Re: [Gnuplot-bugs] illogical error fitting polynomial

[<HBB...@t-...>]

pl...@pi... wrote:
> On Fri, 04 May 2007 23:36:24 +0200, Hans-Bernhard Bröker  
> <HBB...@t-...> wrote:
>> pl...@pi... wrote:

>> You defined a y range, but without the division, most data points are
>> outside that range.  Yes, 'fit' does respect 'set yrange'.

> hmm, the doc for fit command says the following:

>>> Ranges may be specified to temporarily limit the data which is to be  
>>> fitted;any out-of-range data points are ignored.

> The result of not specifying a range for fit is not explained.

It's explained by cross-reference to the plot command.  Ranges for 'fit' 
behave the same way as they do for 'plot'.  That's why there's a 
hyperlink to 'help plot ranges' in 'help fit'.

> "Insufficient data points in specified range" would point the user more  
> clearly to cause of the problem.

... assuming that a range restriction was actually the cause of there 
not being enough data.  There could just as easily be a problem with the 
fitted function being undefined over the whole data range, or the number 
of data points being just a bit too small.  Incorrect error messages 
would be a good deal worse than terse ones.