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<div id="unreleased-message"> You are reading an old version of the documentation (v1.4.3). For the latest version see <a href="https://matplotlib.org/stable/index.html">https://matplotlib.org/stable/index.html</a></div>

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<h1>Introduction</h1>

<p>matplotlib is a python 2D plotting library which produces

publication quality figures in a variety of hardcopy formats and

interactive environments across platforms. matplotlib can be used

in python scripts, the python and <a

href="http://ipython.org">ipython</a> shell (ala

MATLAB^{&reg;<a name="matlab" href="#ftn.matlab">*</a>}

or

Mathematica<sup>&reg;<a name="mathematica"

href="#ftn.mathematica">&#8224;</a></sup>),

web application servers, and six graphical user

interface toolkits.</p>

<p align="center"><a href="users/screenshots.html"><img align="middle"

src="_static/logo_sidebar_horiz.png" border="0"

alt="screenshots"/></a></p>

<p>matplotlib tries to make easy things easy and hard things possible.

You can generate plots, histograms, power spectra, bar charts,

errorcharts, scatterplots, etc, with just a few lines of code.

For a sampling, see the <a href="users/screenshots.html">screenshots</a>, <a href="gallery.html">thumbnail</a> gallery, and

<a href="examples/index.html">examples</a> directory</p>

<p>For simple plotting the <tt>pyplot</tt> interface provides a

MATLAB-like interface, particularly when combined

with <tt>IPython</tt>. For the power user, you have full control

of line styles, font properties, axes properties, etc, via an object

oriented interface or via a set of functions familiar to MATLAB

users.</p>

<div style="float: right; min-width: 450px; width: 50%; padding-left: 5%;">

<h1>John Hunter (1968-2012)</h1>

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<p>

On August 28 2012, John D. Hunter, the creator of matplotlib, died

from complications arising from cancer treatment, after a brief but

intense battle with this terrible illness. John is survived by his

wife Miriam, his three daughters Rahel, Ava and Clara, his sisters

Layne and Mary, and his mother Sarah.</p>

<p>

If you have benefited from John's many contributions, please say

thanks in the way that would matter most to him. Please consider

making a donation to

the <a href="http://numfocus.org/johnhunter/">John Hunter Memorial

Fund</a>.</p>

</td>

</tr>

</table>

<h1>Download</h1>

Visit the

<a href="http://matplotlib.org/downloads.html">matplotlib downloads

page</a>.

<h1>Documentation</h1>

This is the documentation for matplotlib version 1.4.3.

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<p>Trying to learn how to do a particular kind of plot? Check out

the <a href="gallery.html">gallery</a>, <a href="examples/index.html">examples</a>,

or the <a href="api/pyplot_summary.html">list of plotting

commands</a>.</p>

<h4>Other learning resources</h4>

<p>There are many <a href="resources/index.html">external learning

resources</a> available including printed material, videos and tutorials.</p>

<h4>Need help?</h4>

<p>matplotlib is a welcoming, inclusive project, and we try to follow

the <a href="http://www.python.org/psf/codeofconduct/">Python Software

Foundation Code of Conduct</a> in everything we do.</p>

<p>Check the <a href="faq/index.html">faq</a>,

the <a href="api/index.html">api</a> docs,

<a href="http://matplotlib.1069221.n5.nabble.com/matplotlib-users-f3.html">mailing

list archives</a>, and join the matplotlib

mailing <a href="http://sourceforge.net/mail/?group_id=80706">lists</a>.

Check out the matplotlib questions

on <a href="http://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/matplotlib">stackoverflow</a>.

The <a href="search.html">search</a> tool searches all of

the documentation, including full text search of over 350 complete

examples which exercise almost every corner of matplotlib.</p>

<p>You can file bugs, patches and feature requests on the

github

<a href="https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/issues?sort=created&direction=desc&state=open">tracker</a>,

but it is a good idea to ping us on the mailing list too.</p>

<p>To keep up to date with what's going on in matplotlib, see

the <a href="users/whats_new.html">what's new

page</a>, the more detailed <a href="_static/CHANGELOG">changelog</a> or browse

the <a href="https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib">source

code</a>. Anything that could require changes to your existing code

is logged in the <a href="api/api_changes.html">api

changes</a> file.</p>

<h1>Toolkits</h1>

<p>There are several matplotlib add-on <a href="mpl_toolkits/index.html">toolkits</a>,

including a choice of two projection and mapping toolkits <a href="http://matplotlib.org/basemap">basemap</a> and

<a href="http://scitools.org.uk/cartopy/docs/latest">cartopy</a>,

3d plotting with <a href="mpl_toolkits/mplot3d/index.html">mplot3d</a>,

axes and axis helpers in <a href="mpl_toolkits/axes_grid/index.html">axes_grid</a> and more.

</p>

<h1>Citing matplotlib</h1>

matplotlib is the brainchild of John Hunter (1968-2012), who, along with its many

contributors, have put an immeasurable amount of time and effort into producing a

piece of software utilized by thousands of scientists worldwide.

If matplotlib contributes to a project that leads to a scientific publication,

please acknowledge this work by citing the project. You can use this

<a href="citing.html">ready-made citation entry</a>.

<h1>Open source</h1>

Please consider <a href="http://sourceforge.net/project/project_donations.php?group_id=80706">donating</a>

to support matplotlib development or to the <a href="http://numfocus.org/johnhunter/">John Hunter Memorial Fund</a>.

The matplotlib <a href="users/license.html">license</a> is based on the Python Software Foundation

<a href="http://www.python.org/psf/license">(PSF)</a> license.

There is an active developer community and a long list of people

who have made significant <a href="users/credits.html">contributions</a>.

<div class="footnote"><p>

^{<a name="ftn.matlab" href="#matlab">*</a>}

MATLAB is a registered trademark of The MathWorks, Inc.

^{<a name="ftn.mathematica" href="#mathematica">&#8224;</a>}

Mathematica is a registered trademark of Wolfram Research, Inc.

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&copy; Copyright 2002 - 2012 John Hunter, Darren Dale, Eric Firing, Michael Droettboom and the matplotlib development team; 2012 - 2014 The matplotlib development team.

Last updated on Jul 14, 2015.

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