How to use the command gv2gxl (with examples)

The gv2gxl command is used to convert a graph from gv (Graphviz) format to gxl format. It is one of the converters provided by Graphviz for graph file formats. This command helps in converting graphs for use in different applications or analysis.

Use case 1: Convert a graph from gv to gxl format

Code:

gv2gxl -o output.gxl input.gv

Motivation: This use case is useful when you have a graph file in gv format and want to convert it to gxl format. gxl is an XML-based graph file format that can be read by various graph visualization and analysis tools.

Explanation:

• -o output.gxl is an option to specify the output file name and format.
• input.gv is the input graph file in gv format.

Example output: The input.gv file will be converted to output.gxl.

Use case 2: Convert a graph using stdin and stdout

Code:

cat input.gv | gv2gxl > output.gxl

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to convert a graph without creating intermediate files. The cat command is used to read the contents of the input.gv file, and the converted graph is directly written to the output.gxl file using the redirection (>) operator.

Explanation:

• cat input.gv reads the contents of the input.gv file.
• | (pipe) operator is used to redirect the output of the cat command as input to the gv2gxl command.
• > output.gxl writes the output of the gv2gxl command to the output.gxl file.

Example output: The contents of the input.gv file will be converted to gxl format and written to the output.gxl file.

Use case 3: Display help

Code:

gv2gxl -?

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to quickly access the help information for the gv2gxl command. The -? option displays help with basic usage information.

Explanation:

• -? is an option to display help information.

Example output: The help information for the gv2gxl command will be displayed.

Conclusion:

The gv2gxl command is a versatile tool for converting graphs from gv format to gxl format. It provides flexibility by allowing conversions with specified input and output files or using stdin and stdout. The command simplifies the process of converting graphs and facilitates their use in different applications and analysis tools.