Mac上的matplotlib不显示

Question

There are a lot of questions about installing matplotlib on mac, but as far as I can tell I've installed it correctly using pip and it's just not working. When I try and run a script with matplotlib.pyplot.plot(x, y) nothing happens. No error, no nothing.

import matplotlib.pyplot

x = [1,2,3,4]
y = [4,3,2,1]

matplotlib.pyplot.plot(x, y)

When I run this in the terminal in a file called pyplot.py I get this:

pgcudahy$ python pyplot.py
pgcudahy$ 

No errors, but no plot either. In an interactive python shell I get this:

>>> import matplotlib
>>> print matplotlib.__version__
1.1.1
>>> print matplotlib.__file__
/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/Extras/lib/python/matplotlib/__init__.pyc

Which leads me to believe it's installed correctly.

Any ideas?

Answer 1

You need to call the show function.

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

x = [1,2,3,4]
y = [4,3,2,1]

plt.plot(x, y)
plt.show()

Answer 2

It's likely that the plot is hidden behind the editor window or the spyder window on the screen. Instead of changing matplotlib settings, just learn the trackpack gestures of the mac, "app exposé" is the one you need to make your plots visible (see system preferences, trackpack). Then click on the figure to raise it to the front.