matplotlib Plotting Cookbook

In Detail

matplotlib is part of the Scientific Python modules collection. matplotlib provides a large library of customizable plots and a comprehensive set of backends. It tries to make easy things easy and hard things possible. You can generate plots, add dimensions to the plots, and also make the plots interactive with just a few lines of code with matplotlib. Also, matplotlib integrates well with all common GUI modules.

This book is a head-first, hands-on journey into matplotlib, the complete and definite plotting package for Python. You will learn about the basic plots, how to customize them, and combine them to make sophisticated figures. Along with basic plots, you will also learn to make professional scientific plots.

In this book, you will start with the common figures that are offered by most plotting packages. You will learn how to add annotations, and play with styles, colors, scales, and shapes so that you can add personality and visual punch to your graphics. You will also see how to combine several graphics. With this book you will learn how to create sophisticated visualizations with simple code. Finally, you can make your plots interactive.

After reading "matplotlib Plotting Cookbook", you will be able to create the highest quality plots.

Approach

This book follows a cookbook style approach that puts orthogonal and non-redundant recipes in your hands. Rather than rehashing the user manual, the explanations expose the underlying logic behind matplotlib.

Who this book is for

If you are an engineer or scientist who wants to create great visualizations with Python, rather than yet another specialized language, this is the book for you. While there are several very competent plotting packages, matplotlib is “just” a Python module. Thus, if you know some Python already, you will feel at home from the first steps on. In case you are an application writer, you won't be left out since the integration of matplotlib is covered.