diff --git a/scripts/plotting/basic_barplots_LIG.R b/scripts/plotting/basic_barplots_LIG.R
index 9b15944..5b4ae4a 100755
--- a/scripts/plotting/basic_barplots_LIG.R
+++ b/scripts/plotting/basic_barplots_LIG.R
@@ -99,9 +99,10 @@ cat(paste0("Directories imported:"
            , "\noutdir:", outdir
            , "\nplotdir:", plotdir))
 
- cat(paste0("Variables imported:"
+ cat(paste0("\nVariables imported:"
            , "\ndrug:", drug
-           , "\ngene:", gene))
+           , "\ngene:", gene
+           , "\n"))
            #, "\ngene_match:", gene_match
            #, "\nLength of upos:", length(upos)
            #, "\nAngstrom symbol:", angstroms_symbol))       
@@ -130,46 +131,19 @@ str(df)
 #****************
 # Plot 1: Count of stabilising and destabilsing muts
 #****************
-
 #svg("basic_barplots_LIG.svg")
 svg(plot_basic_bp_ligand)
 print(paste0("plot1 filename:", basic_bp_ligand))
 
-my_ats = 25 # axis text size
-my_als = 22 # axis label size
-
-theme_set(theme_grey())
-
 #--------------
-# start plot 1
+# start plot 1: call function
 #--------------
-g = ggplot(df, aes(x = ligand_outcome))
-OutPlot_lig_count = g + geom_bar(aes(fill = ligand_outcome)
-                         , show.legend = TRUE) + 
-  geom_label(stat = "count"
-             , aes(label = ..count..)
-             , color = "black"
-             , show.legend = FALSE
-             , size = 10) + 
-  theme(axis.text.x = element_blank()
-        , axis.title.x = element_blank()
-        , axis.title.y = element_text(size=my_als)
-        , axis.text.y = element_text(size = my_ats)
-        , legend.position = c(0.73,0.8)
-        , legend.text = element_text(size=my_als-2)
-        , legend.title = element_text(size=my_als)
-        , plot.title = element_blank()) + 
-  labs(title = ""
-       , y = "Number of nsSNPs"
-      #, fill="ligand_outcome"
-      ) + 
-  scale_fill_discrete(name = "Ligand Outcome"
-                      , labels = c("Destabilising", "Stabilising"))
-
-print(OutPlot_lig_count)
+stability_count_bp(plotdf = my_df_u_lig
+                   , df_colname = "ligand_outcome"
+                   , leg_title = "Ligand outcome")
 dev.off()
 
-table(df$ligand_outcome)
+table(my_df_u_lig$ligand_outcome)
 #=======================================================================
 #****************
 # Plot 2: frequency of positions
@@ -255,4 +229,4 @@ print(OutPlot_lig_pos_count)
 dev.off()
 ########################################################################
 #               			end of LIG barplots         			   
-########################################################################
\ No newline at end of file
+########################################################################
diff --git a/scripts/plotting/basic_barplots_PS.R b/scripts/plotting/basic_barplots_PS.R
index 23644e0..fd41ca4 100755
--- a/scripts/plotting/basic_barplots_PS.R
+++ b/scripts/plotting/basic_barplots_PS.R
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ require("getopt", quietly = TRUE) # cmd parse arguments
 # load functions
 source("plotting_globals.R")
 source("plotting_data.R")
+source("functions/stability_count_bp.R")
 #########################################################
 # command line args
 #********************
@@ -98,9 +99,10 @@ cat(paste0("Directories imported:"
            , "\noutdir:", outdir
            , "\nplotdir:", plotdir))
            
- cat(paste0("Variables imported:"
+ cat(paste0("\nVariables imported:"
            , "\ndrug:", drug
-           , "\ngene:", gene))
+           , "\ngene:", gene
+           , "\n))
            #, "\ngene_match:", gene_match
            #, "\nLength of upos:", length(upos)
            #, "\nAngstrom symbol:", angstroms_symbol))       
@@ -129,45 +131,18 @@ str(df)
 #****************
 # Plot 1: Count of stabilising and destabilsing muts
 #****************
-
 svg(plot_basic_bp_duet)
 print(paste0("plot1 filename:", basic_bp_duet))
 
