ENH: Expose symlog scaling in plotting API
State: closed

- [ ] closes #24867 
- [ ] tests added / passed
- [ ] passes `git diff upstream/master -u -- "*.py" | flake8 --diff`
- [ ] whatsnew entry


Labels:
name: Visualization
description: plotting

Comments:
Not terribly familiar with this code but looks OK to me at a glance. 

cc @TomAugspurger - too late to get this in for v0.24 at this point right?
# [Codecov](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871?src=pr&el=h1) Report
> Merging [#24871](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871?src=pr&el=desc) into [master](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/commit/12bb6d0536b947f74b66ebe18b5f451bfdd7453f?src=pr&el=desc) will **decrease** coverage by `<.01%`.
> The diff coverage is `33.33%`.

[![Impacted file tree graph](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871/graphs/tree.svg?width=650&token=eZ4WkYLtcO&height=150&src=pr)](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871?src=pr&el=tree)

```diff
@@            Coverage Diff             @@
##           master   #24871      +/-   ##
==========================================
- Coverage   92.38%   92.38%   -0.01%     
==========================================
  Files         166      166              
  Lines       52412    52416       +4     
==========================================
+ Hits        48423    48425       +2     
- Misses       3989     3991       +2
```

| Flag | Coverage Δ | |
|---|---|---|
| #multiple | `90.81% <33.33%> (-0.01%)` | :arrow_down: |
| #single | `42.88% <0%> (-0.01%)` | :arrow_down: |

| [Impacted Files](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871?src=pr&el=tree) | Coverage Δ | |
|---|---|---|
| [pandas/plotting/\_core.py](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871/diff?src=pr&el=tree#diff-cGFuZGFzL3Bsb3R0aW5nL19jb3JlLnB5) | `83.59% <33.33%> (-0.17%)` | :arrow_down: |
| [pandas/util/testing.py](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871/diff?src=pr&el=tree#diff-cGFuZGFzL3V0aWwvdGVzdGluZy5weQ==) | `88.13% <0%> (+0.09%)` | :arrow_up: |

------

[Continue to review full report at Codecov](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871?src=pr&el=continue).
> **Legend** - [Click here to learn more](https://docs.codecov.io/docs/codecov-delta)
> `Δ = absolute <relative> (impact)`, `ø = not affected`, `? = missing data`
> Powered by [Codecov](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871?src=pr&el=footer). Last update [12bb6d0...db4440d](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871?src=pr&el=lastupdated). Read the [comment docs](https://docs.codecov.io/docs/pull-request-comments).

# [Codecov](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871?src=pr&el=h1) Report
> Merging [#24871](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871?src=pr&el=desc) into [master](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/commit/12bb6d0536b947f74b66ebe18b5f451bfdd7453f?src=pr&el=desc) will **decrease** coverage by `49.5%`.
> The diff coverage is `0%`.

[![Impacted file tree graph](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871/graphs/tree.svg?width=650&token=eZ4WkYLtcO&height=150&src=pr)](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871?src=pr&el=tree)

```diff
@@             Coverage Diff             @@
##           master   #24871       +/-   ##
===========================================
- Coverage   92.38%   42.88%   -49.51%     
===========================================
  Files         166      166               
  Lines       52412    52406        -6     
===========================================
- Hits        48423    22476    -25947     
- Misses       3989    29930    +25941
```

| Flag | Coverage Δ | |
|---|---|---|
| #multiple | `?` | |
| #single | `42.88% <0%> (-0.01%)` | :arrow_down: |

| [Impacted Files](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871?src=pr&el=tree) | Coverage Δ | |
|---|---|---|
| [pandas/plotting/\_core.py](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871/diff?src=pr&el=tree#diff-cGFuZGFzL3Bsb3R0aW5nL19jb3JlLnB5) | `17.68% <0%> (-66.08%)` | :arrow_down: |
| [pandas/io/formats/latex.py](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871/diff?src=pr&el=tree#diff-cGFuZGFzL2lvL2Zvcm1hdHMvbGF0ZXgucHk=) | `0% <0%> (-100%)` | :arrow_down: |
| [pandas/core/categorical.py](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871/diff?src=pr&el=tree#diff-cGFuZGFzL2NvcmUvY2F0ZWdvcmljYWwucHk=) | `0% <0%> (-100%)` | :arrow_down: |
| [pandas/io/sas/sas\_constants.py](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871/diff?src=pr&el=tree#diff-cGFuZGFzL2lvL3Nhcy9zYXNfY29uc3RhbnRzLnB5) | `0% <0%> (-100%)` | :arrow_down: |
| [pandas/tseries/plotting.py](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871/diff?src=pr&el=tree#diff-cGFuZGFzL3RzZXJpZXMvcGxvdHRpbmcucHk=) | `0% <0%> (-100%)` | :arrow_down: |
| [pandas/tseries/converter.py](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871/diff?src=pr&el=tree#diff-cGFuZGFzL3RzZXJpZXMvY29udmVydGVyLnB5) | `0% <0%> (-100%)` | :arrow_down: |
| [pandas/io/formats/html.py](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871/diff?src=pr&el=tree#diff-cGFuZGFzL2lvL2Zvcm1hdHMvaHRtbC5weQ==) | `0% <0%> (-99.35%)` | :arrow_down: |
| [pandas/core/groupby/categorical.py](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871/diff?src=pr&el=tree#diff-cGFuZGFzL2NvcmUvZ3JvdXBieS9jYXRlZ29yaWNhbC5weQ==) | `0% <0%> (-95.46%)` | :arrow_down: |
| [pandas/io/sas/sas7bdat.py](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871/diff?src=pr&el=tree#diff-cGFuZGFzL2lvL3Nhcy9zYXM3YmRhdC5weQ==) | `0% <0%> (-91.17%)` | :arrow_down: |
| [pandas/io/sas/sas\_xport.py](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871/diff?src=pr&el=tree#diff-cGFuZGFzL2lvL3Nhcy9zYXNfeHBvcnQucHk=) | `0% <0%> (-90.15%)` | :arrow_down: |
| ... and [124 more](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871/diff?src=pr&el=tree-more) | |

------

[Continue to review full report at Codecov](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871?src=pr&el=continue).
> **Legend** - [Click here to learn more](https://docs.codecov.io/docs/codecov-delta)
> `Δ = absolute <relative> (impact)`, `ø = not affected`, `? = missing data`
> Powered by [Codecov](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871?src=pr&el=footer). Last update [12bb6d0...36c8eb4](https://codecov.io/gh/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/24871?src=pr&el=lastupdated). Read the [comment docs](https://docs.codecov.io/docs/pull-request-comments).

I like @TomAugspurger's proposed UI - it's exactly what I had in mind. Since the documented API is already `logx=True`, allowing `logx='sym'` to turn on symlog makes a lot of sense to me as an API user.
Thank you very much @mdekstrand , it's good to know! since my proposal will be quite significant API change, so i would like to hear all of yours opinions first before submitting the pr... i will then keep Tom's proposal first in it! 
sorry, since i have several branches working on the same time... there are some git issues that i didn't notice so i messed it up... i will close this PR, and reopen another one... sorry...