I picked up this book a while back and was looking forward to see if it offered any additional insights into the inner workings of Matplotlib (mpl) beyond what is provided with the mpl package. In general, I found the book to be good for someone looking for a Python-based data plotting tool along the lines of gnuplot or MATLAB, but not so useful for shedding any additional light on the details of the underlying classes and methods of mpl.
That being said, "Matplotlib for Python developers" does a pretty good job of introducing the reader to the basic capabilities of the mpl package. It describes how to write simple Python scripts to tackle common graphing tasks, and then how to pretty up the output for inclusion in a paper or presentation. What I found lacking was the kind of in-depth knowledge I wanted to see regarding embedding mpl into Python applications. For me it would have been more useful if it had at least included an index of mpl's classes and methods, with some discussion to build on what is already included with the mpl package. The examples given were fine, in and of themselves, but there is no real guidance as to how to take it beyond that. Some additional detailed examples of how to extend mpl's classes and what methods one might want to override would have been most useful.
All in all, it's a good place to start for someone who's never worked with Matplotlib before, and it offers the more advanced reader a sampler of what can be done with a little effort. I've been recommending this book to my colleagues who have expressed an interest in using Python to expand their repertoire beyond the realm of MATLAB and gnuplot. If a second edition includes some additional low-level technical details and examples (perhaps in a couple of appendices), then I think it could be a much more useful book and appeal to a wider audience.
ISBN-13: 978-1847197900
ISBN-10: 1847197906
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Helmut J.
Veraltet, zu elementar, nicht als Nachschlagewerk geeignet
Reviewed in Germany on July 19, 2013
