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Show HN: Plot directly in your terminal with matplotlib

160 points by daleroberts 10y ago

jpeanuts 10y ago
Gnuplot has an output mode - called "dumb" - that prints an ASCII plot to the terminal. See e.g. http://pastebin.com/WHcLZHPr http://pastebin.com/WHcLZHPr This is very handy when running scientific codes on remote machines, and works in any terminal (not just iTerm2 like the submission). I've been looking for a matplotlib extension to do the same thing, without success.
- dima55 10y ago
  Why wouldn't you use gnuplot? If you want a numpy interface, there's this: https://github.com/dkogan/gnuplotlib https://github.com/dkogan/gnuplotlib
- Y_Y 10y ago
  Have you tried using cacaview on images? When I'm running scientific code on remote machines I use jupyter tunneled over ssh, but I assume you can't do that.
  - jpeanuts 10y ago
    Thanks for the two(!) nice tips. Just looked at libcaca, but I'm having trouble installing on my laptop (OSX). Anyway the idea is mainly to remove gnuplot as a dependency from my scientific code; introducing a new dependency defeats the point a bit. Jupyter would be a very nice way to interact - as you guess there are difficulties: playing well with the cluster queueing system, and currently the code is launched via an mpirun call. I'm open to suggestions. Edit: This sounds like exactly what I need! http://ipython.org/ipython-doc/stable/parallel/parallel_intro.html http://ipython.org/ipython-doc/stable/parallel/parallel_intr...
    - daleroberts 10y ago
      You can checkout my other project https://github.com/daleroberts/tv https://github.com/daleroberts/tv which allows you to view images in any terminal supporting Unicode 9.0 fonts and true color. It uses GDAL for the backend which is easy to install on a Mac with: brew install gdal --without-python --HEAD pip install gdal
- jxy 10y ago
  gnuplot is very nice in working like this. I've been using a script [0] to pipe data directly. [0] https://gist.github.com/jxy/88f2972d3994dfea06fd2d3833b7ac8a https://gist.github.com/jxy/88f2972d3994dfea06fd2d3833b7ac8a
- throwanem 10y ago
  Matplotlib has a "sixel" backend, which can render images in any terminal supporting the necessary protocol. Might be worth investigation, if you run or can run a terminal with that support - I was surprised how many do, either out of the box or recompiled to enable it.
  - staz 10y ago
    I've looked a bit and only mlterm seems to support it out of the box at the momement (on ubuntu at least) Xterm need an optionnal compile switch. Vte (gnome-terminal, xfce-terminal etc..) has an unmerged patch. It's fun to play around with
    - throwanem 10y ago
      Mintty's newer versions support it natively, as do a number of Linux console terminals.
- JosephRedfern 10y ago
  It's not as complete as matplotlib, but there is an ASCII plotting library which has a (very) similar API to matplotlib called bashplotlib: https://github.com/glamp/bashplotlib https://github.com/glamp/bashplotlib
krick 10y ago
God, I want something like iTerm2 for Linux.
- mcpherrinm 10y ago
  The iterm image support is pretty simple (just a VT100-style command wrapped around a base64 encoded png). Maybe somebody can implement it for gnome/vte or something, and see if there's any traction.
  - zer0t3ch 10y ago
    I know it's not a traditional terminal, but GateOne actually has this. It's pretty interesting to use, weird to see a full quality picture in the middle of a terminal.
  - tavert 10y ago
    You can build xterm with sixel support https://github.com/saitoha/libsixel https://github.com/saitoha/libsixel
- badosu 10y ago
  Take a look at Terminology[0], it can print images such as the output from matplotlib. 0: https://www.enlightenment.org/about-terminology https://www.enlightenment.org/about-terminology
  - rafinha 10y ago
    "Never again be stuck not being able to see cats do stupid things in animated gifs when you don't have your web browser available" Lol they do know how to sell their software xD. Thanks for link.
- Adaptive 10y ago
  iTerm2 is nice, but Linux has a zillion terminal emulators. I'm running images inside of urxvt right now using w3m. https://twitter.com/ethanschoonover/status/834227566848286720 https://twitter.com/ethanschoonover/status/83422756684828672...
venachescu 10y ago
You are literally making my dreams come true. Thank you!
- stestagg 10y ago
  You have weird dreams
Lxr 10y ago
Great idea, I was just thinking yesterday that something like this should exist. Matplotlob seems to like automatically switching windows every time you plot something, so annoying!
- Lxr 10y ago
  Hmm, I used the back button on my phone after submitting a comment and it must have resubmitted the form, and now I can't delete the dupe.
Lxr 10y ago
Great idea, I was just thinking yesterday that something like this should exist. Matplotlob seems to like automatically switching windows every time you plot something, so annoying!
maddyboo 10y ago
Any idea of how to do something like this for R?
- em500 10y ago
  https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/txtplot/index.html https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/txtplot/index.html
wallstquant 10y ago
Julia has something similar too. TerminalExtensions.jl https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/julia-users/zj4nQlDGNoc https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/julia-users/zj4nQl...
curiousgal 10y ago
Reminds me of Maple, it came with a console version that can render plots in ASCII.

