matplotlib/matplotlib — Issue #602: axisartist incompatible with autofmt_xdate
Author: ukch
Created: 2011-12-01 17:26:34+00:00
State: open

Compare the results of the following two code samples:

```python
from pylab import *

fig = figure()
ax = fig.add_subplot(111)
ax.bar(range(3), [10, 20, 30])
ax.set_xticks(range(3))
ax.set_xticklabels(["supercalifragilisticexpialidocious",
"eventhoughthesoundofitissomethingquiteatrocious",
"ifyousayitloudenoughyouresuretosoundprecocious"])
fig.autofmt_xdate()
show()
```

```python
from pylab import *
import mpl_toolkits.axisartist as AA

fig = figure()
ax = fig.add_subplot(AA.Subplot(fig, 111))
ax.bar(range(3), [10, 20, 30])
ax.set_xticks(range(3))
ax.set_xticklabels(["supercalifragilisticexpialidocious",
"eventhoughthesoundofitissomethingquiteatrocious",
"ifyousayitloudenoughyouresuretosoundprecocious"])
fig.autofmt_xdate()
show()
```

(The only difference between the samples is that the second one is using `mpl_toolkits.axisartist`)

The first example formats the tick labels so that they appear diagonally and thus do not overlap each other. The second does not.

I noticed on the AxisGrid page (http://matplotlib.sourceforge.net/mpl_toolkits/axes_grid/index.html) the following message:

> axes_grid and axisartist (but not axes_grid1) uses a custom Axes class (derived from the mpl’s original Axes class). As a side effect, some commands (mostly tick-related) do not work. Use axes_grid1 to avoid this, or see how things are different in axes_grid and axisartist (LINK needed)

Although this describes a problem simoilar to the one I'm seeing, it is not very helpful as it does not suggest any alternatives. (For the record, I am using `axisartist` so that I can configure the shape/colour of the axis border)