# Plot problem with tikz and data from matlab

I extracted data from matlab figures, with the command "dlmwrite('heat.txt',[x',u],'delimiter', '\t')". It gives me a text file with 3 columns of numbers (the first is the abscisse x, and the other are 2 functions f(x) and g(x)). I wanted to plot it in Latex, so i've written this:

\begin{tikzpicture}
\begin{axis}
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}


It's not working, I have the error : ! Package PGF Math Error: Unknown function heat' (in 'heat.txt').. Then, I put file[skip first] in the line \addplot and it's working, I have the graph of (x,f(x)). I don't understand because my text file is only number. More important, I wanted to plot also (x,g(x)). So i've written:

\begin{tikzpicture}
\begin{axis}
\addplot file[skip first] table[x index=0,y index=2] {heat.txt};
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}


And it does not work, the error is : ! Package pgfplots Error: sorry, plot file{t} could not be opened. I tried it without "file[skip first]", and it's the same error.

I really don't understand.

To plot coordinates from a file use

\addplot table [<column selection>]{<file name>};


If the optional argument for table is missing, the first column (with index 0) is used as x values and the second column (with index 1) is used as y-values.

To plot f(x) with your file

\begin{tikzpicture}
\begin{axis}
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}


should work.

To plot the third column you can use:

\begin{tikzpicture}
\begin{axis}

If you have data files, you should generally use \addplot table. The input type \addplot file` is almost the same, but considerably less powerful. It is only kept for backwards compatibility.