# Plot a data/Table from Mathematica using pgfplots

I use data1 = Table[] in Mathematica 9 (M9) to generate a table of values. The thing is that when I read the data file, there's only one column! How can I plot this data file in LaTeX using pgfplots? Here's a ME

\documentclass[border=1]{standalone}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{compat=1.5}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\begin{axis}
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}


I also tried TestTable.txt instead of .csv but without any success. TestTable.csv is generated in M9 with the following code

Export[NotebookDirectory[] <> "TestTable.csv", data1]

where data1 is defined earlier in M9 is some data e.g. numerical integration or similar. A smaller version of data1 in textform (i.e. TestTable.txt) looks like this

1.1
2.3
3.0
4.1
5.3
6.2
7.3
8.4
9.6
10.3

• Can you show that data?
– user11232
Oct 13, 2015 at 15:19
• Try \addplot table[x expr=\coordindex,y={<column name>}] {TestTable.csv};
– user11232
Oct 13, 2015 at 15:20
• Yes it has Dimensions[data1] = {1000} i.e. 1000 entries of pure numbers. Oct 13, 2015 at 15:21
• Should I change column name? Oct 13, 2015 at 15:23
• Can you post that data file so that we can download it?
– user11232
Oct 13, 2015 at 15:32

You can use

\addplot table[x expr=\coordindex,y index=0] {TestTable.csv};


The y values are read from first column which has the index 0 (zeroth column).

Full code:

\documentclass[border=1]{standalone}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{compat=1.5}   %% why 1.5? pl. update
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\begin{axis}
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}


The TestTable.csv has the following content:

1.1
2.3
3.0
4.1
5.3
6.2
7.3
8.4
9.6
10.3

• I have pgfplots version 1.7, is that good enough? Oct 13, 2015 at 18:12
• @ShutupandCalculate The latest is 1.12
– user11232
Oct 13, 2015 at 22:48
• Ok 1.7 sounded higher to me... Oct 14, 2015 at 7:06
• @ShutupandCalculate Well, it is bit confusing but look at it this way. 1. is common to all versions. Then you count 3 as 1.3, 4 as 1.4.....9 as 1.9 and then 10 as 1.10.... 12 as 1.12. Hope it is clear. Now the version is 12.1 so it will be 1.12.1
– user11232
Oct 14, 2015 at 7:17
• @ShutupandCalculate I am a physicist too. :) But it is a convention adopted by Christian (the author of pgfplots).
– user11232
Oct 14, 2015 at 9:31