Re: [matplotlib-devel] matplotlib user guide

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

On Fri, Oct 18, 2013 at 2:13 PM, Chris Barker <chr...@no...> wrote:

> On Fri, Oct 4, 2013 at 1:40 PM, Russell E. Owen <ro...@uw...> wrote:
> >> Introducing Plotting with Matplotlib
> >>
> >>     Pyplot tutorial
> >>         Controlling line properties
> >>         Working with multiple figures and axes
> >>         Working with text
> >>     Interactive navigation
> >>         Navigation Keyboard Shortcuts
> >>     Working with text
> >>         Text introduction
> >>         Basic text commands
> >>         Text properties and layout
> >>         Writing mathematical expressions
> >>         Text rendering With LaTeX
> >>         Annotating text
> > ...
>
> > - Would you be willing to include a section on using the class API? (I'm
> > assuming the above is all based on using pyplot?).
>
> +inf
>
> Even better, dump pyplot and use primarily the OO API. Asside from
> folks that dont want to change anything when moving from Matlab, we
> should all be using teh primarily OO API.
>
> is it really that hard to type:
>
> ax.plot()
>
> rather than
>
> plot() ?
>
> And when you move away from interactive use (and we all should fi your
> typing more than 4-5 lines of code) teh OO interface is a much better
> way to go.
>
> (I know, iPython notebooks allow you do do a LOT with esentially an
> interactive interpreter, but still.....)
>
> Anyway, I've always thought it was a real shame that most of the
> tutorials on MPL out there get people started on what I'm convinced is
> the wrong foot.
>
> - just my opinionated $0.02 worth...
>
> -Chris
>
>
FWIW, I think my "Anatomy of Matplotlib" tutorial I gave at SciPy 2013
struck a balance between pyplot and the OO interface. I welcome any and all
feedback on that tutorial which I plan to give again next year as well as
an intermediate "Anatomy of Matplotlib" tutorial.

Cheers!
Ben Root