-my_ats = 25 # axis text size
-my_als = 22 # axis label size
-
-theme_set(theme_grey())
-
 #--------------
-# start plot 1
+# start plot 1: call function
 #--------------
-g = ggplot(df, aes(x = duet_outcome))
-OutPlot_count = g + geom_bar(aes(fill = duet_outcome)
-                         , show.legend = TRUE) + 
-  geom_label(stat = "count"
-             , aes(label = ..count..)
-             , color = "black"
-             , show.legend = FALSE
-             , size = 10) + 
-  theme(axis.text.x = element_blank()
-        , axis.title.x = element_blank()
-        , axis.title.y = element_text(size=my_als)
-        , axis.text.y = element_text(size = my_ats)
-        , legend.position = c(0.73,0.8)
-        , legend.text = element_text(size=my_als-2)
-        , legend.title = element_text(size=my_als)
-        , plot.title = element_blank()) + 
-  labs(title = ""
-       , y = "Number of nsSNPs"
-      #, fill="DUET Outcome"
-      ) + 
-  scale_fill_discrete(name = "DUET Outcome"
-                      , labels = c("Destabilising", "Stabilising"))
-
-print(OutPlot_count)
+stability_count_bp(plotdf = my_df_u
+                   , df_colname = "duet_outcome"
+                   , leg_title = "DUET outcome")
 dev.off()
 
-table(df$duet_outcome)
+table(my_df_u$duet_outcome)
 #=======================================================================
 #****************
 # Plot 2: frequency of positions
@@ -252,4 +227,4 @@ print(OutPlot_pos_count)
 dev.off()
 ########################################################################
 #               			end of PS barplots         			   
-########################################################################
\ No newline at end of file
+########################################################################
diff --git a/scripts/plotting/basic_barplots_foldx.R b/scripts/plotting/basic_barplots_foldx.R
index 0200cce..e78840d 100755
--- a/scripts/plotting/basic_barplots_foldx.R
+++ b/scripts/plotting/basic_barplots_foldx.R
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ require("getopt", quietly = TRUE) # cmd parse arguments
 # load functions
 source("plotting_globals.R")
 source("plotting_data.R")
+source("functions/stability_count_bp.R")
 #########################################################
 # command line args
 #********************
@@ -99,9 +100,10 @@ cat(paste0("Directories imported:"
            , "\noutdir:", outdir
            , "\nplotdir:", plotdir))
            
- cat(paste0("Variables imported:"
+ cat(paste0("\nVariables imported:"
            , "\ndrug:", drug
-           , "\ngene:", gene))
+           , "\ngene:", gene
+           , "\n"))
            #, "\ngene_match:", gene_match
            #, "\nLength of upos:", length(upos)
            #, "\nAngstrom symbol:", angstroms_symbol))       
@@ -125,45 +127,18 @@ str(df)
 #****************
 # Plot 1: Count of stabilising and destabilsing muts
 #****************
-
 svg(plot_basic_bp_foldx)
 print(paste0("plot1 filename:", plot_basic_bp_foldx))
 
-my_ats = 25 # axis text size
-my_als = 22 # axis label size
-
-theme_set(theme_grey())
-
 #--------------
-# start plot 1
+# start plot 1: call function
 #--------------
-g = ggplot(df, aes(x = foldx_outcome))
-foldx_outcome_count = g + geom_bar(aes(fill = foldx_outcome)
-                         , show.legend = TRUE) + 
-  geom_label(stat = "count"
-             , aes(label = ..count..)
-             , color = "black"
-             , show.legend = FALSE
-             , size = 10) + 
-  theme(axis.text.x = element_blank()
-        , axis.title.x = element_blank()
-        , axis.title.y = element_text(size=my_als)
-        , axis.text.y = element_text(size = my_ats)
-        , legend.position = c(0.73,0.8)
-        , legend.text = element_text(size=my_als-2)
-        , legend.title = element_text(size=my_als)
-        , plot.title = element_blank()) + 
-  labs(title = ""
-       , y = "Number of nsSNPs"
-      #, fill="FoldX Outcome"
-      ) + 
-  scale_fill_discrete(name = "FoldX Outcome"
-                      , labels = c("Destabilising", "Stabilising"))
-
-print(foldx_outcome_count)
+stability_count_bp(plotdf = my_df_u
+                   , df_colname = "foldx_outcome"
+                   , leg_title = "FoldX outcome")
 dev.off()
 
