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Hi All,

This is just a RFC for a project that's been in the back of my mind for a few
years now : integration of a data visualization system with a CMS.  In general
terms, I think it would be nice to have the kind of functionnality reserved to
desktop backends TTW :).  Of course, the stateless nature of HTTP makes some
things hard or impossible to achieve efficiently, but with "console type" web
applications sprouting all over the place now with the many AJAX frameworks out
there, I believe the time is ripe for at least a first try.

Over the last few months, I have become acquainted with Plone 2 as well as a
variety of Python utilities (including matplotlib!).  I've recently been playing
with Mochikit (TurboGear's AJAX provider) within a Plone 2 environment.  With
the Zope/Plone community moving towards a Zope 3 base that as far as I can tell
is closer to the rest of the Python world than Zope 2 is, I feel confident that
Zope will be a great system to incorporate a data visualization system into. 

Does anyone have links/pointers to issues related to such an integration scheme
in general ?  Is a broader integration of SciPy with a CMS like Zope unrealistic
?  I'm approaching the problem from a layman's perspective that has a bit of
computer literacy.  Maybe I could illustrate what I'm trying to achieve by an
example.

I have some sensors that measure a bunch of parameters (water quality, air
pollution ...).  There is a bunch of locations where those sensors are either
deployed in situ or are used sporadically (e.g. a handheld instrument).  I want
to store sensor descriptions in a CMS together with a host of related info
(calibration data, maintenance history) and be able to purpose a sensor's
representation in some standard form (e.g. SensorML).  I want to store
measurement stations also as CMS objects (lat/lon, picture of the station,
instruments used ...).  I'm currently storing Measurements as CMS objects as
well (contained in MeasurementStation objects), but that is temporary :
individual measurements will be stored in a standard relational DB.

Users can view measurements as tables and as graphics.  What I'd like to do
eventually is to provide a full GUI for users to control their plot layout and
that's where the integration of a full-fledged data visualization system comes
into play.  An easy solution would be to provide an invisible data download to
some temp directory so that users could use TkAgg on their desktops, but I'd
really like to avoid this "applet-style" solution and try and find an AJAX
solution : query the server for bits of data as needed.

Is anyone interested by this topic ?  Sorry for potentially polluting this list,
but I couldn't find a better place ...

Yves Moisan

I just downloaded the latest cvs snapshot and did a sudo python
setup.py install.  This process finished cleanly, but if I use the
WXAgg backend, pylab.show() causes a seg fault.  How do I get more
information to fix this problem?  The TkAgg backend seems to work
fine.  I am running ubuntu Breezy Linux.

Ryan

James Boyle wrote:

> I installed basemap 0.7 and 0.7.2 both gave the same error across  
> projections that worked in basemap 0.6.
> I am running matplotlib 0.84, basemap 0.72,  OS X  10.3.9, python 
> 2.3.  Does basemap 0.7.2 require 2.4 ?
>
> --Jim


Jim:  The format of the data files has changed - install the 
basemap-data package and all will be well.

-Jeff

-- 
Jeffrey S. Whitaker         Phone  : (303)497-6313
Meteorologist               FAX    : (303)497-6449
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325 Broadway                Office : Skaggs Research Cntr 1D-124
Boulder, CO, USA 80303-3328 Web    : http://tinyurl.com/5telg

Hi,

I have a countourf() plot, overlayed by countour().
Now I want to plot additional points (here: errors in data) like scatter 
over the existing figure.
How to do? Any ideas?

Dirk Junghanns

I installed basemap 0.7 and 0.7.2 both gave the same error across  
projections that worked in basemap 0.6.
I am running matplotlib 0.84, basemap 0.72,  OS X  10.3.9, python 2.3.  
Does basemap 0.7.2 require 2.4 ?

--Jim

The error:

In [8]: m =  
Basemap(llcrnrlon=-119,llcrnrlat=22,urcrnrlon= 
-64,urcrnrlat=49,projection='lcc',lat_1=33,lat_2=45,lon_0=-95)
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
---
exceptions.IndexError                                Traceback (most  
recent call last)

/Volumes/IBM1/python/matplotlibWork/<console>

/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/lib/python2.3/ 
site-packages/matplotlib/toolkits/basemap/basemap.py in __init__(self,  
llcrnrlon, llcrnrlat, urcrnrlon, urcrnrlat, projection, resolution,  
area_thresh, rsphere, lat_ts, lat_1, lat_2, lat_0, lon_0, lon_1, lon_2,  
suppress_ticks, ax)
     389             linesplit = line.split()
     390             if line.startswith('>'):
--> 391                 west,east,south,north =  
float(linesplit[7]),float(linesplit[8]),float(linesplit[9]),float(linesp 
lit[10])
     392                 useit = self.latmax>=south and  
self.latmin<=north
     393                 if useit: cntrysegind.append(len(cntrylons))

IndexError: list index out of range 
  

Dear All,

I have hacked a bit at texmanager.py and backend_ps.py in order to
generate "superior" text output using LaTeX.

