[Matplotlib-users] pyplot functions: do you rely on the "hold" kwarg?

[Eric F. <ef...@ha...>]

Matplotlib's pyplot retains quite a few vestiges from its original 
Matlab-workalike heritage; we would like to gradually eliminate those 
that no longer make sense.  One such candidate is the "hold" kwarg that 
every pyplot function has, with a "True" default.  I don't think it 
serves any useful purpose now, and getting rid of it would allow 
considerable simplification to the code and, to a lesser extent, the 
documentation.  The default behavior would not change, only the ability 
to change that behavior via either the rcParams['axes.hold'] parameter 
or the "hold" kwarg in a pyplot function call.

If you routinely use 'hold=False' and believe that removing it would be 
a mistake, please let us know.

Thanks.

Eric