UnicodePlots.jl

UnicodePlots is a unicode-based scientific plotting library for working in a terminal, using Julia's REPL.

The source code is hosted on github: UnicodePlots.jl.

Installation

To install UnicodePlots, start up julia in a terminal and type the following code snippet into the REPL (this makes use of the native Julia package manager named Pkg):

julia> using Pkg
julia> Pkg.add("UnicodePlots")

Getting started

Here is a quick hello world example of a typical use-case:

using UnicodePlots
lineplot([-1, 2, 3, 7], [-1, 2, 9, 4], title="Example", name="my line", xlabel="x", ylabel="y")
        ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Example⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀        
        ┌────────────────────────────────────────┐        
      9 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢰⠉⠢⣀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ my line
        ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠑⠤⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀        
        ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢰⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠒⢄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀        
        ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠉⠢⣀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀        
        ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢰⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠑⠤⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀        
        ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠒⢄⠀⠀⠀⠀        
        ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢠⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠉⠢⣀        
   y    ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀        
        ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢠⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀        
        ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀        
        ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡠⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀        
        ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⠤⠊⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀        
        ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⡠⠔⠊⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀        
        ⠤⠤⠤⢤⡤⡷⠭⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤        
     -1 ⣀⠤⠊⠁⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀        
        └────────────────────────────────────────┘-1⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀7⠀        
        ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀x⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀        

There are other types of Canvas available (see section Low-level Interface).

In some situations, such as printing to a file, using AsciiCanvas, DotCanvas or BlockCanvas might lead to better results:

plt = lineplot([-1, 2, 3, 7], [-1, 2, 9, 4], title="Example", name="my line",
               xlabel="x", ylabel="y", canvas=DotCanvas, border=:ascii)
                          Example                         
        +----------------------------------------+        
      9 |     :             :''.                 | my line
        |     :             :   '..              |        
        |     :            .'      '.            |        
        |     :            :         ''.         |        
        |     :           .'            '..      |        
        |     :           :                '.    |        
        |     :          .'                  ''. |        
   y    |     :          :                      :|        
        |     :         .'                       |        
        |     :         :                        |        
        |     :        .:                        |        
        |     :    ..''                          |        
        |     : ..'                              |        
        |.....::.................................|        
     -1 |..'' :                                  |        
        +----------------------------------------+        
         -1                                     7         
                             x                            

Some plot methods have a mutating variant that ends with an exclamation mark:

lineplot!(plt, [0, 4, 8], [10, 1, 10], color=:cyan, name="other line")
                          Example                            
        +----------------------------------------+           
      9 |     : '.          :''.                 | my line   
        |     :   '.        :   '..              | other line
        |     :    '.      .'      '.           :|           
        |     :      '.    :         ''.      .' |           
        |     :       '.  .'            '..  :   |           
        |     :         '.:                ::    |           
        |     :          ::               :  ''. |           
   y    |     :          : '.           .'      :|           
        |     :         .'  '.         :         |           
        |     :         :     '.     .'          |           
        |     :        .:      '.   :            |           
        |     :    ..''          :.'             |           
        |     : ..'               '              |           
        |.....::.................................|           
     -1 |..'' :                                  |           
        +----------------------------------------+           
         -1                                     7            
                             x                               

These mutating methods cannot update the limits of the axes as plots are drawn onto a fixed canvas. The limits must be set beforehand by the plotting function that creates the figure or by creating an empty Plot:

p = Plot(; xlim=(-1, 3), ylim=(-1, 3))
lineplot!(p, 1:2)
      ┌────────────────────────────────────────┐ 
    3 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 
      ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 
      ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 
      ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 
      ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡠⠔⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 
      ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⠔⠊⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 
      ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡠⠊⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 
      ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠔⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 
      ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 
      ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 
      ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 
      ⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⡗⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒ 
      ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 
      ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 
   -1 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 
      └────────────────────────────────────────┘-1⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀3

One can adjust the plot height and width to the current terminal size by using height=:auto and/or width=:auto. When using width=:auto, it is advised to use the compact=true keyword in order to maximize the plot size.

You can reverse/flip the Plot axes by setting xflip=true and/or yflip=true on plot creation.