@tomleslie 

The command

svg_code := Export(plot(x), target = direct, format = "svg");

outputs

svg_code := ".430 116.496,283.504 118.580,281.420 120.565,279.435 122.654,277.346 124.546,275.454 126.636,273.364 128.639,271.361 130.636,269.364 132.722,267.278 134.644,265.356 136.612,263.388 138.784,261.216 140.752,259.248 142.764,257.236 144.810,255.190 146.691,253.309 148.695,251.305 150.685,249.315 152.813,247.187 154.691,245.309 156.858,243.142 158.814,241.186 160.748,239.252 162.829,237.171 164.918,235.082 166.819,233.181 168.837,231.163 170.807,229.193 172.942,227.058 174.790,225.210 176.912,223.088 178.906,221.094 180.882,219.118 182.859,217.141 184.876,215.124 187.013,212.987 188.973,211.027 190.908,209.092 192.976,207.024 195.039,204.961 196.892,203.108 199.086,200.914 200.921,199.079 203.069,196.931 205.118,194.882 206.948,193.052 209.006,190.994 211.077,188.923 213.139,186.861 215.050,184.950 217.030,182.970 219.076,180.924 221.117,178.883 223.215,176.785 225.064,174.936 227.145,172.855 229.234,170.766 231.248,168.752 233.077,166.923 235.251,164.749 237.093,162.907 239.236,160.764 241.132,158.868 243.213,156.787 245.195,154.805 247.262,152.738 249.161,150.839 251.209,148.791 253.336,146.664 255.188,144.812 257.187,142.813 259.254,140.746 261.275,138.725 263.231,136.769 265.402,134.598 267.353,132.647 269.436,130.564 271.324,128.676 273.388,126.612 275.330,124.670 277.360,122.640 279.344,120.656 281.422,118.578 283.423,116.577 285.469,114.531 287.499,112.501 289.363,110.637 291.501,108.499 293.412,106.588 295.450,104.550 297.401,102.599 299.567,100.433 301.443,98.557 303.572,96.428 305.512,94.488 307.634,92.366 309.466,90.534 311.551,88.449 313.566,86.434 315.579,84.421 317.585,82.415 319.512,80.488 321.595,78.405 323.580,76.420 325.669,74.331 327.561,72.439 329.651,70.349 331.654,68.346 333.651,66.349 335.737,64.263 337.659,62.341 339.627,60.373 341.800,58.200 343.767,56.233 345.779,54.221 347.825,52.175 349.706,50.294 351.710,48.290 353.700,46.300 355.828,44.172 357.706,42.294 359.873,40.127 361.829,38.171 363.763,36.237 365.844,34.156 367.933,32.067 369.834,30.166 371.852,28.148 373.822,26.178 375.957,24.043 377.805,22.195 379.927,20.073 381.922,18.078 383.897,16.103 385.874,14.126 387.891,12.109 390.028,9.972 391.988,8.012 393.923,6.077 395.991,4.009 398.054,1.946 400.000,0.000 '/>
</g>
<g stroke='rgb(0%,0%,0%)' stroke-opacity='1' stroke-width='1px' fill='none'>
<polyline points='0.000,0.000 0.000,400.000'/>
<polyline points='0.000,0.000 400.000,0.000'/>
<text x='0.000' y='10.000' fill='rgb(0%,0%,0%)'>1.0</text>
<text x='100.000' y='10.000' fill='rgb(0%,0%,0%)'>1.2</text>
<text x='200.000' y='10.000' fill='rgb(0%,0%,0%)'>1.5</text>
<text x='300.000' y='10.000' fill='rgb(0%,0%,0%)'>1.8</text>"

which is a broken svg. 

I know your method works, but I want to do this strictly via the command line & assign the output to a variable. Thanks