Matplotlib Tutorial in Python

*Matplotlib Stack Plots/Bars | Chapter 4

In this chapter we will learn to create Matplotlib/Python Stack Plots/Bars.Stack Plots are also called area graphs/plots in general.

Matplotlib Tutorials in Python - Creating a Simple Stack Plot in Matplotlib

A good example of using a stack plot, will be to plot the runs scored by both the batsmen ath the end of each over of a match in Cricket. We will use plt.stackplot() to draw the plot of the runs scored by each batsman.

# matplotlib_stack_bar.py

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

plt.style.use('fivethirtyeight')

overs = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]

batsman1 = [4, 10, 12, 14, 14, 18, 22, 30, 40, 48]

batsman2 = [0, 6, 12, 18, 26, 28, 32, 33, 34, 36]

plt.stackplot(overs, batsman1, batsman2)

plt.title('Total runs scored')
plt.tight_layout()
plt.show()

Matplotlib Tutorials in Python - Customizing the Stack Plot in Matplotlib

We can customize the Matplotlib Stack Plot by adding labels, colors etc.

To add the labels, we will create a list of labels and pass it to plt.stackplot() and then call the plt.legend() method.

# matplotlib_stack_bar.py

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

plt.style.use('fivethirtyeight')

overs = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]
batsman1 = [4, 10, 12, 14, 14, 18, 22, 30, 40, 48]
batsman2 = [0, 6, 12, 18, 26, 28, 32, 33, 34, 36]

labels = ['Shikhar', 'Rohit']
plt.stackplot(overs, batsman1, batsman2, labels=labels)
plt.legend()
plt.title('Total runs scored')
plt.tight_layout()
plt.show()

Here, the legends are overlapping the plot, you can pass loc to plt.legend() to hard-code the location of the legends. And you can add colors by passing a list of colors to the plt.stackplot().

colors = ['blue', 'green']
plt.stackplot(overs, batsman1, batsman2, labels=labels, colors=colors)
plt.legend(loc = 'upper left')

You can either add numerical coordinates or the following values to loc:-

    best
    upper right
    upper left
    lower left
    lower right
    right
    center left
    center right
    lower center
    upper center
    center

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Table of Contents of Matplotlib Tutorial in Python

Matplotlib Tutorial in Python | Chapter 1 | Introduction

Matplotlib Tutorial in Python | Chapter 2 | Extracting Data from CSVs and plotting Bar Charts

Pie Charts in Python | Matplotlib Tutorial in Python | Chapter 3

Matplotlib Stack Plots/Bars | Matplotlib Tutorial in Python | Chapter 4

Filling Area on Line Plots | Matplotlib Tutorial in Python | Chapter 5

Python Histograms | Matplotlib Tutorial in Python | Chapter 6

Scatter Plotting in Python | Matplotlib Tutorial | Chapter 7

Plot Time Series in Python | Matplotlib Tutorial | Chapter 8

Python Realtime Plotting | Matplotlib Tutorial | Chapter 9

Matplotlib Subplot in Python | Matplotlib Tutorial | Chapter 10

Python Candlestick Chart | Matplotlib Tutorial | Chapter 11

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In the next chapter we will learn about Filing Area on Line Plots in Matplotlib.