[IPython-dev] [matplotlib-devel] IPython (new) + matplotlib report: happy news
Robert Kern
robert.kern at gmail.com
Tue Sep 14 21:10:38 EDT 2010
On 9/14/10 8:01 PM, Benjamin Root wrote:
> On Wed, Sep 15, 2010 at 12:39 AM, Fernando Perez <fperez.net
> <http://fperez.net>@gmail.com <http://gmail.com>> wrote:
>
> On Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 12:57 PM, Benjamin Root <ben.root at ou.edu
> <mailto:ben.root at ou.edu>> wrote:
> >
> > Why not have an examples module that contains function calls to each
> > example? On the website, we can show the source code, but also say that one
> > could just do:
> >
> >>>> import matplotlib.examples as ex
> >>>> ex.bars3d_demo()
>
> The idea is to have the *actual code* pasted in your terminal, because
> now we can easily edit complex multi-line examples directly in
> ipython. So it's not just a matter of seeing the figure results, but
> mostly of having the actual source in your input buffer to play with.
>
> Cheers,
>
> f
>
>
> True... but, consider this. ipython can already display the code for a
> particular module/function using the '??' idiom. Why not have some way to take
> that text and bring it into the input buffer?
Regardless of whether or not this is a good idea, it doesn't replace the
functionality Fernando is requesting. People *will* be looking at the matplotlib
docs on the web and copy-pasting the examples. Placing a link that they can
click to easily, robustly, and *obviously* copy the code for pasting into the
shell (or anywhere else!) is better than telling them to go type some magic
commands they've probably never seen before. Magic commands that they will
probably want to copy-paste. And so the cycle is complete.
--
Robert Kern
"I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma
that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had
an underlying truth."
-- Umberto Eco
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