Non avevo pensato al pacchetto datatool per leggere dati da un file esterno. Ho modificato il codice di Liverpool così
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\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{datatool}
\usepackage[svgnames]{xcolor}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\usepgfplotslibrary{dateplot}
\usetikzlibrary{shadings,shadows,fadings}
%\pgfplotsset{compat=1.6}
\DTLloaddb[noheader=false]{misure}{dati.dat}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\tikzfading [name=dissolvenza, top color=transparent!0, bottom color=transparent!95]
\tikzstyle{ripieno}=[top color=DodgerBlue, bottom color=RoyalBlue, general shadow={fill=black, shadow yshift=-0.8ex, path fading=dissolvenza}]
\begin{axis} [xmin=2009-03-28, xmax=2012-07-10, y dir=reverse, date coordinates in=x, xmajorgrids=true,
xtick={2009-03-28,2009-10-14,2010-05-02,2010-11-18,2011-06-06,2011-12-23,2012-07-10},
xticklabel={\day-\month-\year}, x tick label style={rotate=45,anchor=east},
ytick={1,2,3,4}, ylabel=Misure]
\DTLforeach*{misure}{\start=inizio, \end=fine, \skip=i}{\fill [ripieno] (axis cs:\start,\skip.7) rectangle (axis cs:\end,\skip.3);}
%\fill [ripieno] (axis cs:2009-04-29,0.7) rectangle (axis cs:2011-11-20,1.3);
%\fill [ripieno] (axis cs:2010-07-18,1.7) rectangle (axis cs:2012-01-18,2.3);
%\fill [ripieno] (axis cs:2009-04-29,2.7) rectangle (axis cs:2012-01-18,3.3);
%\fill [ripieno] (axis cs:2009-06-08,3.7) rectangle (axis cs:2012-01-18,4.3);
\addplot [draw=none] coordinates {(2009-03-28,0.7) (2012-07-10,4.3)};
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}
`
dove dati.dat è
`i,inizio,fine
1,2009-06-08,2012-01-18
2,2009-04-29,2012-01-18
3,2010-07-18,2012-01-18
4,2009-04-29,2011-11-20
`
tuttavia non compila neanche abilitando
`
%\pgfplotsset{compat=1.6}
`
come suggerito da file log.
Qualcuno ha idea del perché?