support for "dumb" graphics device -- is it a bad idea?

[Joseph P. Skudlarek]

"dumb" or "txt" is not supported as a known plotting device type by
Octave, yet "dumb" is supported by gnuplot on both Unix/Linux and
Windows, contrary to email below; perhaps the email claim had to do with
gnuplot 4.0 vs 4.2?

    Problems with plotting (Windows)
    by Michael Goffioul-3 Feb 10, 2007; 06:12am 

    I detected 2 problems in the new plotting system:
    - drawnow.m: use "dumb" terminal is DISPLAY variable is not defined;
    under Windows, this variable is not defined, so adding a "&& isunix()" in
    the test would be OK

Anyway, I would like to modify print.m to enable "txt" as an output
device, have "txt" map to gnuplot's "dumb" device, and accept the size
options.  I do not plan to modify the DISPLAY handling, since I don't
build on Windows, and wouldn't be able to test the changes.

But I only want to make these changes if they make sense and would
likely be accepted as part of Octave.  Any good reason NOT to do this?
Replies received by end of day Mon 19Nov07 would be appreciated.

[FYI: One reason to allow this is to enable simple ascii plots in the
info files; eg, the "plot" figure is a simple sine wave which does
reproduce well enough as ascii graphics.]

Thanks.  /Jskud