## HOLD Plot Hold Toggle Function

Section: Handle-Based Graphics

### Usage

Toggles the hold state on the currently active plot. The general syntax for its use is

       hold(state)

where `state` is either

       hold('on')

to turn hold on, or

       hold('off')

to turn hold off. If you specify no argument then `hold` toggles the state of the hold:

       hold

You can also specify a particular axis to the hold command

       hold(handle,...)

where `handle` is the handle for a particular axis.

### Function Internals

The `hold` function allows one to construct a plot sequence incrementally, instead of issuing all of the plots simultaneously using the `plot` command.

### Example

Here is an example of using both the `hold` command and the multiple-argument `plot` command to construct a plot composed of three sets of data. The first is a plot of a modulated Gaussian.

    --> x = linspace(-5,5,500);
    --> t = exp(-x.^2);
    --> y = t.*cos(2*pi*x*3);
    --> plot(x,y);

We now turn the hold state to `'on'`, and add another plot sequence, this time composed of the top and bottom envelopes of the modulated Gaussian. We add the two envelopes simultaneously using a single `plot` command. The fact that `hold` is `'on'` means that these two envelopes are added to (instead of replace) the current contents of the plot.

    --> plot(x,y);
    --> hold on
    --> plot(x,t,'g-',x,-t,'b-')