---
name: "minmax"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "gmt-manpages"
version: "3.4-1"
release: "Debian 3.0 (Woody)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/minmax"
---

# minmax(1)

Find extreme values in data tables

## NAME

minmax - Find extreme values in data tables

## SYNOPSIS

**minmax** \[ *files*\] \[ **-C** \] \[ **-D** \] \[ **-H**\[*nrec*\] \] \[ **-I***dx*\[/*dy*\] \] \[ **-L** \] \[ **-M**\[*flag*\] \] \[ **-:** \] \[ **-bi**\[**s**\]\[*n*\] \]

## DESCRIPTION

**minmax** reads its standard input \[or from files\] and finds the extreme values in each of the columns. It recognizes NaNs and will print warnings if the number of columns vary from record to record. As an option, **minmax** will find the extent of the first two columns rounded up and down to the nearest multiple of dx/dy. This output will be in the form **-R***w/e/s/n* which can be used directly in the command line for other programs, or simply in column form.

- *xyzfile*

  ASCII \[or binary, see **-b**\] file(s) holding a fixed number of data columns.

## OPTIONS

- **-C**

  Report the min/max values per column in separate columns \[Default uses \<min/max\> format\]

- **-D**

  Sets longitude discontinuity to the Dateline (-180/+180) \[Default is Greenwich (0-360)\]. Requires **-L**.

- **-H**

  Input file(s) has Header record(s). Number of header records can be changed by editing your .gmtdefaults file. If used, **GMT** default is 1 header record.

- **-I**

  Report the min/max of the first two columns to the nearest multiple of dx and dy, and output this in the form -Rw/e/s/n (unless **-C** is set).

- **-L**

  Indicates that the x column contains longitudes, which may be periodic in 360 degrees \[Default assumes no periodicity\].

- **-M**

  Multiple segment file(s). Segments are separated by a special record. For ASCII files the first character must be *flag* \[Default is '\>'\]. For binary files all fields must be NaN.

- **-:**

  Toggles between (longitude,latitude) and (latitude,longitude) input/output. \[Default is (longitude,latitude)\]. Applies to geographic coordinates only. Only works when **-I** is selected.

- **-bi**

  Selects binary input. Append **s** for single precision \[Default is double\]. Append *n* for the number of columns in the binary file(s). \[Default is 2 input columns\].

## EXAMPLES

To find the extreme values in the file ship\_gravity.xygd, try\

minmax ship\_gravity.xygd\

Output should look like\

ship\_gravity.xygd: N = 6992 \<326.125/334.684\> \<-28.0711/-8.6837\> \<-47.7/177.6\> \<0.6/3544.9\>\

To find the extreme values in the file track.xy to the nearest 5 units and use this region to draw a line using psxy, try\

psxy \`minmax **-I**5 track.xy\` track.xy **-Jx**1 **-B**5 **-P** \> track.ps\

To find the min and max values for each column, but rounded to integers, try\

minmax junkfile **-C -I**1

## SEE ALSO

*gmt*(l)