Robot -

a scientific open-source graph plotting and data analysis tool

The program "robot" is available by anonymous ftp from lheaftp.gsfc.nasa.gov. The ftp location may change - if you can't find the files check with www.robotx.cx

Latest Versions

On July 31st 2001 the latest release of robot was:
Version 4.92, Patchlevel 0

The latest beta version was:
Version 4.93, Patchlevel -89
There is not yet any Java or GTK version.

Main Features of Robot

Graph plotting in various styles - error bars, histogram, symbols, lines, dashed lines etc. Linear or logarithmic axes.
Data manipulation - arithmetic, functions, Fourier transforms, smoothing, folding, sorting.
Fitting to data using built in functions such as Gaussians, polynomials, Lorentzians, and/or a user defined function.
Annotation of graphs with text in various styles, simple drawing tools.
Interaction with Robot is via pull-down menus, buttons etc. and/or a pseudo command line type interface.
Commands are stored in log files for later play back, editing etc.
Command files can also include basic programming constructs: loops, if tests, user defined variables.
Multi-color plots. Multiple plots per page. Multiple pages.
Output in PostScript format.

Requirements

Robot presently uses XView for its graphical interface (a future replacement using either Java or GTK is under evaluation). User interface portions of code are written in 'C'. Data manipulation code is written in Fortran. Hence the public domain f2c package (available from http://netlib.bell-labs.com/netlib/f2c ) or a Fortran compiler is required. Alternatively, pre-compiled binaries for LINUX, Sun's The full distribution (source, documentation etc.) takes up about 2.4Mbytes of disc space and the executable consumes approximately 3.5 Mbytes of RAM or greater (depending on the size of the data files being plotted).

Availability

The ftp site where robot is located may change from time to time.

Please check at http://www.robotx.cx for location.

Current location is: By anonymous ftp from lheaftp.gsfc.nasa.gov in the directory pub/corbet/robot. The relevant files are:

robotx-.--.tar.gz       - Full source, plotting library, example scripts,
                          documentation etc. 
                          "-.--" is the version number, e.g. the file
                           may be robotx4.92.tar.gz
robot-beta.tar.gz       - most recent but less tested version of the above.
CHANGES	                - history of changes
RobotManual.ps.gz       - just the documentation.
robot.linux.gz          - binary built on an x86 machine running Linux (static build)
robot.linux.dynamic.gz  - binary built on an x86 machine running Linux (not static linking)
robot.solaris.gz        - binary built on a SPARCstation (Solaris). Not static.
robot.osf.gz	        - binary built on a DEC Alpha (OSF/1) machine
 	N.B. This is not a static binary. Get XView for OSF/1 from 
ftp.cs.cmu.edu:/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/mjchan/pub/xview3.2-alpha-dist.tar.gz 
or ftp.sdsc.edu:/pub/ccms/xview




Reference

Corbet, R.H.D., Larkin, C. & Nousek, J.A.  Proceedings of "Astronomical
Data Analysis and Software Systems", Tucson, November, 1991. ASP
Conference Series, 1992, 25, 106. (ISBN 0-937707-44-9)


Statistics on Robot Use on Different Operating Systems
LINUX - 87.5%
Sun - 10.9% 
OSF1 - 1.3%
HP-UX - 0.2%



Robin Corbet                                |  robot@robotx.cx
Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics     |  
Code 662                                    |  
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center            |
Greenbelt, MD 20771                         |
USA                                         |


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