Re: [matplotlib-devel] label= kwarg for imshow() and other scalarmappable plots

[Benjamin R. <ben...@ou...>]

On Mon, Mar 25, 2013 at 3:03 AM, Eric Firing <ef...@ha...> wrote:

> On 2013/03/24 12:14 PM, Benjamin Root wrote:
> > So, for plot(), scatter() and other plotting functions, we can provide a
> > label= kwarg so that a legend() can automatically populate the legend,
> > making it extremely easy and convenient for making legends.  But for
> > image-based (scalar mappable) type plotting functions like imshow() and
> > contourf(), the label kwarg doesn't do anything useful, but the
> > colorbar() is sort of analogous to a legend(), but for scalar mappables.
> >
> > Does it make sense to others for the following to be equivalent:
> >
> >  > plt.imshow(z)
> >  > cbar = plt.colorbar()
> >  > cbar.set_label('foobar')
> >
> >  > plt.imshow(z, label='foobar')
> >  > plt.colorbar()
> >
>
> I understand your argument, but it feels a bit odd.  To me it would be
> more natural for colorbar() itself to accept a label kwarg.  I have no
> idea why I didn't do that long ago.
>
> The two ideas are not mutually exclusive.
>
> Eric
>
>
Indeed, it isn't.  The way to make this work is to allow ColorbarBase to
accept a label kwarg.  That's basically all that is needed.  Most of the
work would go into documentation and updating examples.

Ben