added a new command
set linetype cycle N
This recycles the linetype properties (linecolor, linewidth) every N
linetype indices. It does not affect the point properties (pointtype,
pointsize, pointinterval). The intent is eventually to separate out the
point properties and dash patterns, but that can be tackled later.

Now in CVS 4.5

Update to apply against current CVS

Update to apply against current CVS.
Add a color file that defines linetypes using colors from the tango
desktop theme.

In preparation for eventual release of gnuplot version 4.4, existing bugs
and patchsets are being re-prioritized.

I have chosen to use the following categories

9 - should be included in 4.4.rc1 if possible
7 - looks reasonable to me, but not high priority for 4.4.rc1
5 - default priority for newly submitted patches
2 - not under active consideration


These are my personal ratings. If you want to argue for a different
priority on one or more patches - go right ahead.

Ethan Merritt (sfeam)

Additionally, a new key word "dashtype" should be
introduced (and substitute "linetype" in some
contexts).

Juergen

This works very well!

The only idea: I wonder how it works with "linetype recycling" -- is it
possible to set the first 8 linetypes, and then order that linetype 9
equals linetype 1? Probably a new command would be needed there, such as
set linetypes 8

> Would it be possible to switch the linestyles to be persistent instead,
> maybe depending on a "set" command.

I tried it that way first, by introducing an extra flag for the linestyle
set style line N {permanent} ....
But I was not very happy with how it worked. The biggest problem is that
it breaks all previous scripts that assume linestyles are temporary, and
when the linestyle goes away then the base linetype underneath is
unchanged. But if a script explicitly sets and unsets a line style, then
in the "permanent linestyle + set increment user" mode you lose the
linestyle altogether. I thought about adding additional bookkeeping so
that there could be a "temporary linestyle 1" and also a "permanent
linestyle 1", but it seemed both overly complicated and confusing.

> As far as I understand the "linetype" is the dash pattern plus some
> default color, which can be overriden per plot using "linecolor".

Also point type.

But yes, it would be nice to add a "dashtype" parameter everywhere. That
would be a non-trivial amount of work, since it requires defining a new
terminal driver entry point and auditing all terminal drivers that support
dashed lines.

> But then, linetype and linestyle would serve almost exactly the same
purpose.

Indeed. I think we have outgrown the need for separate linestyles. But
since we place such a high priority on backwards compatibility, I don't see
how we can just get rid of them.

As far as I understand the "linetype" is the dash pattern plus some
default color, which can be overriden per plot using "linecolor". With
your patch it would only be consequent also to include a "dashtype" to
allow for a change of the sequence of the dash patterns. But then,
linetype and linestyle would serve almost exactly the same purpose.

Would it be possible to switch the linestyles to be persistent instead,
maybe depending on a "set" command. Or to introduce "reset nolinestyles"?

Juergen

File Added: .gnuplot

File Added: linetype_part4_25jun2008.patch

File Added: linetype_part3_23jun2008.patch

File Added: linetype_part2_24jun2008.patch