In this chapter, we provide a brief overview of the basic operation of PyXPlot, principally covering those areas of syntax which are borrowed directly from Gnuplot. Users who are already familiar with Gnuplot may wish to skim or skip this chapter, though Section 2.4, which describes the use of LaTeX to render text, and Section 2.14, which details those parts of Gnuplot’s interface that are not supported by PyXPlot, may be of interest. In the following chapters, we shall go on to describe the ways in which PyXPlot extends Gnuplot’s interface.
Describing Gnuplot’s interface in its entirety is a substantial task, and what follows is only an overview; novice users may find many excellent tutorials on the web which will greatly supplement what is provided below.