I've got a really simple example here. I'm making a plot from an ax object returned from a function:
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
x = ['a', 'b', 'c']
y = [1, 2, 3]
def make_plot():
fig, ax = plt.subplots()
ax.set_title('test bar chart')
return ax
chart = make_plot()
chart.bar(x, y)
plt.show() #why does this show the chart?
My question is about plt.show() at the end. Obviously, this shows the output of the chart. But why? To me it does not seem like plt.show() is tied to anything. I have my chart object, which contains my chart with all its parameters and whatnot. But how does plt.show() know to interact with this? It would seem more intuitive to have something like chart.show(), as chart is the class instance.
Good question! chart is an Axes created when you call plt.subplots(). Pyplot is what's called a "stateful" API. When you make calls to plt.* functions, it changes the internal state of pyplot and that can affect future calls. When you call plt.subplots(), it knows that there is a newly created Figure with newly created subplot Axes inside it.
Similarly, if you call plt.plot(), it has a stored record of what the most recent axes are, and plots the data on that plot.
Take a look at the pyplot sourcecode and you can see how it has a global manager variable that it uses to store the current plot, and updates that manager when you create a plot.
Additionally, there is Figure.show(). If you want to work around pyplot, it looks something like this
Related
Matplotlib offers these functions:
cla() # Clear axis
clf() # Clear figure
close() # Close a figure window
When should I use each function and what exactly does it do?
They all do different things, since matplotlib uses a hierarchical order in which a figure window contains a figure which may consist of many axes. Additionally, there are functions from the pyplot interface and there are methods on the Figure class. I will discuss both cases below.
pyplot interface
pyplot is a module that collects a couple of functions that allow matplotlib to be used in a functional manner. I here assume that pyplot has been imported as import matplotlib.pyplot as plt.
In this case, there are three different commands that remove stuff:
See matplotlib.pyplot Functions:
plt.cla() clears an axis, i.e. the currently active axis in the current figure. It leaves the other axes untouched.
plt.clf() clears the entire current figure with all its axes, but leaves the window opened, such that it may be reused for other plots.
plt.close() closes a window, which will be the current window, if not specified otherwise.
Which functions suits you best depends thus on your use-case.
The close() function furthermore allows one to specify which window should be closed. The argument can either be a number or name given to a window when it was created using figure(number_or_name) or it can be a figure instance fig obtained, i.e., usingfig = figure(). If no argument is given to close(), the currently active window will be closed. Furthermore, there is the syntax close('all'), which closes all figures.
methods of the Figure class
Additionally, the Figure class provides methods for clearing figures.
I'll assume in the following that fig is an instance of a Figure:
fig.clf() clears the entire figure. This call is equivalent to plt.clf() only if fig is the current figure.
fig.clear() is a synonym for fig.clf()
Note that even del fig will not close the associated figure window. As far as I know the only way to close a figure window is using plt.close(fig) as described above.
There is just a caveat that I discovered today.
If you have a function that is calling a plot a lot of times you better use plt.close(fig) instead of fig.clf() somehow the first does not accumulate in memory. In short if memory is a concern use plt.close(fig) (Although it seems that there are better ways, go to the end of this comment for relevant links).
So the the following script will produce an empty list:
for i in range(5):
fig = plot_figure()
plt.close(fig)
# This returns a list with all figure numbers available
print(plt.get_fignums())
Whereas this one will produce a list with five figures on it.
for i in range(5):
fig = plot_figure()
fig.clf()
# This returns a list with all figure numbers available
print(plt.get_fignums())
From the documentation above is not clear to me what is the difference between closing a figure and closing a window. Maybe that will clarify.
If you want to try a complete script there you have:
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
x = np.arange(1000)
y = np.sin(x)
for i in range(5):
fig = plt.figure()
ax = fig.add_subplot(1, 1, 1)
ax.plot(x, y)
plt.close(fig)
print(plt.get_fignums())
for i in range(5):
fig = plt.figure()
ax = fig.add_subplot(1, 1, 1)
ax.plot(x, y)
fig.clf()
print(plt.get_fignums())
If memory is a concern somebody already posted a work-around in SO see:
Create a figure that is reference counted
plt.cla() means clear current axis
plt.clf() means clear current figure
also, there's plt.gca() (get current axis) and plt.gcf() (get current figure)
Read more here: Matplotlib, Pyplot, Pylab etc: What's the difference between these and when to use each?
