title: How to create a data file for gnuplot?
body: <p>I'm trying to make a graph with gnuplot. I specified my <code>xrange</code>, <code>yrange</code>, and <code>labels</code>, but when I typed in the following command:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>gnuplot> plot "data.txt" using 1:2 with lines</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>gnuplot tells me:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>warning: Skipping unreadable file "data.txt" No data in plot.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>I don't understand how my data file is unreadable. This is what my <code>data.txt</code> looks like:</p>
  
  <pre><code>X       Y  [I didn't enter X and Y into my text file]
  
  10000   0.030
  5000    0.02
  1000    0.012
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I know I must be doing something wrong -- this is my first time using gnuplot. I tried doing a Google search on how to make a proper data.txt file turns up zilch. </p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p>EDIT:</p>
  
  <p>I feel like this may sound strange to ask at a programming Q&amp;A site, but what should a typical text file w/data look like? I'm no computer programmer, just an undergrad trying to plot a graph for her biochemistry class. </p>