Beginner's Python

Line graphs, scatter plots, and bar graphs Further customizations

(cont.) You can make a wide variety of further customizations to
a plot using the update methods. For example, update_
Making a bar graph
Cheat Sheet - Plotly fig = [Link](x=x_values, y=squares)
layout() gives you control of many formatting options.
Using update_layout()
Here the update_layout() method is used to change the font
Initial customizations sizes, and change the tick mark spacing on the x-axis.
What is Plotly? The functions that generate plots also accept parameters import [Link] as px
Data visualization involves exploring data through that specify titles, labels, and other formatting directives for
visual representations. Plotly helps you make visually your visualizations. x_values = list(range(11))
appealing representations of the data you’re working Adding a title and axis labels squares = [x**2 for x in x_values]
with. Plotly is particularly well suited for visualizations The title is a string. The labels dictionary lets you specify which
that will be presented online, because it supports aspects of the plot will have custom labels. title = "Square Numbers"
labels = {'x': 'Value', 'y': 'Square of Value'}
interactive elements. import [Link] as px
Plotly express lets you see a basic version of your fig = [Link](
plot with just a few lines of code. Once you know the # Define the data. x=x_values,
plot works for your data, you can refine the style of x_values = list(range(11)) y=squares,
squares = [x**2 for x in x_values] ...
your plot.
)
# Visualize the data.
Installing Plotly title = "Square Numbers" fig.update_layout(
Plotly Express requires the pandas library. labels = {'x': 'Value', 'y': 'Square of Value'} title_font_size=30,
Installing Plotly with pip xaxis_title_font_size=24,
fig = [Link](x=x_values, y=squares, xaxis_dtick=1,
$ python -m pip install --user plotly title=title, labels=labels) xaxis_tickfont_size=16,
$ python -m pip install --user pandas [Link]() yaxis_title_font_size=24,
More customizations in the plotting call yaxis_tickfont_size=16,
Line graphs, scatter plots, and bar graphs Plotly Express was designed to give you as much control as
)
To make a plot with Plotly Express, you specify the data and possible, using as little code as possible. Here's a small example of
then create a fig object. The call to [Link]() opens the how much can be customized within a single plotting call. [Link]()
plot in a new browser tab. You have a plot in just two lines of Most of these arguments can be single values, or sequences that
code! match the size of the overall dataset. Plotly Express documentation
Making a line graph import [Link] as px Plotly's documentation is extensive and well-organized.
Plotly generates JavaScript code to render the plot file. If you're There's a lot of it, though, so it can be hard to know where to
curious to see the code, open your browser's inspector tool when x_values = list(range(11)) begin. Start with an overview of Plotly Express at [Link]/
the plot opens. squares = [x**2 for x in x_values] python/plotly-express. This page itself is helpful; make sure
you also click on the documentation for the kinds of plots
import [Link] as px title = "Square Numbers" you use most often. These lead to pages full of discussions
labels = {'x': 'Value', 'y': 'Square of Value'} and examples.
# Define the data.
x_values = list(range(11)) Also see the Python API reference for plotly at plotly.
fig = [Link]( com/python-api-reference. This is a reference page showing
squares = [x**2 for x in x_values] x=x_values,
all the different kinds of plots you can make with Plotly. If you
y=squares,
# Visualize the data. click on any of the links, you can see all the arguments that
title=title,
fig = [Link](x=x_values, y=squares) can be included in plotting calls.
labels=labels,
[Link]() size=squares,