The following example code generates a simple plot, then saves it to 'fig1.pdf', then displays it, then saves it again to 'fig2.pdf'. The first image looks as expected, but the second one is blank (contains a white square). What's actually going on here? The line plt.show() apparently messes something up, but I can't figure out what/how!
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
x = np.linspace(-1, 1, 100)
y = x**2
plt.plot(x,y)
plt.savefig('fig1.pdf')
plt.show()
plt.savefig('fig2.pdf')
If you want to save the figure after displaying it, you'll need to hold on to the figure instance. The reason that plt.savefig doesn't work after calling show is that the current figure has been reset.
pyplot keeps track of which figures, axes, etc are "current" (i.e. have not yet been displayed with show) behind-the-scenes. gcf and gca get the current figure and current axes instances, respectively. plt.savefig (and essentially any other pyplot method) just does plt.gcf().savefig(...). In other words, get the current figure instance and call its savefig method. Similarly plt.plot basically does plt.gca().plot(...).
After show is called, the list of "current" figures and axes is empty.
In general, you're better off directly using the figure and axes instances to plot/save/show/etc, rather than using plt.plot, etc, to implicitly get the current figure/axes and plot on it. There's nothing wrong with using pyplot for everything (especially interactively), but it makes it easier to shoot yourself in the foot.
Use pyplot for plt.show() and to generate a figure and an axes object(s), but then use the figure or axes methods directly. (e.g. ax.plot(x, y) instead of plt.plot(x, y), etc) The main advantage of this is that it's explicit. You know what objects you're plotting on, and don't have to reason about what the pyplot state-machine does (though it's not that hard to understand the state-machine interface, either).
As an example of the "recommended" way of doing things, do something like:
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
x = np.linspace(-1, 1, 100)
y = x**2
fig, ax = plt.subplots()
ax.plot(x, y)
fig.savefig('fig1.pdf')
plt.show()
fig.savefig('fig2.pdf')
If you'd rather use the pyplot interface for everything, then just grab the figure instance before you call show. For example:
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
x = np.linspace(-1, 1, 100)
y = x**2
plt.plot(x, y)
fig = plt.gcf()
fig.savefig('fig1.pdf')
plt.show()
fig.savefig('fig2.pdf')
pyplot.show blocks and destroys the plot upon closing. You can use
plt.show(block=False)
after which the save to fig2.pdf will work or you can plot it again before saving
plt.plot(x,y)
plt.savefig('fig2.pdf')
I had to run plt.cla() and plt.clf() before plotting the second one. Clear current axes and clear current plot, respectively.
If you just want to see the figure before saving, you can call
plt.ion()
before plotting, which starts interactive mode, and shows all figures as they are drawn. This mostly removes the need to call plt.show(). You no longer need to close the figures to continue.
To disable interactive mode again, call plt.ioff().
The following example code generates a simple plot, then saves it to 'fig1.pdf', then displays it, then saves it again to 'fig2.pdf'. The first image looks as expected, but the second one is blank (contains a white square). What's actually going on here? The line plt.show() apparently messes something up, but I can't figure out what/how!
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
x = np.linspace(-1, 1, 100)
y = x**2
plt.plot(x,y)
plt.savefig('fig1.pdf')
plt.show()
plt.savefig('fig2.pdf')
If you want to save the figure after displaying it, you'll need to hold on to the figure instance. The reason that plt.savefig doesn't work after calling show is that the current figure has been reset.
pyplot keeps track of which figures, axes, etc are "current" (i.e. have not yet been displayed with show) behind-the-scenes. gcf and gca get the current figure and current axes instances, respectively. plt.savefig (and essentially any other pyplot method) just does plt.gcf().savefig(...). In other words, get the current figure instance and call its savefig method. Similarly plt.plot basically does plt.gca().plot(...).
After show is called, the list of "current" figures and axes is empty.
In general, you're better off directly using the figure and axes instances to plot/save/show/etc, rather than using plt.plot, etc, to implicitly get the current figure/axes and plot on it. There's nothing wrong with using pyplot for everything (especially interactively), but it makes it easier to shoot yourself in the foot.
Use pyplot for plt.show() and to generate a figure and an axes object(s), but then use the figure or axes methods directly. (e.g. ax.plot(x, y) instead of plt.plot(x, y), etc) The main advantage of this is that it's explicit. You know what objects you're plotting on, and don't have to reason about what the pyplot state-machine does (though it's not that hard to understand the state-machine interface, either).
