Setup Matplotlib on PyCharm

Matplotlib is an effective Python library for producing static, animated, and interactive visualizations in a variety of forms. For data analysis, scientific study, and various other uses, it offers a flexible and effective approach to constructing plots, charts, and graphs. It is built on NumPy arrays, designed to work with the broader SciPy stack, and consists of several plots like lines, bars, scatters, histograms, etc. Matplotlib is often used for a wide variety of applications because it is extremely flexible and provides an extensive range of graphing options.

Important Features Matplotlib

1. Basic Plotting: Using Matplotlib, we can produce numerous basic plot types, including line plots, scatter plots, bar charts, histograms, and more.
2. Customization: You can alter the colors, line styles, labels, titles, and annotations of your plots using Matplotlib.
3. Subplots: It is easy to show different visualizations in a single plot by creating different plots within the same figure.

Setup Matplotlib on PyCharm

Below are the ways by which we can install Matplotlib on PyCharm:

• Using Terminal
• Using PyCharm GUI

Install Matplotlib Using Terminal

Below is the step-by-step procedure to install Matplotlib using Terminal:

Step 1: Installation

The first step is installation. We will install the following things that you can refer for their installation:

• Install Python
• Install PIP
• Install PyCharm

Step 2: Create a Virtual Environment

It is the next step after the installation. In this step, we will create a virtual environment for managing project-specific dependencies and avoiding conflicts between different projects. You can refer here : Create a Virtual Environment.

Step 3: Install Matplotlib via PyCharm Terminal

Now that the virtual environment is activated, we can now install Matplotlib using the pip command. Open command-prompt or the built-in terminal in PyCharm and run the following command to install the Matplotlib library.

pip install matplotlib

Installing Matplotlib

To prevent any errors during the matplotlib installation process, just make sure that “pip” is installed and updated to the most recent version on your system.

Setup Matplotlib via PyCharm GUI

To install Matplotlib using PyCharm’s (GUI), follow the steps given below:

Step 1: Create a New Python Project

Create a new Python project or open an existing one in PyCharm. You should be working within a project to manage your Python packages.

Step 2: Select Settings or Preferences:

Now first go to “File” in the top menu then select “Settings” or “Preferences” (depending on your operating system).

Step 3: Select Python Interpreter

In the settings window, expand the “Project” section on the left sidebar and select “Python Interpreter.” In the “Python Interpreter” window, you’ll see a list of installed packages and the current Python interpreter for your project. Click the ” + ” button or “Install” button to add a new package. This will open the package window showing available packages.

Menu showing Installed libraries and packages

Step 4: Write Matplotlib

In the “Available Packages” window, type “matplotlib” in the search bar. It will display “matplotlib” in the list of packages. Select it. If an older version of the packages is needed for your project, you can also select it by clicking the drop down of “Specify version”.

Selecting Matplotlib from Available Packages

Step 5: Install the Package

Click the “Install Package” button to install Matplotlib. Matplotlib and its dependencies will be downloaded and installed by PyCharm. A progress bar will appear while the installation is being done. Matplotlib should to appear in the list of installed packages for your Python interpreter once the installation is finished.

Matplotlib Installed

Step 6: Writing the Python Script

Create or open a Python script that contains your Matplotlib code to plot the graph. An example of a Python script for graphing is shown below.

Example 1: Plotting a Pie-Chart using Matplotlib

In this example, a pie chart is created using Matplotlib to visualize the distribution of car sales data. The dataset includes car brands such as Audi, BMW, Ford, Dodge, Porsche, and Mercedes, with corresponding sales figures displayed as a pie chart.

Python3

# Import libraries
from matplotlib import pyplot as plt
import numpy as np


# Creating dataset
cars = ['Audi', 'Bmw', 'Ford',
                'Dodge', 'Porche', 'Mercedes']

data = [23, 17, 35, 29, 12, 41]

# Creating plot
fig = plt.figure(figsize=(10, 7))
plt.pie(data, labels=cars)

# show plot
plt.show()

Output

Python Script for plotting Pie Chart

Example 2: Plotting a Histogram using Matplotlib

In this example, a histogram is generated using Matplotlib to visualize the distribution of a dataset created with random numbers. The dataset x follows a normal distribution, and the resulting histogram, displayed with 20 bins, illustrates the frequency distribution of the data.

Python3

#importing libraries
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
from matplotlib import colors
from matplotlib.ticker import PercentFormatter

# Creating dataset
np.random.seed(23685752)
N_points = 10000
n_bins = 20

# Creating distribution
x = np.random.randn(N_points)
y = .8 ** x + np.random.randn(10000) + 25

# Creating histogram
fig, axs = plt.subplots(1, 1,
                        figsize =(10, 7),
                        tight_layout = True)

axs.hist(x, bins = n_bins)

# Show plot
plt.show()

Output

Python Script for plotting Histogram

Plot window appearance: Depending on your system and Matplotlib configuration, the plot window show up as a separate application window.