It involves "including" a user specific "low level font command" input
file useing some "new" rcParams and the savefig command with the PS
backend in you main "pylab" script:

...
rcParams['font.latex.inputfile']=3D'True'
rcParams['font.latex.inputfile.filename']=3D'mypresentation.llfc'

savefig('myeps.eps')
...


The "low level font command" input file has the following included:

\fontencoding{T1}		% T1 - Latin 1, etc.
\fontfamily{phv}		% cmr - Computer Modern Roman, ptm -
Times-Roman, phv - Helvetica, etc.
\fontseries{m}		% m - Medium, b - Bold, bc - Bold Condensed, bx
- Bold Expanded
\fontshape{n}		% n - Upright (Normal), it - Italic, sl -
Slanted,
				% sc - Small Caps, ui - Upright Italics,
ol - Outline
\selectfont			% Above font changes will now become
effective

or for those who know all the abreviations by hart:
=20
\usefont{T1}{phv}{m}{n}

Attached are examples of three "low level font command" files for
different "application", e.g. a Thesis, a Presentation or an Article...

In texmanager.py the "TexManager.get_tex_command" needs to be changed
to:

...
    def get_tex_command(self, tex, fname):
        fh =3D file(fname, 'w')
        if rcParams['text.tex.engine'] =3D=3D 'latex':
            print >>fh, r"""\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{%s}
\setlength{\paperwidth}{72in}
\setlength{\paperheight}{72in}
\pagestyle{empty}
\begin{document}""" % (rcParams['font.latex.package'])
            if rcParams['font.latex.inputfile']:
                inputfile =3D rcParams['font.latex.inputfile.filename']
                if os.path.exists(inputfile):
                    print >>fh, r"\input{%s}" % inputfile
            print >>fh, r"""%s
\end{document}""" % tex
           =20
            fh.close()
           =20
            command =3D 'latex -interaction=3Dnonstopmode "%s"'%fname
        else:
            s =3D r"""\def\frac#1#2{ {#1 \over #2} }
\nopagenumbers
\hsize=3D72in
\vsize=3D72in
%s
\bye
""" % tex
            fh.write(s)
            fh.close()
            command =3D 'tex "%s"'%fname
        return command
...

(or see attached)


And in backend_ps.py, from line 1059:

...
        if rcParams['text.usetex']:
            if rcParams['text.tex.engine'] =3D=3D 'latex':=20
                fontpackage =3D rcParams['font.latex.package']
            else:=20
                fontpackage =3D 'type1cm'
            pw, ph =3D defaultPaperSize
            if width>pw-2 or height>ph-2: pw,ph =3D
_get_papersize(width,height)
            print >>latexh, r"""\documentclass{scrartcl}
\usepackage{%s}
\usepackage{psfrag}
\usepackage[dvips]{graphicx}
\usepackage{color}
\pagestyle{empty}
\setlength{\paperheight}{%fin}
\setlength{\paperwidth}{%fin}
\setlength{\textwidth}{%fin}
\setlength{\textheight}{%fin}
\special{papersize=3D%fin,%fin}
\begin{document}
\begin{figure}[th!]""" % (fontpackage, pw, ph, pw-2, ph-2, pw, ph)
            if rcParams['font.latex.inputfile']:
                usefontfile =3D =
rcParams['font.latex.inputfile.filename']
                if os.path.exists(usefontfile):
                    print >>latexh, r"\input{%s}" % usefontfile
            print >>latexh, r"""%s
\begin{center}
\includegraphics{%s}
\end{center}
\end{figure}
\end{document}
"""% ('\n'.join(renderer.psfrag), epsfile)

            latexh.close()
...

(or see attached)

Hope someone (else) finds it usefull.



Vriendelik die uwe,

   Peter-Jan Randewijk
   Senior Lektor - Drywingselektronika & Elektriese Aandrywing =20
=20
-oOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo-=20
    Departement E&E. Ingenieurswese
    Universiteit Stellenbosch=20
    Privaatsak X1=20
    Matieland, 7603
    Suid-Afrika
    Tel:  +27 (0) 21 808 4457 (w)=20
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    Tel:  +27 (0) 21 883 8592 (h)=20
    Sel:  +27 (0) 83 556 5809 (h)
-oOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo-=20

For other newbies like myself,

Although flushing the ~/.matplotlibrc/tex.cache is an importend thing to
remember, which I did, but forgot to mention (see PS at the bottom), the
reason why:

...
font packagesfont.latex.package  :    helvet
...

