Dear Plot users,
Experimental gnuplot/gaston.jl backend has been merged into Plots.jl master branch (including a release). My primary goal is to have a lightweight backend in plots that supports REPL plotting. Since many users must be familiar with gnuplot, submitting PRs and extending the gnuplot backend should be easy.
Testing the backend:
Install Gaston.jl, by:
import Pkg; Pkg.update();
Pkg.install("Gaston")
and make sure that you have operational gnuplot installed in the system. The best way to test it is to see if Gaston.jl standalone package is working correctly for you.
Trying it out:
using Plots; gaston();
plot(1:10)
Currently src/gaston.jlis only 300lines long, so it should be easy for people eager to contribute to Plots to jump in. Browsing the source code should give an idea how Plots.jl works and what it takes to add new functionality.
Limitations:
- 2d Plots only (TODO add 3d plots)
- Simple grid layout
- Restricted saving options (TODO)
- No colorbars
- No docs
- More…
We are looking for more contributors and maintainers across all backends. If you were overwhelmed by Plots codebase before, perhaps browsing and understanding Gaston.jl backend code would help you to join the Plots developer community easily.
