ipython/ipython — Issue #903: Expose a magic to control config of the inline pylab backend
Author: fperez
Created: 2011-10-19 20:23:51+00:00
State: open
Labels: htmlnotebook, prio-high, qtconsole, type-enhancement

We should provide a magic to provide easy, user-level control of certain features of the inline backend. Something like
```
%inline_backend close_figures=True
%inline_backend figure_format = 'svg'
```

would allow easy runtime control of the points discussed in #638 and #781.

In the long run, ideally we'd fold this into a richer `%pylab` magic that allows initializing pylab mode in the qtconsole/notebooks (like it does in the terminal), toggling of floating/inline figures *and* inline configuration. But since that's a larger job, as discussed at the end of #892, it's probably best left for a separate task.

Marking this as high priority for 0.12 in case we manage to pull it off, as it would be great to have out of the gate when we release the notebook. But I'm not willing to make it a blocker as we're getting close to the wire, so it may slip to 0.13.