RATIONALE

   Why xplot, when we already have so many graphics programs?
Well, first of all it is a simple, straightforward, plot (5)
filter. No fancy buttons or options or silly syntax. Just
a plain old filter. However, it is implemented as an Athena
Labelwidget, so of course all the usual XToolkit options are
available.
   When first called, it immediately brings up a blank window,
and as plot(5) data appears on the input stream it draws
the stuff right away (it uses CBREAK mode). This means it
can be used either interactively, with a pipe, or with
a preprocessed file. We have used it here with the data
processing program "dra", which allows interective plotting
and manipulation of the data. Xplot draws in the background
pixmap of the window, so that redrawing is very fast (compared
with an xterm tektronix window for example). The disadvantage
of this, of course (there had to be one) is that on resizing,
the plot does not resize with the window, but retains its
original shape (it is properly centered though). Xplot is in general
much more convenient than the standard Tek window, since several
different windows can be maintained at once, to compare different
sets of data, for example. And you don't lose control of your
window. Each xplot window is destroyed by a mouse button press
anywhere, but not until EOF has been reached on the input stream.

PLOT (3X) LIBRARY

    The subdirectory xlibplot contains the standard plot(3x)
routines so that xplot can be called up from within any
C program, just by linking to this library.


COMPILATION

    Just make Makefile, then make xplot. If you don't have imake
and the X util sources you may have to edit the Makefile, but it
should be clear what to do.
