matplotlib Plotting Cookbook

Using NumPy

NumPy is not required to use matplotlib. However, many matplotlib tricks, code samples, and examples use NumPy. A short introduction to NumPy usage will show you the reason.

Getting ready

Along with having Python and matplotlib installed, you also have NumPy installed. You have a text editor and a command terminal.

How to do it...

Let's plot another curve, sin(x), with x in the [0, 2 * pi] interval. The only difference with the preceding script is the part where we generate the point coordinates. Type and save the following script as sin-1.py:

import math
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

T = range(100)
X = [(2 * math.pi * t) / len(T) for t in T]
Y = [math.sin(value) for value in X]

plt.plot(X, Y)
plt.show()

Then, type and save the following ...