HIGZ

HIGZ (High-level Interface to Graphics) is a graphics library that forms part of the CERNLIB software collection. It provides a high-level, device-independent interface for scientific plotting and visualization, enabling users to generate 2D and 3D graphics without writing device-specific code.

Originally developed at CERN for high-energy physics data analysis, HIGZ is designed to work with other CERNLIB components such as HBOOK for histogramming and with the PAW data analysis framework. The library offers a range of drawing primitives and higher-level plotting capabilities, including histograms, line and scatter plots, error bars, contours, text labels, and 3D surfaces.

HIGZ handles multiple display devices through a unified API, supporting common environments of its era (X11-based workstations, Tektronix terminals, PostScript, etc.). It provides facilities for axis scaling, color handling, fonts, and simple user interaction, enabling script-like use or interactive sessions.

Implementation and language: It provides interfaces for Fortran and C, common in CERNLIB codes, making it accessible to legacy HEP software.

Status: HIGZ was widely used in the 1980s and 1990s but has been largely superseded by newer graphics ecosystems, notably ROOT. While still available in some CERNLIB installations, active development has waned and support is limited in modern computing environments.

See also: CERNLIB, HBOOK, PAW, ROOT, graphics devices.