Did not give my the desired results (for inclusion into a Beamer LaTeX
Document Class presentation, was that:

 "... By default, LaTeX selects a Roman typeface as the document
font...", The LaTeX Companion, Second Edition, p 373

The following line needs to be "placed" in the preamble of the "LaTeX
document" created by texmanager.py and backend_ps.py:

\renewcommand\familydefault{\sfdefault}

Regards,

Peter-Jan Randewijk

PS: A rcParam['tex.cache.flush']=3D'True' option would be an usefull
adition to mpl


-----Original Message-----
From: Samuel M. Smith [mailto:sm...@sa...]=20
Sent: 24 October 2005 18:34
To: Randewijk P-J <pjr...@su...>
Cc: Samuel M. Smith; mat...@li...
Subject: Re: [Matplotlib-users] font.latex.package in matplotlibrc has
no effect using MiKTeX


If you use the exact same text then it will not change the font =20
because matplotlib caches the tex redering of text by the name of the =20
text. You have to delete
the matplotlib tex cache in ~/.matplotlibrc/tex.cache. That will =20
force it to regenerate the text using the new font.

For example if your plot has a label "Meters" then matplotlib will =20
use the cached rendering of "Meters". It isn't smart enough to notice =20
that the cached version uses a different font and therefore must be =20
re-rendered.



On 24 Oct, 2005, at 10:05, Randewijk P-J, Mnr <pjr...@su...> =20
wrote:

> Dear All MiKTeX/win32 users,
>
> With the following lines in my matplotlibrc file:
>
> ...
> text.usetex         :     True
> text.tex.engine     :    latex
> ...
>
> I can generating beautiful LaTeX output for my text labels, I now have

> difficulty changing the font from the default, "Computer Times
> Roman" to
> anything else..
>
> The following line in my matplotlibrc file:
>
> ...
> font packagesfont.latex.package  :    helvet
> ...
>
> Have no effect...
>
> Changing "helvet" to:
>
> times, txfonts, pxfont, arial, etc. have also no effect although these

> packages are installed...
>
> Even hardcoding, "\usepackage{helvet}" into backend_ps.py, has no
> effect:
>
> ...
>         if rcParams['text.usetex']:
>             if rcParams['text.tex.engine'] =3D=3D 'latex':
>                 fontpackage =3D rcParams['font.latex.package']
>             else:
>                 fontpackage =3D 'type1cm'
>             pw, ph =3D defaultPaperSize
>             if width>pw-2 or height>ph-2: pw,ph =3D
> _get_papersize(width,height)
>             print >>latexh, r"""\documentclass{scrartcl}=20
> \usepackage{%s} \usepackage{helvet}
> \usepackage{psfrag}
> ...
>
> Any ideas...?
>
> Vriendelik die uwe,
>
>    Peter-Jan Randewijk
>    Senior Lektor - Drywingselektronika & Elektriese Aandrywing
>
> -oOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo-
>     Departement E&E. Ingenieurswese
>     Universiteit Stellenbosch
>     Privaatsak X1
>     Matieland, 7603
>     Suid-Afrika
>     Tel:  +27 (0) 21 808 4457 (w)
>     Faks: +27 (0) 21 808 3951 (w)
>     Tel:  +27 (0) 21 883 8592 (h)
>     Sel:  +27 (0) 83 556 5809 (h)
> -oOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo-
>
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------
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>

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>>>>> "Eric" == Eric Firing <ef...@ha...> writes:

    Eric> I don't understand this.  Why can't the mpl license simply
    Eric> say that it applies to all components that do not cite other
    Eric> licenses, and then leave the reference to the original
    Eric> license in any code such as GTS which has another license?
    Eric> This is not a plea for or against GTS or any other
    Eric> particular package, but rather an expression of puzzlement
    Eric> and frustration that we seem to be finding free software
    Eric> licenses limiting instead of liberating.

In my understanding, code which imports GPL'd code is obligated to
abide by the GPL restrictions itself if you want to distribute it,
specifically the copyleft part that says derived works must be open
source and distributed under the GPL.  So if mpl imports a GPL module,
mpl, then any code which is for distribution that imports matplotlib
is required to be distributed under the terms of the GPL.  This is
clearly unacceptable to someone who wants to distribute products that
use mpl under a proprietary license.  The LGPL was introduced to solve
this problem, and it basically says that you can import it and use it
but if you change the LGPL library the library changes must be
distributed under the LGPL.  I don't find it particularly
objectionable to use code which has an LGPL license, but given an
alternative, would rather have a BSD type license which is
"unencumbered".

Basically, the GPL is not particularly liberating, since it makes
strong statements about what you can do with code that uses GPL code.

JDH

>>>>> "Miles" == Miles Lubin <mi...@lu...> writes:

    Miles> Hi, I'm trying to make a histogram. matplotlib makes it
    Miles> perfectly, except for the numbering on the y axis, which it
    Miles> changes by a factor of e4, example:
    Miles> http://junker.org/~mlubin/hist.jpg. How can I make it use
    Miles> standard notation instead of scientific notation?

You can change the tick formatter by setting the yaxis "major tick
formatter".  See the help for the matplotlib ticker module in the
online class docs, the chapter of the User's Guide on tick locators
and formatters, and the examples major_minor_demo*.py.  In particular,
you will probably want a FormatStrFormatter

  http://matplotlib.sf.net/matplotlib.ticker.html#FormatStrFormatter

JDH