As an example of the "recommended" way of doing things, do something like:
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
x = np.linspace(-1, 1, 100)
y = x**2
fig, ax = plt.subplots()
ax.plot(x, y)
fig.savefig('fig1.pdf')
plt.show()
fig.savefig('fig2.pdf')
If you'd rather use the pyplot interface for everything, then just grab the figure instance before you call show. For example:
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
x = np.linspace(-1, 1, 100)
y = x**2
plt.plot(x, y)
fig = plt.gcf()
fig.savefig('fig1.pdf')
plt.show()
fig.savefig('fig2.pdf')
pyplot.show blocks and destroys the plot upon closing. You can use
plt.show(block=False)
after which the save to fig2.pdf will work or you can plot it again before saving
plt.plot(x,y)
plt.savefig('fig2.pdf')
I had to run plt.cla() and plt.clf() before plotting the second one. Clear current axes and clear current plot, respectively.
If you just want to see the figure before saving, you can call
plt.ion()
before plotting, which starts interactive mode, and shows all figures as they are drawn. This mostly removes the need to call plt.show(). You no longer need to close the figures to continue.
To disable interactive mode again, call plt.ioff().
In MatPlotLib, I can use:
plt.gcf().clear()
To clear the contents of the current figure.
But suppose I have two figures, created with:
fig1 = plt.figure(1)
fig2 = plt.figure(2)
How can I clear a specific figure based on its number?
.clear() is a method of the figure class. It doesn't matter if you obtain an instance of matplotlib.figure.Figure via plt.gcf() or via the variable you store it in. Therefore
fig1.clear()
will clear the figure stored in fig1.
Of course you can also directly use the call to plt.figure() to clear that figure,
plt.figure(1).clear()
The following example code generates a simple plot, then saves it to 'fig1.pdf', then displays it, then saves it again to 'fig2.pdf'. The first image looks as expected, but the second one is blank (contains a white square). What's actually going on here? The line plt.show() apparently messes something up, but I can't figure out what/how!
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
x = np.linspace(-1, 1, 100)
y = x**2
plt.plot(x,y)
plt.savefig('fig1.pdf')
plt.show()
plt.savefig('fig2.pdf')
If you want to save the figure after displaying it, you'll need to hold on to the figure instance. The reason that plt.savefig doesn't work after calling show is that the current figure has been reset.
pyplot keeps track of which figures, axes, etc are "current" (i.e. have not yet been displayed with show) behind-the-scenes. gcf and gca get the current figure and current axes instances, respectively. plt.savefig (and essentially any other pyplot method) just does plt.gcf().savefig(...). In other words, get the current figure instance and call its savefig method. Similarly plt.plot basically does plt.gca().plot(...).
After show is called, the list of "current" figures and axes is empty.
In general, you're better off directly using the figure and axes instances to plot/save/show/etc, rather than using plt.plot, etc, to implicitly get the current figure/axes and plot on it. There's nothing wrong with using pyplot for everything (especially interactively), but it makes it easier to shoot yourself in the foot.
Use pyplot for plt.show() and to generate a figure and an axes object(s), but then use the figure or axes methods directly. (e.g. ax.plot(x, y) instead of plt.plot(x, y), etc) The main advantage of this is that it's explicit. You know what objects you're plotting on, and don't have to reason about what the pyplot state-machine does (though it's not that hard to understand the state-machine interface, either).
As an example of the "recommended" way of doing things, do something like:
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
x = np.linspace(-1, 1, 100)
y = x**2
fig, ax = plt.subplots()
ax.plot(x, y)
fig.savefig('fig1.pdf')
plt.show()
fig.savefig('fig2.pdf')
If you'd rather use the pyplot interface for everything, then just grab the figure instance before you call show. For example:
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
x = np.linspace(-1, 1, 100)
y = x**2
plt.plot(x, y)
fig = plt.gcf()
fig.savefig('fig1.pdf')
plt.show()
fig.savefig('fig2.pdf')
pyplot.show blocks and destroys the plot upon closing. You can use
plt.show(block=False)
after which the save to fig2.pdf will work or you can plot it again before saving
plt.plot(x,y)
plt.savefig('fig2.pdf')
I had to run plt.cla() and plt.clf() before plotting the second one. Clear current axes and clear current plot, respectively.
If you just want to see the figure before saving, you can call
plt.ion()
before plotting, which starts interactive mode, and shows all figures as they are drawn. This mostly removes the need to call plt.show(). You no longer need to close the figures to continue.
To disable interactive mode again, call plt.ioff().