Edit Tab Delimited Text File w/Data for Use w/Gnuplot

[omegacore]

Hello!

I am running ubuntu, I have a copy of open office excel, but I need to edit a tab space delimited text file with my data in it so I can use gnuplot to plot it.

The editing consists of subtracting one column of data from a file, from another column of data in another file. Each row corresponds to another row in another document... There are about 1000 rows so I cannot do this manually. My lab writeup is due in a few hours, this is the last step I need to complete for the analysis!

I know there is a way to write a quick and dirty program that will perform the operation, but my experience with such things is limited to date. So please! Help!

 

[mgb_phys]

Look at awk (eg http://student.northpark.edu/pemente/awk/awk1line.txt ) it's a very simple language for text processing

Print column 1 - column 2 would be something like:
awk '{print $1-$2}' datafile.txt

 

[quicknote]

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out. It sounds like you are working on an important project and are in need of some assistance with editing a tab-delimited text file for use with Gnuplot.

Firstly, I would recommend using a text editor specifically designed for working with data, such as Notepad++ or Sublime Text. These programs have features that make it easier to manipulate large amounts of data, such as the ability to search and replace specific values.

In terms of subtracting one column of data from another, you can use a programming language like Python or R to automate this process. There are many tutorials and resources available online that can guide you through this task. Alternatively, you can use built-in functions in Gnuplot to perform mathematical operations on your data.

If you are short on time, you could also consider using a data analysis software like Excel or Google Sheets, which have functions for manipulating data and can also be used to create plots.

I hope this helps and wish you the best of luck with your lab writeup. Let me know if you have any further questions.