160 points by daleroberts 10y ago

Gnuplot has an output mode - called "dumb" - that prints an ASCII plot to the terminal. See e.g. http://pastebin.com/WHcLZHPr http://pastebin.com/WHcLZHPr This is very handy when running scientific codes on remote machines, and works in any terminal (not just iTerm2 like the submission). I've been looking for a matplotlib extension to do the same thing, without success.

dima55 10y ago
Why wouldn't you use gnuplot? If you want a numpy interface, there's this: https://github.com/dkogan/gnuplotlib https://github.com/dkogan/gnuplotlib
Y_Y 10y ago
Have you tried using cacaview on images? When I'm running scientific code on remote machines I use jupyter tunneled over ssh, but I assume you can't do that.
- jpeanuts 10y ago
  Thanks for the two(!) nice tips. Just looked at libcaca, but I'm having trouble installing on my laptop (OSX). Anyway the idea is mainly to remove gnuplot as a dependency from my scientific code; introducing a new dependency defeats the point a bit. Jupyter would be a very nice way to interact - as you guess there are difficulties: playing well with the cluster queueing system, and currently the code is launched via an mpirun call. I'm open to suggestions. Edit: This sounds like exactly what I need! http://ipython.org/ipython-doc/stable/parallel/parallel_intro.html http://ipython.org/ipython-doc/stable/parallel/parallel_intr...
  - daleroberts 10y ago
    You can checkout my other project https://github.com/daleroberts/tv https://github.com/daleroberts/tv which allows you to view images in any terminal supporting Unicode 9.0 fonts and true color. It uses GDAL for the backend which is easy to install on a Mac with: brew install gdal --without-python --HEAD pip install gdal
jxy 10y ago
gnuplot is very nice in working like this. I've been using a script [0] to pipe data directly. [0] https://gist.github.com/jxy/88f2972d3994dfea06fd2d3833b7ac8a https://gist.github.com/jxy/88f2972d3994dfea06fd2d3833b7ac8a
throwanem 10y ago
Matplotlib has a "sixel" backend, which can render images in any terminal supporting the necessary protocol. Might be worth investigation, if you run or can run a terminal with that support - I was surprised how many do, either out of the box or recompiled to enable it.
- staz 10y ago
  I've looked a bit and only mlterm seems to support it out of the box at the momement (on ubuntu at least) Xterm need an optionnal compile switch. Vte (gnome-terminal, xfce-terminal etc..) has an unmerged patch. It's fun to play around with
  - throwanem 10y ago
    Mintty's newer versions support it natively, as do a number of Linux console terminals.
JosephRedfern 10y ago
It's not as complete as matplotlib, but there is an ASCII plotting library which has a (very) similar API to matplotlib called bashplotlib: https://github.com/glamp/bashplotlib https://github.com/glamp/bashplotlib

krick 10y ago

God, I want something like iTerm2 for Linux.

mcpherrinm 10y ago
The iterm image support is pretty simple (just a VT100-style command wrapped around a base64 encoded png). Maybe somebody can implement it for gnome/vte or something, and see if there's any traction.
- zer0t3ch 10y ago
  I know it's not a traditional terminal, but GateOne actually has this. It's pretty interesting to use, weird to see a full quality picture in the middle of a terminal.
- tavert 10y ago
  You can build xterm with sixel support https://github.com/saitoha/libsixel https://github.com/saitoha/libsixel
badosu 10y ago
Take a look at Terminology[0], it can print images such as the output from matplotlib. 0: https://www.enlightenment.org/about-terminology https://www.enlightenment.org/about-terminology
- rafinha 10y ago
  "Never again be stuck not being able to see cats do stupid things in animated gifs when you don't have your web browser available" Lol they do know how to sell their software xD. Thanks for link.
Adaptive 10y ago
iTerm2 is nice, but Linux has a zillion terminal emulators. I'm running images inside of urxvt right now using w3m. https://twitter.com/ethanschoonover/status/834227566848286720 https://twitter.com/ethanschoonover/status/83422756684828672...

venachescu 10y ago

You are literally making my dreams come true. Thank you!

stestagg 10y ago
You have weird dreams

Lxr 10y ago

Great idea, I was just thinking yesterday that something like this should exist. Matplotlob seems to like automatically switching windows every time you plot something, so annoying!

Lxr 10y ago
Hmm, I used the back button on my phone after submitting a comment and it must have resubmitted the form, and now I can't delete the dupe.

Lxr 10y ago

Great idea, I was just thinking yesterday that something like this should exist. Matplotlob seems to like automatically switching windows every time you plot something, so annoying!

maddyboo 10y ago

Any idea of how to do something like this for R?

em500 10y ago
https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/txtplot/index.html https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/txtplot/index.html

wallstquant 10y ago

Julia has something similar too. TerminalExtensions.jl https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/julia-users/zj4nQlDGNoc https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/julia-users/zj4nQl...

curiousgal 10y ago

Reminds me of Maple, it came with a console version that can render plots in ASCII.