How to automatically create tally charts?

Question

Is there a way to automatically create tally charts like the following from datavizcatalogue.com? I am in a Linux environment without any user interaction and no Adobe or Microsoft products. I would like to start a graphic software with a number (or a series of numbers) that would produce a small bitmap containing the tally-format number. The output should be jpg, png, etc. of similar resolution as in the example below.

I know that several (Windows/Linux) graphic software is capable of scripting/automatized output (Gimp, Inkscape, gnuplot, others?). Any Windows-based solution is also appreciated.

The important part for me is to have the tally marks created automatically, so that a number as input gives the same number in the tally mark numeral system as bitmap image.

Any hint is appreciated.

Answer 1

Ok you can simply use postscript for this heres aencapsulated postscript example:

%!PS-Adobe-3.0 EPSF-3.0 
%%BoundingBox: 0 0 595 842
%%Creator: joo
%%EndComments

/data (

Your 22
data 35
goes 12
here 23

) def 

/pw 595 def
/ph 842 def
/margin 40 def

margin 842 margin sub translate

/str 40 string def 
/Helvetica findfont 13 scalefont setfont 

/center { % x y string
    /string exch def
    /y exch def
    /x exch def
    0 0 moveto string dup stringwidth pop
    2 div x exch sub y moveto show
} def 

/drawtally { /num exch def
gsave
88 currentpoint exch pop translate
1 1 num { /i exch def
i 5 mod 0 ne { newpath 4 i mul  -2 moveto 4 i mul 10.5 lineto stroke fill} 
             { newpath 4 i 5 sub mul  -2 moveto 4 i mul 10.5 lineto stroke fill} ifelse
} for
grestore
} def 



/drawItem {/num exch cvi def /name exch def 32 currentpoint exch pop name center 
            num drawtally 
            432 595 margin 2 mul sub add 2 div currentpoint exch pop num str cvs  center} def

0.75 setlinewidth

% https://stackoverflow.com/a/14012570/1335032  
/split {
    [ 3 1 roll {  search { 3 1 roll }{ exit }ifelse }loop ]
    [ exch { dup () eq {pop} if} forall ]
} def

% Draw frame
newpath
0 0 moveto
pw margin 2 mul sub 0 lineto
pw margin 2 mul sub ph margin 3 mul sub neg lineto
0 ph margin 3 mul sub neg  lineto
closepath
stroke

newpath
0 -16 moveto
pw margin 2 mul sub -16 lineto
72 0 moveto
72 ph margin 3 mul sub neg lineto
432 0 moveto
432 ph margin 3 mul sub neg lineto
stroke

36 -12 (Title) center 
252 -12 (Tally) center 
432 595 margin 2 mul sub add 2 div -12 (Total) center 

%draw tallies
0 -32 moveto

data (\n) split {( ) split aload pop drawItem 0 -16 rmoveto} forall
%%EOF

You can use imagemagic or even ghostscript to convert that into a raster image. Or use the stuff directly for printing all form your command line. Ive rendered this with illustrator which also understands this.