[Gnuplot-info] Generate table/matrix with test data

[theozh <th...@gm...>]

sometimes it's helpful to generate some test or dummy data.

I hoped that I can create some test data (columns and/or matrices) with
"set table".

Is there a way to generate N-column or M x N-matrix random data?
e.g. like
0.10 0.45 0.91 0.50 0.55
0.57 0.19 0.74 0.28 0.06
0.85 0.09 0.27 0.27 0.80
0.08 0.31 0.08 0.66 0.43
0.77 0.80 1.00 0.14 0.50

For example, I expected the following code to produce a 5x5 matrix of
random data.

reset
set samples 5
set table "Test.dat"
plot rand(0):rand(0):rand(0):rand(0):rand(0) with table
# or maybe
# plot rand(0),rand(0),rand(0),rand(0),rand(0) with table
# or "splot ... something"
unset table

But this seems not to work like this.
I also tried "set parametric" like in the "random-demos"...


While fiddling around I found that the following code would create such
a 5x5 matrix:

####### generate 5x5 matrix of random numbers
reset
$Data <<EOD
1 1
2 1
3 1
4 1
5 1
EOD

set table "Test.dat"
plot $Data using \
($2*rand(0)):($2*rand(0)):($2*rand(0)):($2*rand(0)):($2*rand(0)) \
with table

unset table
####### EOF


Two questions:

1)
How would I do this for a 1000x1000 matrix?
Repeating ($2*rand(0)) a thousand times...???

2)
Ideally, I also wanted the data to be separated by TAB instead of space.
So, if I additionally set in the above working code

 set datafile separator "\t"

I get the error message:  "...x range is invalid"


Any ideas?