Adds an rcParam "axes.formatter.use_locale"

CHANGELOG

@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2011-07-29 A new rcParam "axes.formatter.use_locale" was added, that,
+           when True, will use the current locale to formatter tick
+           labels.  This means that, for example, in the fr_FR locale,
+           ',' will be used as a decimal separator.  - MGD
+
 2011-07-15 The set of markers available in the plot() and scatter()
            commands has been unified.  In general, this gives more
            options to both than were previously available, however,

lib/matplotlib/__init__.py

@@ -786,7 +786,9 @@ def rc_params(fail_on_error=False):
 rcParams['ps.usedistiller'] = checkdep_ps_distiller(rcParams['ps.usedistiller'])
 rcParams['text.usetex'] = checkdep_usetex(rcParams['text.usetex'])
 
-
+if rcParams['axes.formatter.use_locale']:
+    import locale
+    locale.setlocale(locale.LC_ALL, '')
 
 def rc(group, **kwargs):
     """

lib/matplotlib/axes.py

@@ -2108,6 +2108,13 @@ def ticklabel_format(self, **kwargs):
                          numeric offset is specified, it will be
                          used.
           *axis*         [ 'x' | 'y' | 'both' ]
+          *useLocale*    If True, format the number according to
+                         the current locale.  The affects things
+                         such as the character used for the
+                         decimal separator.  If False, use
+                         C-style (English) formatting.  The
+                         default setting is controlled by the
+                         axes.formatter.use_locale rcparam.
           ============   =========================================
 
         Only the major ticks are affected.
@@ -2120,6 +2127,7 @@ def ticklabel_format(self, **kwargs):
         style = kwargs.pop('style', '').lower()
         scilimits = kwargs.pop('scilimits', None)
         useOffset = kwargs.pop('useOffset', None)
+        use_locale = kwargs.pop('useLocale', None)
         axis = kwargs.pop('axis', 'both').lower()
         if scilimits is not None:
             try:
@@ -2156,6 +2164,11 @@ def ticklabel_format(self, **kwargs):
                     self.xaxis.major.formatter.set_useOffset(useOffset)
                 if axis == 'both' or axis == 'y':
                     self.yaxis.major.formatter.set_useOffset(useOffset)
+            if useLocale is not None:
+                if axis == 'both' or axis == 'x':
+                    self.xaxis.major.formatter.set_useLocale(useLocale)
+                if axis == 'both' or axis == 'y':
+                    self.yaxis.major.formatter.set_useLocale(useLocale)
         except AttributeError:
             raise AttributeError(
                 "This method only works with the ScalarFormatter.")

lib/matplotlib/cbook.py

@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@
 # side effects.  Passing False eliminates those side effects.
 
 try:
-    preferredencoding = locale.getpreferredencoding(False).strip()
+    preferredencoding = locale.getpreferredencoding(
+        matplotlib.rcParams['axes.formatter.use_locale']).strip()
     if not preferredencoding:
         preferredencoding = None
 except (ValueError, ImportError, AttributeError):

lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py

@@ -449,6 +449,7 @@ def __call__(self, s):
                                # use scientific notation if log10
                                # of the axis range is smaller than the
                                # first or larger than the second
+    'axes.formatter.use_locale' : [False, validate_bool], # Use the current locale to format ticks
     'axes.unicode_minus'        : [True, validate_bool],
     'axes.color_cycle'      : [['b','g','r','c','m','y','k'],
                                     validate_colorlist], # cycle of plot

lib/matplotlib/ticker.py

@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@
 
 from __future__ import division
 import decimal
+import locale
 import math
 import numpy as np
 from matplotlib import rcParams
@@ -330,7 +331,7 @@ class ScalarFormatter(Formatter):
 
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, useOffset=True, useMathText=False):
+    def __init__(self, useOffset=True, useMathText=False, useLocale=None):
         # useOffset allows plotting small data ranges with large offsets:
         # for example: [1+1e-9,1+2e-9,1+3e-9]
         # useMathText will render the offset and scientific notation in mathtext
@@ -341,6 +342,10 @@ def __init__(self, useOffset=True, useMathText=False):
         self.format = ''
         self._scientific = True
         self._powerlimits = rcParams['axes.formatter.limits']
+        if useLocale is None:
+            self._useLocale = rcParams['axes.formatter.use_locale']
+        else:
+            self._useLocale = useLocale
 
     def get_useOffset(self):
         return self._useOffset
@@ -355,6 +360,17 @@ def set_useOffset(self, val):
 
     useOffset = property(fget=get_useOffset, fset=set_useOffset)
 
+    def get_useLocale(self):
+        return self._useLocale
+
+    def set_useLocale(self, val):
+        if val is None:
+            self._useLocale = rcParams['axes.formatter.use_locale']
+        else:
+            self._useLocale = val
+
+    useLocale = property(fget=get_useLocale, fset=set_useLocale)
+
     def fix_minus(self, s):
         'use a unicode minus rather than hyphen'
         if rcParams['text.usetex'] or not rcParams['axes.unicode_minus']: return s
@@ -388,11 +404,18 @@ def set_powerlimits(self, lims):
 
     def format_data_short(self,value):
         'return a short formatted string representation of a number'
-        return '%-12g'%value
+        if self._useLocale:
+            return locale.format_string('%-12g', (value,))
+        else:
+            return '%-12g'%value
 
     def format_data(self,value):
         'return a formatted string representation of a number'
-        s =  self._formatSciNotation('%1.10e'% value)
+        if self._useLocale:
+            s = locale.format_string('%1.10e', (value,))
+        else:
+            s = '%1.10e' % value
+        s = self._formatSciNotation(s)
         return self.fix_minus(s)
 
 
@@ -491,14 +514,23 @@ def _set_format(self):
     def pprint_val(self, x):
         xp = (x-self.offset)/10**self.orderOfMagnitude
         if np.absolute(xp) < 1e-8: xp = 0
-        return self.format % xp
+        if self._useLocale:
+            return locale.format_string(self.format, (xp,))
+        else:
+            return self.format % xp
 
     def _formatSciNotation(self, s):
         # transform 1e+004 into 1e4, for example
+        if self._useLocale:
+            decimal_point = locale.localeconv()['decimal_point']
+            positive = locale.localeconv()['positive_sign']
+        else:
+            decimal_point = '.'
+            positive_sign = '+'
         tup = s.split('e')
         try:
-            significand = tup[0].rstrip('0').rstrip('.')
-            sign = tup[1][0].replace('+', '')
+            significand = tup[0].rstrip('0').rstrip(decimal_point)
+            sign = tup[1][0].replace(positive_sign, '')
             exponent = tup[1][1:].lstrip('0')
             if self._useMathText or self._usetex:
                 if significand == '1':

matplotlibrc.template

@@ -212,6 +212,8 @@ backend      : %(backend)s
 #axes.formatter.limits : -7, 7 # use scientific notation if log10
                                # of the axis range is smaller than the
                                # first or larger than the second
+#axes.formatter.use_locale : False # When True, format tick labels according to the user's locale.
+                                   # For example, use ',' as a decimal separator in the fr_FR locale.
 #axes.unicode_minus  : True    # use unicode for the minus symbol
                                # rather than hypen.  See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plus_sign#Plus_sign
 #axes.color_cycle    : b, g, r, c, m, y, k  # color cycle for plot lines