Re: Cairo-PNG

[Ethan M. <merritt@u.washington.edu>]

On Friday 09 March 2007 08:57, Mojca Miklavec wrote:
> 
> Just to let you know - after a long discussion on the de.comp.text.tex
> mailing list ("gnplot als PDF ausgeben") and a long list of proposals
> how to create PDF with gnuplot, the user preffered to choose the
> "aqua->save as pdf" way.

So, a Mac-only solution?
Fine for Mac users, although I guess this puts pressure on Per to 
finishing implementing the full set of features in aquaterm.  Right now
aqua lags the other interactive terminal types in terms of what it can do.
 
> For many users this is the most natural way indeed. Some people prefer
> scripting, some prefer clicking.

I don't understand what that has to do with aqua.
In any interactive gnuplot terminal, you can bind a hotkey/click to a
print command of your choice.  This is not limited to aquaterm.

> A well-written application supports both.

We already support both, or actually 3 choices.  You can have
1) command line scripted replot on a different terminal type
2) hotkey or click to trigger replot to a printer
3) select and export to clipboard for further action of your choice

In addition, the window manager may offer other choices. For example,
the KDE desktop uses the "print screen" key to trigger a utility program 
that can save all or part of your plot window to a PNG file.

> It's realy nice that the PDF documents that come out are vector-based,
> not pixel-based, as would be the most natural way to save a graphic
> from windows.

That's just Windows idiocy.  Except that it's not even true, I think.
Doesn't saving via the Windows clipboard give you a vector-based metafile?

-- 
Ethan A Merritt