Rename ncol parameter to ncols

Author: oscargus

doc/users/next_whats_new/rename_ncol_keyword_in_legend.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+``ncol`` keyword argument to ``legend`` renamed to ``ncols``
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+The ``ncol`` keyword argument to `~.Axes.legend` for controlling the number of
+columns is renamed to ``ncols`` for consistency with the ``ncols`` and
+``nrows`` keywords of `~.Figure.subplots` and `~.GridSpec`.
+``ncol`` is still supported though.

lib/matplotlib/backends/qt_editor/figureoptions.py

@@ -230,12 +230,12 @@ def apply_callback(data):
         # re-generate legend, if checkbox is checked
         if generate_legend:
             draggable = None
-            ncol = 1
+            ncols = 1
             if axes.legend_ is not None:
                 old_legend = axes.get_legend()
                 draggable = old_legend._draggable is not None
-                ncol = old_legend._ncol
-            new_legend = axes.legend(ncol=ncol)
+                ncols = old_legend._ncols
+            new_legend = axes.legend(ncols=ncols)
             if new_legend:
                 new_legend.set_draggable(draggable)
 

lib/matplotlib/legend.py

@@ -162,9 +162,12 @@ def _update_bbox_to_anchor(self, loc_in_canvas):
 
         loc='upper right', bbox_to_anchor=(0.5, 0.5)
 
-ncol : int, default: 1
+ncols : int, default: 1
     The number of columns that the legend has.
 
+    For backward compatibility, the spelling *ncol* is also supported
+    but it is discouraged. If both are given, *ncols* takes precedence.
+
 prop : None or `matplotlib.font_manager.FontProperties` or dict
     The font properties of the legend. If None (default), the current
     :data:`matplotlib.rcParams` will be used.
@@ -317,7 +320,7 @@ def __init__(
         borderaxespad=None,  # pad between the axes and legend border
         columnspacing=None,  # spacing between columns
 
-        ncol=1,     # number of columns
+        ncols=1,     # number of columns
         mode=None,  # horizontal distribution of columns: None or "expand"
 
         fancybox=None,  # True: fancy box, False: rounded box, None: rcParam
@@ -333,6 +336,8 @@ def __init__(
         frameon=None,         # draw frame
         handler_map=None,
         title_fontproperties=None,  # properties for the legend title
+        *,
+        ncol=1  # synonym for ncols (backward compatibility)
     ):
         """
         Parameters
@@ -418,8 +423,8 @@ def val_or_rc(val, rc_name):
 
         handles = list(handles)
         if len(handles) < 2:
-            ncol = 1
-        self._ncol = ncol
+            ncols = 1
+        self._ncols = ncols if ncols != 1 else ncol
 
         if self.numpoints <= 0:
             raise ValueError("numpoints must be > 0; it was %d" % numpoints)
@@ -581,6 +586,10 @@ def _set_loc(self, loc):
         self.stale = True
         self._legend_box.set_offset(self._findoffset)
 
+    def set_ncols(self, ncols):
+        """Set the number of columns."""
+        self._ncols = ncols
+
     def _get_loc(self):
         return self._loc_real
 
@@ -767,12 +776,12 @@ def _init_legend_box(self, handles, labels, markerfirst=True):
                 handles_and_labels.append((handlebox, textbox))
 
         columnbox = []
-        # array_split splits n handles_and_labels into ncol columns, with the
-        # first n%ncol columns having an extra entry.  filter(len, ...) handles
-        # the case where n < ncol: the last ncol-n columns are empty and get
-        # filtered out.
-        for handles_and_labels_column \
-                in filter(len, np.array_split(handles_and_labels, self._ncol)):
+        # array_split splits n handles_and_labels into ncols columns, with the
+        # first n%ncols columns having an extra entry.  filter(len, ...)
+        # handles the case where n < ncols: the last ncols-n columns are empty
+        # and get filtered out.
+        for handles_and_labels_column in filter(
+                len, np.array_split(handles_and_labels, self._ncols)):
             # pack handlebox and labelbox into itembox
             itemboxes = [HPacker(pad=0,
                                  sep=self.handletextpad * fontsize,

lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py

@@ -4013,7 +4013,7 @@ def test_hist_stacked_bar():
     fig, ax = plt.subplots()
     ax.hist(d, bins=10, histtype='barstacked', align='mid', color=colors,
             label=labels)
-    ax.legend(loc='upper right', bbox_to_anchor=(1.0, 1.0), ncol=1)
+    ax.legend(loc='upper right', bbox_to_anchor=(1.0, 1.0), ncols=1)
 
 
 def test_hist_barstacked_bottom_unchanged():

lib/matplotlib/tests/test_legend.py

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 import numpy as np
 import pytest
 
-from matplotlib.testing.decorators import image_comparison
+from matplotlib.testing.decorators import check_figures_equal, image_comparison
 from matplotlib.testing._markers import needs_usetex
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 import matplotlib as mpl
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ def test_fancy():
     plt.errorbar(np.arange(10), np.arange(10), xerr=0.5,
                  yerr=0.5, label='XX')
     plt.legend(loc="center left", bbox_to_anchor=[1.0, 0.5],
-               ncol=2, shadow=True, title="My legend", numpoints=1)
+               ncols=2, shadow=True, title="My legend", numpoints=1)
 
 
 @image_comparison(['framealpha'], remove_text=True,
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ def test_legend_expand():
         ax.plot(x, x - 50, 'o', label='y=-1')
         l2 = ax.legend(loc='right', mode=mode)
         ax.add_artist(l2)
-        ax.legend(loc='lower left', mode=mode, ncol=2)
+        ax.legend(loc='lower left', mode=mode, ncols=2)
 
 
 @image_comparison(['hatching'], remove_text=True, style='default')
@@ -926,3 +926,12 @@ def test_legend_markers_from_line2d():
 
     assert markers == new_markers == _markers
     assert labels == new_labels
+
+
+@check_figures_equal()
+def test_ncol_ncols(fig_test, fig_ref):
+    # Test that both ncol and ncols work
+    strings = ["a", "b", "c", "d", "e", "f"]
+    ncols = 3
+    fig_test.legend(strings, ncol=ncols)
+    fig_ref.legend(strings, ncols=ncols)

lib/matplotlib/tests/test_offsetbox.py

@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ def test_expand_with_tight_layout():
     d2 = [2, 1]
     ax.plot(d1, label='series 1')
     ax.plot(d2, label='series 2')
-    ax.legend(ncol=2, mode='expand')
+    ax.legend(ncols=2, mode='expand')
 
     fig.tight_layout()  # where the crash used to happen