Rust plotting library using Python and Matplotlib

This library implements high-level functions to generate plots and drawings. Although we use Python/Matplotlib, the goal is to provide a convenient Rust library that is different than Matplotlib. The difference happens because we want convenience for the Rust developer while getting the fantastic quality of Matplotlib 😀.

Internally, we use Matplotlib via a Python 3 script. First, we generate a python code in a directory of your choice (e.g., /tmp/plotpy), and then we call python3 using Rust’s std::process::Command.

The Python script has the same name as the figure name given to the Plot::save function, but with the .py extension. The figure name can have the (png, pdf, or svg) extension (see Matplotlib) for more information regarding file extensions.

We generate the Python script with the preamble listed in PYTHON_HEADER and the file should be useful for double checking or even directly adding Python/Matplotlib commands, in case the functionality is not implemented here yet.

When calling Plot::save() or Plot::show(), if an error occurs, we generate a log file in the same output directory with the same filename as the figure (and python script), but with the .log extension.

The typical use of this library is by allocating structures such as Canvas, Curve, Contour, Histogram, Surface, Text (and more) and then passing them to Plot for the generation of the files mentioned above. The Plot::show() function may also be used to immediately see the plot or drawing on the screen.

Alternatively, if evcxr is installed, the function Plot::show_in_jupyter() can be used to show the resulting figure in a Jupyter notebook.

Each structure (e.g. Curve, Legend, or Text) defines many configuration options that can be set by calling their own set_... function. Typically, these structures provide draw_... functions to plot/draw features. Afterwards, we call Plot::add to add these structures to the Plot and then call Plot::save. The draw method of each object must be called before adding to Plot.

§Example

use plotpy::{generate3d, Plot, StrError, Surface};

fn main() -> Result<(), StrError> {
    let mut surface = Surface::new();
    surface
        .set_with_wireframe(true)
        .set_colormap_name("Pastel1")
        .set_with_colorbar(true)
        .set_colorbar_label("temperature")
        .set_wire_line_color("#1862ab")
        .set_wire_line_style(":")
        .set_wire_line_width(0.75);

    // draw surface
    let n = 9;
    let (x, y, z) = generate3d(-2.0, 2.0, -2.0, 2.0, n, n, |x, y| x * x + y * y);
    surface.draw(&x, &y, &z);

    // add surface to plot
    let mut plot = Plot::new();
    plot.add(&surface);

    // save figure
    plot.save("/tmp/plotpy/example_main.svg")?;
    Ok(())
}