Merge remote-tracking branch 'origin/faq_show_draw' into v1.0.x-maint

Author: efiring

doc/faq/howto_faq.rst

@@ -441,9 +441,9 @@ locators as desired because the two axes are independent::
 Generate images without having a window popup
 --------------------------------------------------
 
-The easiest way to do this is use an image backend (see
+The easiest way to do this is use a non-interactive backend (see
 :ref:`what-is-a-backend`) such as Agg (for PNGs), PDF, SVG or PS.  In
-your figure generating script, just call the
+your figure-generating script, just call the
 :func:`matplotlib.use` directive before importing pylab or
 pyplot::
 

doc/faq/installing_faq.rst

@@ -144,148 +144,6 @@ setupegg.py develop` command again to compile them.
 There is more information on :ref:`using git <using-git>` in
 the developer docs.
 
-Backends
-========
-
-.. _what-is-a-backend:
-
-What is a backend?
-------------------
-
-A lot of documentation on the website and in the mailing lists refers
-to the "backend" and many new users are confused by this term.
-matplotlib targets many different use cases and output formats.  Some
-people use matplotlib interactively from the python shell and have
-plotting windows pop up when they type commands.  Some people embed
-matplotlib into graphical user interfaces like wxpython or pygtk to
-build rich applications.  Others use matplotlib in batch scripts to
-generate postscript images from some numerical simulations, and still
-others in web application servers to dynamically serve up graphs.
-
-To support all of these use cases, matplotlib can target different
-outputs, and each of these capabilities is called a backend; the
-"frontend" is the user facing code, ie the plotting code, whereas the
-"backend" does all the hard work behind-the-scenes to make the
-figure.  There are two types of backends: user interface backends (for
-use in pygtk, wxpython, tkinter, qt, macosx, or fltk) and hardcopy backends to
-make image files (PNG, SVG, PDF, PS).
-
-There are a two primary ways to configure your backend.  One is to set
-the ``backend`` parameter in your ``matplotlibrc`` file (see
-:ref:`customizing-matplotlib`)::
-
-    backend : WXAgg   # use wxpython with antigrain (agg) rendering
-
-The other is to use the matplotlib :func:`~matplotlib.use` directive::
-
-    import matplotlib
-    matplotlib.use('PS')   # generate postscript output by default
-
-If you use the ``use`` directive, this must be done before importing
-:mod:`matplotlib.pyplot` or :mod:`matplotlib.pylab`.
-
-If you are unsure what to do, and just want to get coding, just set
-your backend to ``TkAgg``.  This will do the right thing for most
-users.  It gives you the option of running your scripts in batch or
-working interactively from the python shell, with the least amount of
-hassles, and is smart enough to do the right thing when you ask for
-postscript, or pdf, or other image formats.
-
-If however, you want to write graphical user interfaces, or a web
-application server (:ref:`howto-webapp`), or need a better
-understanding of what is going on, read on. To make things a little
-more customizable for graphical user interfaces, matplotlib separates
-the concept of the renderer (the thing that actually does the drawing)
-from the canvas (the place where the drawing goes).  The canonical
-renderer for user interfaces is ``Agg`` which uses the `Anti-Grain
-Geometry`_ C++ library to make a raster (pixel) image of the figure.
-All of the user interfaces can be used with agg rendering, eg
-``WXAgg``, ``GTKAgg``, ``QTAgg``, ``TkAgg``, ``CocoaAgg``.  In
-addition, some of the user interfaces support other rendering engines.
-For example, with GTK, you can also select GDK rendering (backend
-``GTK``) or Cairo rendering (backend ``GTKCairo``).
-
-For the rendering engines, one can also distinguish between `vector
-<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vector_graphics>`_ or `raster
-<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raster_graphics>`_ renderers.  Vector
-graphics languages issue drawing commands like "draw a line from this
-point to this point" and hence are scale free, and raster backends
-generate a pixel representation of the line whose accuracy depends on a
-DPI setting.
-
-Here is a summary of the matplotlib renderers (there is an eponymous
-backed for each):
-
-=============   ============   ================================================
-Renderer        Filetypes      Description
-=============   ============   ================================================
-:term:`AGG`     :term:`png`    :term:`raster graphics` -- high quality images
-                               using the `Anti-Grain Geometry`_ engine
-PS              :term:`ps`     :term:`vector graphics` -- Postscript_ output
-                :term:`eps`
-PDF             :term:`pdf`    :term:`vector graphics` --
-                               `Portable Document Format`_
-SVG             :term:`svg`    :term:`vector graphics` --
-                               `Scalable Vector Graphics`_
-:term:`Cairo`   :term:`png`    :term:`vector graphics` --
-                :term:`ps`     `Cairo graphics`_
-                :term:`pdf`
-                :term:`svg`
-                ...
-:term:`GDK`     :term:`png`    :term:`raster graphics` --
-                :term:`jpg`    the `Gimp Drawing Kit`_
-                :term:`tiff`
-                ...
-=============   ============   ================================================
-
-And here are the user interfaces and renderer combinations supported:
-
-============   ================================================================
-Backend        Description
-============   ================================================================
-GTKAgg         Agg rendering to a :term:`GTK` canvas (requires PyGTK_)
-GTK            GDK rendering to a :term:`GTK` canvas (not recommended)
-               (requires PyGTK_)
-GTKCairo       Cairo rendering to a :term:`GTK` Canvas (requires PyGTK_)
-WXAgg          Agg rendering to to a :term:`wxWidgets` canvas
-               (requires wxPython_)
-WX             Native :term:`wxWidgets` drawing to a :term:`wxWidgets` Canvas
-               (not recommended) (requires wxPython_)
-TkAgg          Agg rendering to a :term:`Tk` canvas (requires TkInter_)
-QtAgg          Agg rendering to a :term:`Qt` canvas (requires PyQt_)
-Qt4Agg         Agg rendering to a :term:`Qt4` canvas (requires PyQt4_)
-FLTKAgg        Agg rendering to a :term:`FLTK` canvas (requires pyFLTK_)
-macosx         Cocoa rendering in OSX windows
-============   ================================================================
-
-.. _`Anti-Grain Geometry`: http://www.antigrain.com/
-.. _Postscript: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PostScript
-.. _`Portable Document Format`: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_Document_Format
-.. _`Scalable Vector Graphics`: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scalable_Vector_Graphics
-.. _`Cairo graphics`: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairo_(graphics)
-.. _`Gimp Drawing Kit`: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GDK
-.. _PyGTK: http://www.pygtk.org
-.. _wxPython: http://www.wxpython.org/
-.. _TkInter: http://wiki.python.org/moin/TkInter
-.. _PyQt: http://www.riverbankcomputing.co.uk/software/pyqt/intro
-.. _PyQt4: http://www.riverbankcomputing.co.uk/software/pyqt/intro
-.. _pyFLTK: http://pyfltk.sourceforge.net
-
-
-.. _pygtk-2.4:
-
-Compile matplotlib with PyGTK-2.4
--------------------------------------------
-
-There is a `bug in PyGTK-2.4`_. You need to edit
-:file:`pygobject.h` to add the :c:macro:`G_BEGIN_DECLS` and :c:macro:`G_END_DECLS`
-macros, and rename :c:data:`typename` parameter to :c:data:`typename_`::
-
-  -                       const char *typename,
-  +                       const char *typename_,
-
-.. _`bug in PyGTK-2.4`: http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=155304
-
 
 OS-X questions
 ==============