PLTEXT(3plplot)

✨ NAME ✨

okay so this is the PLTEXT(3plplot) page from the PLplot API, and it's literally all about this one little function 💅

• pltext — Switch to text screen

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

pltext()

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

So bestie, pltext() sets an interactive device to text mode. It's used in conjunction with plgra(3plplot) so graphics and text can be interspersed — iconic behavior, no cap.

On a device that supports separate text and graphics windows, this command causes control to be switched to the text window. That's highkey useful for printing diagnostic messages or getting user input, which would otherwise interfere with the plots. Main character energy for diagnostics, honestly.

⚠️ But listen: the program must switch back to the graphics window before issuing plot commands, because the text (or console) device will probably become quite confused otherwise. Like, genuinely confused. 😭

If you're already in text mode, this command is ignored. It is also ignored on devices which only support a single window or use a different method for shifting focus (see also plgra(3plplot)). Periodt.

Redacted form: pltext()

This function is used in example 1.

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🎀 AUTHORS 🎀

Many developers (who are credited at http://plplot.sourceforge.net/credits.php) have contributed to PLplot over its long history. Slay, honestly — the lore is deep. 👑

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

PLplot documentation at http://plplot.sourceforge.net/documentation.php.

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💖 that's the whole vibe 💖 — this page is part of the PLplot API, dated August, 2026, and it's the PLTEXT(3plplot) page, bestie 🫶✨