AMESPLOT—a higher level data plotting software system
Ian Hirschsohn · Communications of the ACM · 1970
AMESPLOT is an extensible software system designed to make the display of data as simple, painless, and neat as passible.The system described is hardware-independent and has been implemented on a variety of installations, of different manufacturers, having diverse configurations.The elements common to all types of data plots are outlined and the ~vay in which these elements may be combined into a system based on simple modules is demonstrated.These modules are specified independently and are independent of the axis systems or other attributes of the plot.This enables plots of any complexity to be constructed by adding or replacing modules.The basic syntax of AMESPLOT is outlined, and a brief description is given of its current utility software, consisting of "macros" to produce selfscaled plots, formal tablets of text--lnterspersed with subplots, map coastlines, and 3-D plots.The system was formulated in a way such that the user could supply the minimum of information, and it should be fully integrable with user's programs written in most conventional higher languages.The functions of positioning, locating, and scaling (in the layout of multiple subplots) of axes, labels, and all other elements of the plot are handled automatically by the software system unless the user specifies otherwise.The structuring of plots from mulitple, independent, self-contained subplots is described.Transformation, projection, scaling, rotation, or shifting of entire plots or subplots by the action of one or more simple modules is possible.The user may interact freely with AMESPLOT at three levels, enabling him to construct his own data markers, alphabetic characters, and transformations, and to produce a variety of artistic and other effects.