[matplotlib-devel] rcParams -> mpl_params

[David P. S. <dps...@ci...>]

Hi,

Apparently I was misusing the list by having digests sent -- apologies.
I have turned this off.

Maybe the following got lost in the resulting noise:

I completely agree that the current defaults need updating.

In my opinion, 'rcParams' is a bad name, since it conjures up dusty
configuration files hidden in obscure corners which must never be modified.

Indeed, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Run_commands says that the origin of
'rc' is:

> The term *rc* stands for the phrase "*run commands*". It is used for any
file that contains
> startup information for a command. It is believed to have originated
somewhere in 1965

None of these three 'features' of the phrase 'rc' have *anything*  to do
with matplotlib.
'rc' evokes fond memories of hacking for a few; it evokes nothing and reeks
of alienating hack-speak to the rest.

I thus suggest that we replace rc_Params -> mpl_params.

As an example, I have made some narrative documentation, which can be
included in the matplotlib documentation (let's discuss where, Nelle and
Mike), on how to tweak mpl_params:

http://nbviewer.ipython.org/urls/raw.github.com/dpsanders/IPython-notebooks/master/mpl_params.ipynb


This is, if you like, a cosmetic change, but I think it's an important
psychological one.
It also avoids the visual interruption caused by the capital 'P'.

Of course, anybody is free to make this change in the way I have in the
notebook by creating an alias, mpl_params = rcParams.  But I am advocating
for changing uniformly to mpl_params (or a similar phrase) in the
documentation.

David




-- 
Dr. David P. Sanders

Profesor Titular "A" / Associate Professor
Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)

dps...@ci...
http://sistemas.fciencias.unam.mx/~dsanders

Cubículo / office: #414, 4o. piso del Depto. de Física

Tel.: +52 55 5622 4965