Implement multi-function plotting options in plot()

[alauve]

The code plot([x,x^2],-.2,2) is a nice shortcut for plotting both x and x!^ 2 on the same graph. However, if you want to choose different colors or linestyles for each function, then it seems you have to execute, e.g.,

p1=plot(x,-.2,1.2,color='blue',linestyle='dotted'); 
p2=plot(x^2,-.2,1.2,color='red',linestyle='dashed'); 
p1+p2

Here is how Maple and Mathematica handle this issue, respectively:

It seems that the keyword 'fill' allows for a dictionary input, so perhaps the relevant code there could serve as a template?

[> plot([x, x^2], x= -.2..1.2, color=["blue", "red"],linestyle=[dot, longdash]);

In[1]:= Plot[{x, x^2}, {x, -.2, 1.2}, PlotStyle -> {{Blue, Dotted}, {Red, Dashed}}]

Remarks:

1. distinct choices for the curves should be made automatically for the user. Running, e.g.,

In[1]:= Plot[{x, x^2}, {x, -.2, 1.2}]

in Mathematica produces two curves that are not both solid-blue.

2. the functionality for fillcolor, color, and fill should be the same insofar as possible.

CC: @kcrisman @ppurka @jdemeyer @jasongrout @saliola @sagetrac-jhonrubia6 @paulmasson @novoselt

Component: user interface

Keywords: plot, linestyle, color

Author: Aaron Lauve

Branch/Commit: 4acb9d6

Reviewer: Paul Masson

Issue created by migration from https://trac.sagemath.org/ticket/12962

[alauve]

Branch: u/alauve/implement_multi_function_plotting_options_in_plot__

[alauve]

Commit: d169dc1

[alauve]

comment:7

I've pushed a possible solution and set the ticket to 'needs_review'.

Comments?

---

New commits:

d169dc1

Started adding multiple directives for color and linestyle to _plot()

[sagetrac-git]

Changed commit from d169dc1 to 2fb9172

[sagetrac-git]

Branch pushed to git repo; I updated commit sha1. New commits:

58f8323	multi-function plotting now allows for and to be dictionaries/lists/tuples. Similar functionality added for and .
2fb9172	deleted superfluous whitespace

[sagetrac-git]

Changed commit from 2fb9172 to d02567e

[sagetrac-git]

Branch pushed to git repo; I updated commit sha1. New commits:

d02567e

made plot-curve colors uniform, for ease of deciphering in lieu of a legend, when plot() is called with multiple functions.

[sagetrac-git]

Branch pushed to git repo; I updated commit sha1. New commits:

c6ed638	removed sphinx_plot calls, as I wasn't sure how to get them to work with doctests. (hope to put them back eventually.)
ded1039	added some sphinx_plot calls

[sagetrac-git]

Changed commit from d02567e to ded1039

[sagetrac-git]

Changed commit from ded1039 to f93aaf3

[sagetrac-git]

Branch pushed to git repo; I updated commit sha1. New commits:

f93aaf3

Merge branch 'develop' into t/12962/implement_multi_function_plotting_options_in_plot__

[sagetrac-git]

Branch pushed to git repo; I updated commit sha1. New commits:

c9b1aa4

fixed a typo

[sagetrac-git]

Changed commit from f93aaf3 to c9b1aa4

[paulmasson]

comment:52

Doctests pass. Documentation builds and looks good as is.

Aaron, are you still planning to work on plots on this ticket or can I set positive review?

[alauve]

comment:53

Hmm,
Looking over the documentation, I see a few minor changes that I should make. I'll toggle back to needs_work. When you see it return to needs_review, I'm done.

Thx.

Replying to @paulmasson:

Doctests pass. Documentation builds and looks good as is.

Aaron, are you still planning to work on plots on this ticket or can I set positive review?

[sagetrac-git]

Branch pushed to git repo; I updated commit sha1. New commits:

26ac1d3

added a few more sphinx_plots; better described how default colors are chosen

[sagetrac-git]

Changed commit from 165dda5 to 26ac1d3

[paulmasson]

comment:57

Aaron, you added a bit more that what's in your description: the options for legend_color are expanded which is good and functions as expected.

Regarding legends, for the case of multiple graph colors with a single legend_label, I find the empty spaces in the legend unexpected. Wouldn't it make more sense to repeat the single label for all lines? If I'm graphing multiple functions and deliberately give one label, I'd expect it to appear for all of them.

[paulmasson]

comment:58

Also, the documentation for legend_color and fillcolor says that they follow the same conventions as color. That's not completely true, since the default for legend_color is black and the default for fillcolor is gray. Please add those defaults for clarity.

[alauve]

comment:59

Replying to @paulmasson:

Aaron, you added a bit more that what's in your description: the options for legend_color are expanded which is good and functions as expected.

ah yes... it occurred to me that this was a natural extension of what was asked for in [comment:16]. My apologies for not mentioning it.

Regarding legends, for the case of multiple graph colors with a single legend_label, I find the empty spaces in the legend unexpected. Wouldn't it make more sense to repeat the single label for all lines? If I'm graphing multiple functions and deliberately give one label, I'd expect it to appear for all of them.

I don't know that I agree. I was trying to think of all the reasons I'd just include one label... "trig functions" or "cos(nx)" or some such. I don't think I'd want to see that written multiple times. Certainly, seeing "f" or "x²" written multiple times would be silly. But, it is nearly as easy to write ["trig functions", "", ""] as it is to write "trig functions", so I'm happy to modify the code accordingly.

[sagetrac-git]

Changed commit from 26ac1d3 to 742422e

[sagetrac-git]

Branch pushed to git repo; I updated commit sha1. New commits:

742422e

Modified behavior of fillcolor and legend_label, and reworked some of the sphinx_plot examples as well.

[paulmasson]

comment:61

Good to go.

[vbraun]

Changed commit from 742422e to none

[vbraun]

comment:62

Branch seems to be missing?

[sagetrac-git]

Branch pushed to git repo; I updated commit sha1. Last 10 new commits:

276f8eb	Merge branch 'u/alauve/implement_multi_function_plotting_options_in_plot__' of trac.sagemath.org:sage into public/graphics/multi_function_plot_options-12962
02f19a2	Made default color choices when plot() is passed a list of functions.
590325e	doctests pass; ValueError check works if color and rgbcolor are both passed; errors remain in building documentation
7d593cd	removed whitespace around keyword calls
c836728	working toward request to use rgbcolor instead of color. Simply making this change in L2139 breaks the plot()
dc15618	documentation now builds. problem was attempting to set frame and axes options in graphics_array with sphinx_plot.
165dda5	cleaned up a few comments; deleted others no longer needed
26ac1d3	added a few more sphinx_plots; better described how default colors are chosen
742422e	Modified behavior of fillcolor and legend_label, and reworked some of the sphinx_plot examples as well.
4acb9d6	Merge branch 'public/graphics/multi_function_plot_options-12962' of trac.sagemath.org:sage into public/graphics/multi_function_plot_options-12962

[sagetrac-git]

Commit: 4acb9d6

[tscrim]

comment:64

Hmm...strange. I have the most recent copy, so I've pushed it back.

[vbraun]

Changed branch from public/graphics/multi_function_plot_options-12962 to 4acb9d6