Matplotlib chart does not display in PyCharm

Question

I run the following code in PyCharm 3.4.1, and it highlighted %matplotlib inline showing syntax error, and I delete the first line, and run, I expect it will prompt me some charts, but it runs normally with Process finished with exit code 0， and no charts is showing.

My question is: 1. What is %matplotlib inline use for; 2. How to let pycharm shows matplotlib chart?

%matplotlib inline
from IPython.core.pylabtools import figsize
import numpy as np
from matplotlib import pyplot as plt
figsize(11, 9)

import scipy.stats as stats

dist = stats.beta
n_trials = [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 15, 50, 500]
data = stats.bernoulli.rvs(0.5, size=n_trials[-1])
x = np.linspace(0, 1, 100)

# For the already prepared, I'm using Binomial's conj. prior.
for k, N in enumerate(n_trials):
    sx = plt.subplot(len(n_trials) / 2, 2, k + 1)
    plt.xlabel("$p$, probability of heads") \
        if k in [0, len(n_trials) - 1] else None
    plt.setp(sx.get_yticklabels(), visible=False)
    heads = data[:N].sum()
    y = dist.pdf(x, 1 + heads, 1 + N - heads)
    plt.plot(x, y, label="observe %d tosses,\n %d heads" % (N, heads))
    plt.fill_between(x, 0, y, color="#348ABD", alpha=0.4)
    plt.vlines(0.5, 0, 4, color="k", linestyles="--", lw=1)

    leg = plt.legend()
    leg.get_frame().set_alpha(0.4)
    plt.autoscale(tight=True)


plt.suptitle("Bayesian updating of posterior probabilities",
             y=1.02,
             fontsize=14)

plt.tight_layout()

Gabriel · Accepted Answer · 2014-08-06 15:51:04Z

55

The % notation is for magic functions. The particular magic function and argument you reference, %matplotlib inline, is meant for an IPython notebook session. You will get a syntax error using magic functions in a normal python session.

The %matplotlib magic function is meant to specify a backend for matplotlib and the argument inline will produce an error if you are not in an IPython notebook session.

To show your plot you should use plt.show for an interactive window or plt.savefig to save it to file. For example,

plt.show()

or

plt.savefig( 'myfig.png' )

edited Aug 6, 2014 at 15:51

answered Aug 6, 2014 at 14:56

Gabriel

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3 Comments

Gabriel Over a year ago

yep. i was just referencing the function itself, but added some examples.

Padraic Cunningham Over a year ago

yep but better to show the full command or no doubt someone sometime will get confused!

Gabriel Over a year ago

agreed. it's easy to forget what the learning experience was like

vinSan · Accepted Answer · 2017-12-30 23:44:00Z

9

plot show with some value, helped in providing the window where I was able to see the image. By default the interactive mode was false. I neeed to turn on the interactive mode. plt.interactive(True)

Add the plt.show command after plotting the graph.

plt.show(10)

answered Dec 30, 2017 at 23:44

vinSan

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Comments

Tom Johnson · Accepted Answer · 2022-04-25 19:48:31Z

2

plt.show() only displays the static PNG form of the plot for me. I had to use 'mpl.use('Qt5Agg')' per this post https://www.tutorialspoint.com/how-to-get-an-interactive-plot-of-a-pyplot-when-using-pycharm.

answered Apr 25, 2022 at 19:48

Tom Johnson

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Comments

nirazul · Accepted Answer · 2023-03-16 13:56:21Z

2

if using an IDE such as Pycharm, instead of using %matplotlib inline. Try using:

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
plt.show()

edited Mar 16, 2023 at 13:56

nirazul

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answered Jul 23, 2020 at 23:12

Uram Mnisi

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1 Comment

gary Over a year ago

Instead of step 2 just did: plt.show() and 2 of my scatter plots were displayed

Jerald Cogswell · Accepted Answer · 2019-04-29 18:57:09Z

1

I got my plot to show by selecting Edit Configurations... and under Execution, check the box Run with Python console. I just used plt.tight_layout(). I was not in a Notebook.

answered Apr 29, 2019 at 18:57

Jerald Cogswell

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Amar_AI · Accepted Answer · 2021-08-18 11:43:56Z

0

%matplotlib specifies the backend for matplotlib, and with the argument inline you can display the graph and make the plot interactive.

% is used for representing magic function in python in Pycharm i.e %matplotlib inline- becomes a magic function.

In Pycharm you can directly use

plt.show()

answered Aug 18, 2021 at 11:43

Amar_AI

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