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Dataplot: Greek Characters

Introduction Greek symbols can be generated within any TEXT, TITLE, LABEL, or LEGEND command whenever the Hershey fonts (simplex, duplex, triplex, triplex italic, complex, simplex script, and complex script) have been specified (see the FONT command). Both lower case and upper case Greek symbols are available (see the CASE command).
Method for Specifying Greek Characters To indicate that a Greek symbol should appear in some text string, simply enter the English name of the desired Greek letter and append an open and closed parenthesis after the name, as in PI(), RHO(), and TAU(). The () is a flag to DATAPLOT that the previous character sub-string is not to be printed literally but rather should be converted and drawn as a special symbol. Greek names longer than four letters should be truncated to four letters, as in ALPH(), GAMM(), and OMEG().
Examples For example, go to the middle of screen, and write out the first three Greek letters in a lower case simplex font:
    CASE LOWER
    FONT SIMPLEX
    MOVE 50 50
    TEXT ALPH()BETA()GAMM()
As a second example, go to the middle of screen and write out the value of pi = 3.1415926 in lower case triplex font:
    CASE LOWER
    FONT TRIPLEX
    MOVE 50 50
    TEXT THE VALUE OF PI() = 3.1415926
Table Showing the Available Greek Characters The available Greek characters are shown in the following table.
    ALPH() alpha
    BETA() beta
    GAMM() gamma
    DELT() delta
    EPSI() epsilon
    ZETA() zeta
    ETA() eta
    THET() theta
    IOTA() iota
    KAPP() kappa
    LAMB() lambda
    MU() mu
    NU() nu
    XI() xi
    OMIC() omicon
    PI() pi
    RHO() rho
    SIGM() sigma
    TAU() tau
    UPSI() upsilon
    PHI() phi
    CHI() chi
    PSI() psi
    OMEG() omega
Sample Dataplot Code The following Dataplot code displays all the Greek characters using a Duplex font.
    font duplex
    case upper
    move 5 90
    text ulc()pper case uc()glc()reek characters (duplex font):
    move 10 85
    text alph() beta() gamm() delt() epsi() zeta() eta() thet() iota()
    move 10 80
    text kapp() lamb() mu() nu() xi() omic() pi() rho() sigm() tau() upsi()
    move 10 75
    text phi() chi() psi() omeg()
    move 5 50
    text llc()ower case uc()glc()reek characters (duplex font):
    case lower
    move 10 45
    text alph() beta() gamm() delt() epsi() zeta() eta() thet() iota()
    move 10 40
    text kapp() lamb() mu() nu() xi() omic() pi() rho() sigm() tau() upsi()
    move 10 35
    text phi() chi() psi() omeg()
Dataplot Graph Showing the Greek Characters The following plot was generated.

Plot showing the Greek characters

Omit () for CHARACTER Command When special math, greek, or miscellaneous symbols are used as plot characters, the trailing () is left off. For example,
    CHARACTER ALPH BETA

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Date created: 06/05/2001
Last updated: 09/20/2016

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