File Formats

PhysPlot is able to read data files written in several formats apart from its own native format. In each of the cases below, the data are written in free format ascii so that they can be created by a text editor or another program that can output lines of text.

WinGraph Format

This format is provided in order to read files created with the WinGraph program.

File extension: .wgr

Line 1WinGraphVersion Numbe e.g. 3.3 Type (1 = Graph, 2 = Histogram)
Line 2Dataset Title
Line 3x-axis Title
Line 4y-axis Title
Line 5Control WordNumber of Data Points
For Graphs:
Line 6x-value 1y-value 1 (x-error 1)(y-error 1)
Line 7x-value 2y-value 2 (x-error 2)(y-error 2)
For Histograms:
Line 61st value 2nd value etc
Line 7etc

For Graphs:
The Control Word is zero +1 if the points have x-errors and +2 if the points have y-errors.

For Histograms:
The Control Word is the number of data points per line.

GRAPH Format

This format is provided in order to read files created with the old DOS GRAPH program.

File extension: .dat

Line 1Dataset Title
Line 2x-axis Title
Line 3y-axis Title
Line 4Control WordNumber of Data Points
Line 5x-value 1y-value 1 (x-error 1)(y-error 1)
Line 6x-value 2y-value 2 (x-error 2)(y-error 2)

The Control Word is zero +1 if the points have x-errors and +2 if the points have y-errors.

HISTO Format

This format is provided in order to read files created with the old DOS HISTO program.

File extension: .his

Line 1Number of datasets (=1))
Line 2Dataset Title
Line 3x-axis Title
Line 4y-axis Title
Line 5Number of data points Starting bin edgeBin width
Line 61st value
Line 72nd value

Note: The HISTO program could read multiple datasets from a single file but PhysPlot only allows a single dataset per file. PhysPlot ignores the Starting bin edge and Bin width parameters.