In this tutorial, we will learn how to use the Python Matplotlib library, which allows us to create graphs for analysis. The course will be presented in a concise and to-the-point manner. By the end, we will create an application to demonstrate Matplotlib in practice, helping us better understand how to use it.

We hope you enjoy it! If you have any questions, feel free to ask, and we will be happy to help.

What is Matplotlib?

Matplotlib is the most widely used Python module for plotting graphics. It can easily produce publication-ready figures and is compatible with different platforms. The pyplot module in Matplotlib provides an interface similar to MATLAB, making it easier to use if you are already familiar with MATLAB.

 

How to Install Matplotlib

 

Windows

On Windows, you can install Matplotlib and its dependencies automatically by running the following command:

pip install matplotlib

Linux

On Linux, open the terminal and use the appropriate command according to your Python version:

Python 2.7

sudo apt-get install python-matplotlib

Python 3.4+

sudo apt-get install python3-matplotlib

 

Testing the Installation

 

After completing the installation, you can test it by running the following code. If everything is working correctly, you should see a graph. Otherwise, an error will occur—try to resolve it, and if needed, feel free to ask for help.

from matplotlib import pyplot as plt
plt.plot([1,2,3], [4,5,6])
plt.show()

 

Explanation of the Code

 

1. Importing Matplotlib

from matplotlib import pyplot as plt

Here, we import the Matplotlib library. The pyplot module, as mentioned earlier, is a plotting module similar to MATLAB.

2. Plotting Data

plt.plot([1,2,3], [4,5,6])

This line plots a graph with the first array as the x-coordinates and the second array as the y-coordinates, using the default line style and color.

3. Displaying the Graph

plt.show()

This command renders and displays the graph. The figure will not be shown until this line is executed.

 

Conclusion

 

In this tutorial, we learned how to install and use Matplotlib to plot basic graphs. In the next section, we will explore more advanced Matplotlib graphing techniques. Stay tuned!

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