Reading data files with Maple

Maple can read data files and store them in lists which can be used by other Maple functions. Suppose, for example, that we have a file "foo" which looks like this:

  0 0
  1 1
  2 0

In Maple we execute the command

  d := readdata( foo, 2 );

where the "2" refers to the number of columns. The variable "d" now has the value

  [[0,0], [1,1], [2,0]]

This structure, which we view as a list of (x,y) coordinates, defines a broken-line path. To plot it, we do this:

  plot(d);

Exercise: Picture in your mind's eye the figure which d represents.

Notes

For all but the smallest files, use a colon instead of a semicolon in order to suppress display. Example:
```
  d := readdata( foo, 2 ):
```
One can plot two or more sets of data at once. For example, if d1 and d2 hold lists of (x,y) pairs, then we can say this:
```
  plot( { d1, d2 } );
```
Consult ?readdata and ?plot for more information.

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