UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

\ as the last character of the line removes the linefeed character that immediately follows (if it is interpreted by the shell (and some programs))

So:

Code:

plot 'datafile1' , \
'datafile2'

is the same as:

Code:

plot 'datafile1' , 'datafile2'

---------- Post updated at 10:22 ---------- Previous update was at 10:04 ----------

In your last example you use \ before a space instead of a linefeed, BTW. If it is used to remove a linefeed then it needs to be the last character on the line before the linefeed..

Yeah I totally agree. But that was not my purpose. I want to put datafile name at every line, as you can see that I am changing the name through the for-loop. At the same time I want to keep them as parts of instruction so that I can finally use in gnuplot.

In other word, can you modify the script so that it works? Like

echo "p x**2, x**3, x**4"|gnuplot -persist But here I wish to plot for other powers in general, e.g. it can be extended to x**5, x**6, etc., which will be decided by the for-loop.

Thanks.

To produce a backslash with echo you need to escape it with another backslash:

Code:

echo "something something else \\"

Great !!

It worked ! Thanks, Scrutinizer.

So I feel that the " \" is not understood as a command in echo unless we use another "\" alongwith. Since if I don't remove the 'temp' file (as used in my script file), then "cat temp" gives

plot \
x**2, \
x**3, \
x**4

So one one slash has been used as an identifier of the other slash as a command.

Another important thing I required to do is to remove the extra space before the last quote, i.e.

\ "

should be replaced by

\\"

Hope this would help others who come across the same problem.

So it also belongs to the plotting in gnuplot using shell script
category.

You're welcome
\ is understood as a special character if used inside double quotes.. If you precede it with another backslash, it is taken literally, so the character "\" gets printed. This character is then given a special meaning by GNU plot since it is the last character before the linefeed and thus it indicates a continuation of the line..

Yes, you are right. Thanks.