Python Crash Course

Making a scatter plot color=squares,
opacity=0.5,
To make a scatter plot, change line() to scatter(). This is the
point of Plotly Express; you can easily see your data in a variety of
width=1200, A Hands-on, Project-Based
ways before committing to a more specific styling options. height=800, Introduction to Programming
)
fig = [Link](x=x_values, y=squares) [Link]/pcc_3e
[Link]()
Using a predefined theme Using Subplots Plotting global datasets
A theme is a set of styles applied to a visualization in Plotly. It's often useful to have multiple plots share the same axes. Plotly has a variety of mapping tools. For example, if you
Themes are implemented with templates. This is done using the subplots module. have a set of points represented by latitude and longitude,
you can create a scatter plot of those points overlaying a
Using a theme Adding subplots to a figure
map.
To use the subplots module, make a figure to hold all the charts
import [Link] as px
that will be made. Then use the add_trace() method to add each The scattergeo chart type
data series to the overall figure. Here's a map showing the location of three of the higher peaks in
# Define the data. All individual plots need to be made using the graph_objects
x_values = list(range(11)) North America. If you hover over each point, you'll see its location
module. and the name of the mountain.
squares = [x**2 for x in x_values]
from [Link] import make_subplots import [Link] as px
# Visualize the data. import plotly.graph_objects as go
title = "Square Numbers" # Points in (lat, lon) format.
labels = {'x': 'Value', 'y': 'Square of Value'} x_values = list(range(11)) peak_coords = [
squares = [x**2 for x in x_values] (63.069, -151.0063),
fig = [Link](x=x_values, y=squares, cubes = [x**3 for x in x_values] (60.5671, -140.4055),
title=title, labels=labels, (46.8529, -121.7604),
template='plotly_dark') # Make two subplots, sharing a y-axis. ]
[Link]() fig = make_subplots(rows=1, cols=2,
shared_yaxes=True) # Make matching lists of lats, lons,
Viewing all available themes # and labels.
>>> import [Link] as pio # Start by plotting the square numbers. lats = [pc[0] for pc in peak_coords]
>>> [Link] squares_trace = [Link](x=x_values, lons = [pc[1] for pc in peak_coords]
Templates configuration y=squares)
----------------------- fig.add_trace(squares_trace, row=1, col=1) peak_names = [
Default template: 'plotly' "Denali",
Available templates: # Add a new trace for the cubes. "Mt Logan",
['ggplot2', 'seaborn',..., cubes_trace = [Link](x=x_values, y=cubes) "Mt Rainier"
'ygridoff', 'gridon', 'none'] fig.add_trace(cubes_trace, row=1, col=2) ]
elevations = [20_000, 18_000, 14_000]
title = "Squares and Cubes"
Adding traces to a Plotly Express plot fig.update_layout(title_text=title) # Generate initial map.
In Plotly, a trace is a dataset that can be plotted on a title = "Selected High Peaks"
chart. You can add traces to existing Plotly Express plots. [Link]() fig = px.scatter_geo(
Additional plots need to be specified using the graph_objects lat=lats,
module. Further documentation lon=lons,
title=title,
Using fig.add_trace() After exploring the Plotly Express documenation, look at
projection="natural earth",
Styling Plotly Express Figures in Python, at [Link]/
import [Link] as px text=peak_names,
python/styling-plotly-express. This explains all the ways
import plotly.graph_objects as go size=elevations,
you can style and format plots. After that, the Python Figure scope="north america",
days = list(range(1, 10)) Reference ([Link]/python/reference/index) will be much )
highs = [60, 63, 68, 70, 68, 70, 66, 62, 64] more useful. It shows you all the possible settings you can
lows = [51, 54, 53, 57, 54, 56, 52, 53, 49] change, with examples for each. # Customize formatting options.
Make sure you read about "magic underscores" in Plotly, fig.update_layout(titlefont_size=24)
# Start by plotting low temperaturs. at [Link]/python/creating-and-updating-figures. They fig.update_traces(
fig = [Link](x=days, y=lows) take a little getting used to, but once you're familiar with textposition="middle right",
the syntax they make it much easier to specify exactly the textfont_size=18,
# Add a new trace for the high temperatures. settings you want to modify. )
new_trace = [Link](x=days, y=highs,
mode='lines') If you're using subplots, read Subplots in Python at plotly. [Link]()
fig.add_trace(new_trace) com/python/subplots. Also look at Graph Objects in Python
at [Link]/python/graph-objects, which are used to make
[Link]() individual plots in a subplot. Weekly posts about all things Python
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