[Matplotlib-users] Re: about matplotlib - a misleading homepage

[John H. <jdh...@ac...>]

>>>>> "Noam" =3D=3D Noam Raphael <no...@my...> writes:

    Noam> Hello, I just installed matplotlib, and then uninstalled it
    Noam> imediately.  The reason is that I don't have matlab
    Noam> installed, so, as you must know, matplotlib can't do
    Noam> anything.  The problem is that the simple fact, that you
    Noam> need matlab in order to use matplotlib, is not mentioned
    Noam> anywhere in the homepage of matplotlib, or in the
    Noam> "installing" section.  The only thing that is mentioned, is
    Noam> that "The existing plotting commands have a high degree of
    Noam> Matlab=AE compatibility". This by no means implies that you
    Noam> need matlab installed.  Please, fix the homepage and make it
    Noam> clear!

Hi Noam, thanks for your email.  I confess I found it quite amusing.

Where did you get the idea matplotlib requires matlab?  It doesn't.
matplotlib is an open source, free, python package that produces
matlab quality graphics, without matlab or any other software that
costs $$ or is distributed under a proprietary license..

It requires, at a minimum, python and Numeric.  Both are free and
easily installed on Windows, linux, UNIX and Mac OS X.  My guess is
you don't have python installed.  If not, and you are on windows, see
the "Win32 Quickstart" section at
http://matplotlib.sourceforge.net/installing.html.  You'll also want
to read http://matplotlib.sourceforge.net/backends.html. =20

If you have any more questions, please join the mailing list at
http://lists.sourceforge.net/mailman/listinfo/matplotlib-users.

Please let me know what caused you confusion, because would like to
make the documentation at the website clear.

    Noam> Have a good day, Noam

Likewise,
JDH