# Preface to Version 11.6.0

This manual describes the data plotting library DISLIN written in the programming languages Fortran and C. The name DISLIN is an abbreviation for Device-Independent Software LINdau since applications were designed to run on different computer systems without any changes. The library contains subroutines and functions for displaying data graphically as curves, bar graphs, pie charts, 3-D colour plots, surfaces, contours and maps. Some widget routines are added to the library for creating graphical user interfaces.

DISLIN is intended to be a powerful and easy to use software package for programmers and scientists that does not require knowledge of hardware features of output devices. The routines in the graphics library are the result of my own work on many projects with different computers and many plotting packages. There are only a few graphics routines with a short parameter list needed to display the desired graphical output. A large variety of parameter setting routines can then be called to create individually customized graphics.

Since the first version of DISLIN was released in Dec. 1986, many changes and corrections have been made and new features and standards have been added to the software. Some of the new features are elementary image routines, a graphical user interface, filled contour lines, flat and smooth shaded surfaces, plotting of vector fields and a C interface for reading binary data from Fortran programs. DISLIN supports now several hardware platforms, operating systems and compilers. A real Fortran 90 library is available for most Fortran 90/95 compilers.

Although nearly all the routines and utilities of the software package are written by myself, DISLIN would not have been possible without the help of many people. I would like to thank several people at the Max-Planck-Institut in Lindau. First, Dr. W. Degenhardt, Dr. H. J. Mueller and Dr. I. Pardowitz who gave their friendly assistance. To all the users of DISLIN, I am grateful for your helpful suggestions and comments. I would especially like to thank the members of the computer center, Friederich Both, Terry Ho, Godehard Monecke and Michael Bruns for their co-operation. Finally, I am grateful to Linda See and Erika Eschebach who corrected the English and German manuals with great carefulness. To all of them, my sincere thanks.

H. Michels Göttingen, 30.04.2026

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