[IPython-User] [IPython-user] matplotlib under ipython

[Fernando Perez]

Hi ,

On Tue, Jun 22, 2010 at 2:44 PM, Neil Best <nbest@ci.uchicago.edu> wrote:
> hanks for the reply, Jon Olav.  I just needed to stare at the docs and play
> with it some more.  Now I understand that the -pylab switch to Ipython
> provides some non-blocking capabilities so that matplotlib behaves better in
> an interactive mode.  I was imagining that '-pylab' and '-p sh' were
> mutually exclusive as profiles, but that's not the case, so I get the
> behaviors of both simultaneously like I wanted.  Once I got the WX backend
> working I have been able to concentrate on making pretty pictures, aside
> from some minor emacs annoyances.

Just to clarify, '-pylab' is  a very special switch, independent from
profiles, that does a bunch of things:

- read your matplotlib config to find your default backend
- configure ipython to work without blocking gui windows from matplotlib
- set matplotlib to interactive mode
- modify %run to play nicely with mpl
- import numpy and mpl names at the top level

You can have -pylab *and* a profile for personal customizations.

Cheers,

f