# emacs-gnuplot

> Gnuplot mode for Emacs distributed by ELPA

**Wikidata**: [Q108444776](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q108444776)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/emacs-gnuplot

## Summary
emacs-gnuplot is a Gnuplot mode for Emacs distributed by ELPA. It allows users to interact with gnuplot, a command-line driven graphing utility, directly within Emacs through an Emacs Lisp interface.

## Key Facts
- emacs-gnuplot is a Gnuplot mode for Emacs distributed by ELPA
- It's an Emacs Lisp package that facilitates interaction with gnuplot
- The latest stable version is 0.11 (released 2025-06-13)
- It's distributed via Emacs Lisp Package Archive (ELPA) since 2021-08-29
- It's available on multiple platforms: Microsoft Windows, macOS, BSD, and Unix-like operating systems
- It was originally developed by Bruce Ravel from 1999 to 2012
- It has multiple aliases including "gnuplot-mode" and "elpa-gnuplot-mode"
- Version history includes 0.6.1 (2011), 0.7.0 (2014), 0.8.0 (2021), 0.8.1 (2023), 0.9 (2025), and 0.10 (2025)

## FAQs
### Q: What is emacs-gnuplot?
A: emacs-gnuplot is a Gnuplot mode for Emacs distributed by ELPA. It allows users to interact with gnuplot, a command-line driven graphing utility, directly within Emacs through an Emacs Lisp interface.

### Q: How do I install emacs-gnuplot?
A: emacs-gnuplot can be installed via Emacs Lisp Package Archive (ELPA) with the package name "elpa-gnuplot-mode". It's also available in various Linux distributions like Ubuntu (as "elpa-gnuplot-mode") and Gentoo (as "app-emacs/gnuplot-mode").

### Q: What platforms does emacs-gnuplot support?
A: emacs-gnuplot runs on multiple platforms including Microsoft Windows, macOS, BSD, and other Unix-like operating systems that support GNU Emacs.

### Q: Who developed emacs-gnuplot?
A: emacs-gnuplot was originally developed by Bruce Ravel from 1999 to 2012. It is currently maintained and distributed through Emacs Lisp Package Archive.

## Why It Matters
emacs-gnuplot is significant as it bridges the powerful text editing capabilities of Emacs with the scientific graphing functionality of gnuplot. This integration allows scientists, researchers, and engineers to create, edit, and visualize mathematical data within their preferred environment. By combining these tools, users can maintain a streamlined workflow without switching between different applications. The package has evolved through multiple versions since its inception, adapting to changes in both Emacs and gnuplot while maintaining compatibility. Its distribution through ELPA makes it easily accessible to Emacs users worldwide, contributing to the broader ecosystem of scientific tools available in Emacs. The software's status as free software also promotes open science practices by allowing users to modify and redistribute the code as needed.

## Notable For
- Longevity: emacs-gnuplot has been actively maintained since 1999, making it one of the longest-running Emacs packages for scientific visualization.
- Distribution: It's distributed through Emacs Lisp Package Archive (ELPA), making it easily installable for millions of Emacs users.
- Cross-platform compatibility: The package works across multiple operating systems including Microsoft Windows, macOS, BSD, and Unix-like systems.
- Multi-version support: It has maintained compatibility across multiple major versions of gnuplot and Emacs.
- Free software status: It's distributed under free software license terms, allowing users to freely run, study, change, and distribute it.

## Body
### Overview
emacs-gnuplot is a Gnuplot mode for Emacs distributed by ELPA. It serves as an interface for interacting with gnuplot, a command-line driven graphing utility, directly within Emacs. The package is written in Emacs Lisp and has been part of the Emacs ecosystem since its inception.

### Technical Details
- Programming Language: Emacs Lisp
- Platform: GNU Emacs
- Instance of: Free software, software library, Emacs mode
- Different from: gnuplot-mode
- Uses: gnuplot

### Distribution
- Distributed by: Emacs Lisp Package Archive (ELPA) since 2021-08-29
- Official website: https://elpa.nongnu.org/nongnu/gnuplot.html (for users)
- Developer website: https://github.com/emacs-gnuplot/gnuplot (for programmers)
- Debian package: gnuplot-mode, elpa-gnuplot-mode (preferred)
- Ubuntu package: gnuplot-mode, elpa-gnuplot-mode (preferred)
- Gentoo package: app-emacs/gnuplot-mode

### Version History
- 0.11 (2025-06-13): Latest stable version
- 0.10 (2025-06-04)
- 0.9 (2025-05-30)
- 0.8.1 (2023-02-18)
- 0.8.0 (2021-01-04)
- 0.7.0 (2014-03-18)
- 0.6.1 (2011-09-13)

### Development History
- Original developer: Bruce Ravel (1999-2012)
- Copyright holder: Bruce Ravel (1999-2012)
- Source code repositories:
  - GNU Savannah (preferred): https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/emacs/nongnu.git/tree/?h=elpa/gnuplot
  - GitHub: https://github.com/emacs-gnuplot/gnuplot

### Compatibility
- Operating systems: Microsoft Windows, macOS, BSD, Unix-like operating systems
- Related software: GNU Emacs, gnuplot

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "emacs-gnuplot",
  "description": "Gnuplot mode for Emacs distributed by ELPA",
  "url": "https://elpa.nongnu.org/nongnu/gnuplot.html",
  "sameAs": ["https://github.com/emacs-gnuplot/gnuplot"],
  "additionalType": ["Emacs mode", "Software library"],
  "applicationCategory": "UtilityApplication",
  "creator": "Bruce Ravel",
  "dateCreated": "1999",
  "dateModified": "2025-06-13",
  "operatingSystem": ["Microsoft Windows", "macOS", "BSD", "Unix-like operating system"],
  "programmingLanguage": "Emacs Lisp",
  "softwareVersion": ["0.11", "0.10", "0.9", "0.8.1", "0.8.0", "0.7.0", "0.6.1"]
}

## References

1. [Source](https://github.com/emacsorphanage/gnuplot/releases/tag/0.8.0)
2. [Gnuplot version 0.8.0. 2021](https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/gnu-emacs-sources/2021-08/msg00082.html)
3. [Release 0.8.0. 2021](https://github.com/emacs-gnuplot/gnuplot/releases/tag/0.8.0)
4. [Source](https://github.com/emacsorphanage/gnuplot/releases/tag/0.7.0)
5. [Release 0.7.0. 2014](https://github.com/emacs-gnuplot/gnuplot/releases/tag/0.7.0)
6. [Source](https://github.com/emacsorphanage/gnuplot/releases/tag/0.6.1)
7. [Release 0.6.1. 2011](https://github.com/emacs-gnuplot/gnuplot/releases/tag/0.6.1)
8. [Gnuplot version 0.8.1. 2023](https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/gnu-emacs-sources/2023-02/msg00049.html)
9. [[NonGNU ELPA] Gnuplot version 0.9. 2025](https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/gnu-emacs-sources/2025-05/msg00054.html)
10. [[NonGNU ELPA] Gnuplot version 0.10. 2025](https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/gnu-emacs-sources/2025-06/msg00019.html)
11. [[NonGNU ELPA] Gnuplot version 0.11. 2025](https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/gnu-emacs-sources/2025-06/msg00043.html)
12. [Source](https://elpa.nongnu.org/nongnu/gnuplot.html)
13. [Source](https://github.com/emacsorphanage/gnuplot/blob/master/gnuplot.el)