🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <3470@sdcsvax.UCSD.EDU> mark@sdcsvax.UCSD.EDU (mark anderson) writes:
>Can anyone point me to a TeX (or PostScript) package which takes
>as input a file containing (x,y) pairs and outputs commands
>to display them on a graph. I am looking for something similar
>to the ditroff ``grap'' package which is a pic preprocessor.
>
>I would like to have the ablity to specify labels, specify
>line type, adjust frame, add title, etc. The goal is to
>have way of including a graph in a document without having
>to use rubber cement and scissors.
>
About a year ago I posted a note to the net mentioning some crude
TeX hacks that I had constructed for just this purpose.  I was deluged by
requests that (shamefully) I did not reply to, as I was preparing to leave
for the year, and I was embarassed to release some pretty awful TeX code.

My colleague in the Statistics Department, Prof. Michael Wichura, designed
a logically complete extension to plain TeX for preparing Graphs and Pictures,
which he calls PiCTeX.  He has a manual for PiCTeX about the size of the LaTeX
manual which describes how to use the incredible array of features, which
include shading, quadratic interpolation, labelling, automatic axis generation,
and more goodies than you can shake a stick at.

I believe that Mike is willing to put PiCTeX on the TeX distribution tape,
and that he plans to have a publisher distribute the manual (as with the
TeXBook, LaTeX, etc.).  If the TeX gurus who maintain the distribution
would like to take a look at the package, I suggest that they contact Mike
at wichura@galton.uchicago.edu, since he may not know who you are or how to
reach you otherwise.

Potential users might wish to drop Mike a *brief* note by mail (he doesn't
read news) to let him know that PiCTeX has a potential audience.  He can
also be reached at Dept of Statistics, The University of Chicago, 5734 
University Avenue, Chicago, IL  60637 USA.

Ron Thisted