PLPLOT is a library of C functions for drawing graphs on a variety of graphics devices using the Amiga personal computer. The only assumption made about an output device is that it is capable of displaying a line, so new graphics devices may be added readily by writing a small number of device-dependent routines.
The library is Lattice C compatible and is accessible using the Lattice C linker (blink). The source code is standard C and should be relatively easy to compile for use with other compiler/linker packages.
This manual provides a description of the routines available to the programmer for producing graphical output. For most applications, the program can be device-independent, and the output can be directed to the appropriate graphics device at run-time. However, for specialized applications, where the absolute size of a graph is important, it is also possible to specify the plotting area in terms of absolute coordinates (millimeters).
Many of the underlying concepts used in the PLPLOT subroutine package are based on ideas used in Tim Pearson's PGPLOT package originally written in VAX-specific Fortran-77. Sze Tan of the University of Auckland originally developed PLPLOT on an IBM PC, and subsequently transferred it to a number of other machines. Additional features were added to allow three-dimensional plotting and better access to low-level routines. When I received PLPLOT from Sze Tan I ported it to a Data General MV/20000 and added a few features as well. I had been looking for a plotting package with the features of PLPLOT for use on the Amiga. I do not have a FORTRAN compiler, so I rewrote PLPLOT in C and ported it to the Amiga.
This document was originally written by Sze Tan. I have edited it so that it is applicable to the Amiga and the C programming language.