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1.7 Batch/Interactive Operation

`gnuplot` may be executed in either batch or interactive modes, and the two may even be mixed together on many systems.

Any command-line arguments are assumed to be names of files containing `gnuplot` commands (with the exception of standard X11 arguments, which are processed first). Each file is loaded with the `load` command, in the order specified. `gnuplot` exits after the last file is processed. When no load files are named, `gnuplot` enters into an interactive mode. The special filename "-" is used to denote standard input.

Both the exit and quit commands terminate the current command file and `load` the next one, until all have been processed.

Examples:

To launch an interactive session:

           gnuplot
     

To launch a batch session using two command files "input1" and "input2":

           gnuplot input1 input2
     

To launch an interactive session after an initialization file "header" and followed by another command file "trailer":

           gnuplot header - trailer