[Gnuplot-bugs] 2D-plot out of a binary file

[Hermann D. <h....@et...>]

Hallo,

I use gnuplot 4.2 patchlevel 0

I read in the gnuplot description under "34.1.2 Binary general":
.. general binary is particularly  useful for application programs using 
gnuplot and sending large amounts of data.

I tried to do a 2D plot out of a 2-dimensional binary file with many
columns, a result file of a fortran executable run.

The kind of binary file (fortran unformatted data) in the diction of gunplot:
binary general .

The first 2 columns integer (Fortran: integer*4), from 3rd to more than 
90000th column float (Fortran: real*4). Last column integer (Fortran internal 
regulation).  All rows have got the same length.  
 
I tried
plot "../gkn2.run1.pd" binary using 3:76727 t ' .. ' w l ls 1
and got: Read grid of zero width

I tried
plot "../gkn2.run1.pd" binary format="%*u%*u%f%f" using (a($1)):(b($2))\
t ' .. ' w l ls 1
to plot the 1st and 2nd float variable (real*4 in fortran)
and got after long waiting: out of memory for expanding curve points

I tried
plot "../gkn2.run1.pd" binary format="%*u%*u%f%*76726f%f" using\    
(a($1)):(b($2)) t ' .. ' w l ls 1 
here I want to plot the 1st and the 76727th float value, which is not 
documented in gnuplot
and got:  Unrecognized binary format specification

Isn't  it at all possible to do non image 2D plots out of a binary
file?

I would very much appreciate 
to have this feature in gnuplot, since gnuplot can plot out of binary files.

If You intent to develop the ability of gnuplot to read also this kind if 
binary data, You could send the patch to me and I could test it in the 
development version of gnuplot-4.3 or 
I could send a sample (fortran) binary file to You.

Fortran binary files are still quite often in use.

Regards
Hermann Deppe