Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!sdd.hp.com!wuarchive!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!sei.cmu.edu!fs7.ece.cmu.edu!fs7.ece.cmu.edu!barvian From: barvian@ece.cmu.edu (Scott Barvian) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps Subject: Re: Cricket Graph Replacement Message-ID: Date: 8 May 91 12:48:37 GMT References: <1991May7.110742.13400@mcs.drexel.edu> <96911@lll-winken.LLNL.GOV> Sender: news@fs7.ece.cmu.edu (USENET News System) Organization: ECE Dept., Carnegie-Mellon University Lines: 29 In-Reply-To: macq@miguel.llnl.gov's message of 7 May 91 22:05:18 GMT I hope this (old, but still accurate) discussion of DeltaGraph helps out in the "which graphing program is better" debate. ---------------------------------------- Check MacWorld 7/90 for a basic discussion. It convinced me to buy DeltaGraph. I have basically been happy with it, but: 1) it's really a "color" Mac program- to use it on B&W screens (I use both) you have to keep straight the difference between "colors", "grayscales" and "fill patterns". Not tough but annoying at first. 2) The "formula evaluation" capabilities are limited. Suppose I have two columns, of x data and y data. I plot them, and then I use their "curve fitting" feature to get a least-squares-fit line formula. I can't directly plot that line on my graph, but I can go back into the "spreadsheet" and calculate it. And it's not even that easy, because all the spreadsheet can do is process one operation at a time. That is, if the formula I have is "y=3x+5", the "3x" and "+5" are two separate operations. And it's not like Excel either, if I decide to look at "y=2.9x+5" I have to repeat the whole process, I can't just change the coefficient and hit "recalculate". For scientific/engineering use this is DG's biggest weakness. They do offer an Excel macro which is supposed to "hot link" the 2 programs, but I found that it doesn't always work. Your mileage may vary. This article may not be reprinted without the written consent of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball or his mom. -- ==== Scott Barvian ============ Department of Electrical/Computer Eng. === ==== barvian@ece.cmu.edu ====== Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA ===