Re: Meaning of trange in parametric plots

[Dima K. <gn...@di...>]

Hans-Bernhard Bröker <HBB...@t-...> writes:

> On 06.03.2013 22:52, Dima Kogan wrote:
>> Hans-Bernhard Bröker <HBB...@t-...> writes:
>
>>> They can't be, because there is nu such thing as a parametric plot from
>>> a data file.  Parametric mode is a property of function plots.
>
>> Hmmm. You're right; this doesn't make sense. In that case, should
>> gnuplot be plotting anything at all? Would it be more appropriate for it
>> to simply emit and error message and refuse to plot anything?
>
> What on earth should it do _that_ for?  There's nothing wrong there. 
> Having parametric mode and trange set while you doing a pure data plot 
> is just _irrelevant_, but not wrong.

In cases when the user is trying to do something that doesn't make sense
it's far better to throw an error (or warning) than to silently do the
wrong thing. I am now clear on why 'set parametric' is not connected to
plots from files, so I wouldn't benefit from an error message here, but
a new user may. That's all I was suggesting.

dima