pro Fit

I found pro Fit when it was referenced in a paper that I recently read. I am very happy with it. pro Fit is unique in the way it allows to very quickly look at data or functions, and very quickly obtain results or high quality graphical output. I see people getting data and then passing it through python code to get a matplotlib plot that is not good for publication, or similar things with Mathematica or MatLab, where getting that final graph is so difficult. With pro Fit, on the other hand, one can load a data set and boom: see the data in a very flexible preview; Or one can quickly write two lines of python code and boom: see the function in the same preview. Then give the function some parameters and drag the function curve around with your mouse to see how the parameter affects the function and identify optimum starting values for a fit by directly comparing function and data. Or just draw a selection rectangle to select the data points you want to use for a curve fit: no need to filter or rearrange data. Similarly when creating graphs for publication: just double click and dive deep into a graph to customize every aspect. In addition to that, the graphs are actually part of a general drawing editor, and it is very easy to add LaTeX formulas, photos, pictures, or any drawing that is necessary to clarify the meaning of my data or my plot. In summary, with its support for python and LaTeX, plus a user interface that allows to immediately interact with data and functions, pro Fit is one of the little jewels for any one who needs to work with data or math. I see from the other comments that it has been around for a long time: no wonder!

The main problem I have with Pro Fit is the inability to import binary data. Igor Pro has a flexible and easy-to-use way to do this. I don't understand why the Pro Fit developers don't add this—it's really easy to do. They provide information on how the user can write importers for custom data formats, but this is a very hard task and should not be pushed on the user. (Veusz now provides some binary import capability although not as flexible as Igor Pro. And, as noted below, it isn't a general programming environment.) If Pro Fit added this import capability I would buy it immediately. A lesser complaint is that I would like to see some kind of project organization capability, where data, plots, and program files could be collected and accessed with Pro Fit in, say, a panel. BTW, the "Similar Software" list on MacUpdate is really inappropriate as they are all graphing programs. Pro Fit is a complete programming environment (as well as graphing) with both Pascal and (now) Python. (As another commenter noted, the Python addition allows full access to NumPy and SciPy, a very big deal.)

6.2 is a very significant update. pro Fit has been "integrated" into Python. Now you can write programs as Python scripts where the pro Fit functions and commands are just part of a Python library. This means for example that you can incorporate all the SciPy and NumPy functionality. It makes pro Fit instantly much, much more powerful. With these additions it should compare favorably with Igor Pro (which I have never used).

please note that version 6.2's system requirements, according to pp.10 of its manual are ,"System Requirements: pro Fit 6.2 has been developed for Mac OS® 10.6 or better. Compatibility with earlier systems has not been tested, even though pro Fit 6.2 will probably also work (mostly) on MacOS 10.5." plus the beta version of 6.2 also needs a valid rego. code for version 6.1

Had to post a review for this outstanding application to counterbalance the idiot "frustrated statistician" below.

How does this compare to Igor Pro lately?

With all the features you get for $95 (what is the cost of competing packages?), its intuitiveness (how fast do new users learn Igor?), and the good stability and user-support, this is an amazing program and I can only give it maximum rating. Great value for your money, great useability, and it provides 98% of all the features you will ever need for data and function analysis purposes in a very accessible (and easily expandable) way. It is much better to get 98% of what you will ever need in a package that is so approachable that you won't forget how to use - rather than to get 99% at the cost of a complicated and difficult to learn program.

Good program. But, note my ease of use and feature ratings are both high even thought I believe for many users it will be rather low. Basic graphing is on par with the old Cricket Graph 1. But, I rated features high because it is highly programmable. It is much easier to get started in that Igor Pro, but not as powerful. People who don't read the clear instructions on the site for the difference between demos and betas shouldn't have their ratings counted.

this is NOT a demo - after sitting thru the d.l on dialup, it promts for a pw to test it. BAD BAD BAD!

I´v ebeen using pro fit for severla years now ,and it´s the perfect replacement for DeltaGraph. Granted, it doesn´t support as many chart types as DeltaGraph but is moe powerful due to its Pascal programming. I´ve used to teach calculus as well as programming and it is one indispensable tool.