-table(df$foldx_outcome)
+table(my_df_u$foldx_outcome)
 ########################################################################
 #               			end of foldx barplot         			   
-########################################################################
\ No newline at end of file
+########################################################################
diff --git a/scripts/plotting/functions/stability_count_bp.R b/scripts/plotting/functions/stability_count_bp.R
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..78adf30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/plotting/functions/stability_count_bp.R
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env Rscript 
+# load libraries
+#########################################################
+# TASK: function for basic barplot returning stability counts
+#########################################################
+# load libraries and functions
+library(ggplot2)
+theme_set(theme_grey())
+#==========================================================
+# my_stability_count(): basic barplots for stability counts
+# input args
+  ## df containing data to plot
+  ## df column name containing stability outcome
+  ## legend title
+  ## ...opt args
+#==========================================================
+stability_count_bp <- function(plotdf
+         , df_colname
+         , leg_title
+         , axis_text_size = 25
+         , axis_label_size = 22
+         , leg_text_size = 20
+         , yaxis_title = "Number of nsSNPs"
+         , bp_plot_title = ""){
+ 
+  OutPlot_count = ggplot(plotdf, aes(x = eval(parse(text = df_colname)))) + 
+    geom_bar(aes(fill = eval(parse(text = df_colname))), show.legend = TRUE) +
+    geom_label(stat = "count"
+               , aes(label = ..count..)
+               , color = "black"
+               , show.legend = FALSE
+               , size = 10) +
+    theme(axis.text.x = element_blank()
+          , axis.title.x = element_blank()
+          , axis.title.y = element_text(size =  axis_label_size)
+          , axis.text.y = element_text(size = axis_text_size)
+          , legend.position = c(0.73,0.8)
+          , legend.text = element_text(size = leg_text_size)
+          , legend.title = element_text(size =  axis_label_size)
+          , plot.title = element_text(size =  axis_label_size)) + 
+    labs(title = bp_plot_title
+         , y = yaxis_title) + 
+    scale_fill_discrete(name = leg_title
+                        , labels = c("Destabilising", "Stabilising"))
+  
+  return(OutPlot_count)
+}
+#############################################################
+# end of function
+#############################################################
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/plotting/functions/test_functions.R b/scripts/plotting/functions/test_functions.R
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a056ebb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/plotting/functions/test_functions.R
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+#=================
+# Test function
+#==================
+#source("../plotting_data.R")
+#infile = "/home/tanu/git/Data/streptomycin/output/gid_comb_stab_struc_params.csv"
+#pd_df = plotting_data(infile)
+#my_df       = pd_df[[1]]
+#my_df_u     = pd_df[[2]]
+#my_df_u_lig = pd_df[[3]]
+#dup_muts    = pd_df[[4]]
+
+#------------------------------
+# barplot for mscm stability
+#------------------------------
+#stability_count_bp(plotdf = my_df
+#                , df_colname = "duet_outcome"
+#                , leg_title = "DUET outcome")
+
+#------------------------------
+# barplot for ligand affinity
+#------------------------------
+#stability_count_bp(plotdf = my_df_u
+#                , df_colname = "ligand_outcome"
+#                , leg_title = "Ligand outcome"
+#                , bp_plot_title = "Sites < 10 Ang of ligand"
+#)
+
diff --git a/scripts/plotting/myshiny/bp_app.R b/scripts/plotting/myshiny/bp_app.R
index e60b792..5f1f36b 100644
--- a/scripts/plotting/myshiny/bp_app.R
+++ b/scripts/plotting/myshiny/bp_app.R
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ library(dplyr)
 # load functions
 source("../plotting_globals.R")
 source("../plotting_data.R")
-source("my_stability_bp.R")
+source("../functions/stability_count_bp.R")
 ###################################
 # command line args : 
 
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ server <- function(input, output) {output$distPlot <- renderPlot({
             p_title = "Sites < 10 Ang of ligand"}
     
         # plot the  basic barplots
-        my_stability_count(plotdf = data_plot
+        stability_count_bp(plotdf = data_plot
                            , df_colname = stability_colname, 
                            , leg_title = leg_name
                            , bp_plot_title = p_title)