120 lines
5.5 KiB
Markdown
120 lines
5.5 KiB
Markdown
Replot
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======
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This repo is an attempt for a better API to plot graphs with
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[Matplotlib](http://matplotlib.org/) in Python.
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`Matplotlib` is a wonderful Python modules to plot data series, functions and
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so on. However, I think the API is quite verbose. This is an attempt at
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providing a better frontend API on top of `matplotlib` for easy and fast
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plotting, especially at prototyping time.
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## Features
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These are the current features. I will extend the module whenever I feel the
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need to introduce new functions and methods. Please let me know about any bad
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design in the API, or required feature!
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<dl>
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<dt>Saner default plots</dt>
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<dd>Matplotlib plots are quite ugly by default, colors are not really
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suited for optimal black and white print, or ease reading for colorblind
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people. This module defines a clean default colorscheme to solve it (based
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on Colorbrewer Q10 palette). It also provides direct access to the
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Tableau10 and Colorbrewer Q9 palettes.</dd>
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<dt>Support <code>with</code> statement</dt>
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<dd>Ever got tired of having to start any figure with a call to
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<code>matplotlib.pyplot.subplots()</code>? This module abstracts it using
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<code>with</code> statement. New figures are defined by a
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<code>with</code> statement, and are <code>show</code>n automatically (or
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<code>save</code>d) upon leaving the <code>with</code> context.
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<dt>Plot functions</dt>
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<dd>Ever got annoyed by the fact that <code>matplotlib</code> can only
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plot point series and not evaluate a function <em>à la</em> Mathematica?
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This module let you do things like <code>plot(sin, (-10, 10))</code> to
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plot a sine function between -10 and 10, using adaptive sampling.
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<dt>Order of call of methods is no longer important</dt>
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<dd>When calling a method from <code>matplotlib</code>, it is directly
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applied to the figure, and not deferred to the final render call. Then, if
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calling <code>matplotlib.pyplot.legend()</code> <strong>before</strong>
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having actually <code>plot</code>ted anything, it will fail. This is not
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the case with this module, as it abstracts on top of
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<code>matplotlib</code> and do the actual render only when the figure is
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to be <code>show</code>n. Even after having called the <code>show</code>
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method, you can still change everything in your figure!</dd>
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<dt>Does not interfere with <code>matplotlib</code></dt>
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<dd>You can still use the default <code>matplotlib</code> if you want, as
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<code>matplotlib</code> state and parameters are not directly affected by
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this module, contrary to what <code>seaborn</code> do when you import it
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for instance.</dd>
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<dt>Useful aliases</dt>
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<dd>You think <code>loc="top left"</code> is easier to remember than
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<code>loc="upper left"</code> in a <code>matplotlib.pyplot.legend()</code>
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call? No worry, this module aliases it for you! (same for "bottom" with
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respect to "lower"). Similarly, you can use <code>xrange</code> or
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<code>xlim</code> arguments to specify axes ranges (respectively
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<code>yrange</code> / <code>ylim</code>).</dd>
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<dt>Automatic legend</dt>
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<dd>If any of your plots contains a <code>label</code> keyword, a legend
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will be added automatically on your graph (you can still explicitly tell
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it not to add a legend by setting the <code>legend</code> attribute to
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<code>False</code>).</dd>
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<dt>Use <code>LaTeX</code> rendering in <code>matplotlib</code>, if
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available.</dt>
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<dd>If <code>replot</code> finds <code>LaTeX</code> installed on your
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machine, it will overload <code>matplotlib</code> settings to use
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<code>LaTeX</code> rendering.</dd>
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<dt>Handle subplots more easily</dt>
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<dd>Have you ever struggled with <code>matplotlib</code> to define a subplot
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grid and arrange your plot? <code>replot</code> lets you describe your
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grid visually using ascii art!</dd>
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<dt>"Gridify"</dt>
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<dd>You have some plots that you would like to arrange into a grid, to
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compare them easily, but you do not want to waste time setting up a grid
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and placing your plots at the correct place? <code>replot</code> handles
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it for you out of the box!</dd>
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<dt>Easy plotting in log scale, orthonormal axis etc</dt>
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<dd><code>replot</code> defines <code>logplot</code> and
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<code>loglogplot</code> shortcuts functions to plot in <em>log</em> scale
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or <em>loglog</em> scale. Use <code>orthonormal=True</code> on a
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<code>plot</code> command to plot using orthonormal axes.</dd>
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</dl>
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## Examples
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A more up to date doc is still to be written, but you can have a look at the
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<a href="https://github.com/Phyks/replot/blob/master/Examples.ipynb">`Examples.ipynb`</a>
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[Jupyter](https://github.com/jupyter/notebook/) notebook for
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examples, which should cover most of the use cases.
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## License
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This Python module is released under MIT license. Feel free to contribute and
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reuse. For more details, see `LICENSE.txt` file.
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## Thanks
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* [Matplotlib](http://matplotlib.org/) for their really good backend.
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* [Seaborn](https://github.com/mwaskom/seaborn) and
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[prettyplotlib](http://blog.olgabotvinnik.com/prettyplotlib/) which gave me
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the original idea.
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* [This code](http://central.scipy.org/item/53/1/adaptive-sampling-of-1d-functions)
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from scipy central for a base code for adaptive sampling.
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* [Palettable](https://jiffyclub.github.io/palettable/) for palettes.
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* [Cubehelix](http://www.ifweassume.com/2013/05/cubehelix-or-how-i-learned-to-love.html)
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colorscheme for nice black and white printing and desaturation compatibility.
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