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Base Plot Module

The monet_plots.base module provides the foundational classes and functionality for all plot types in MONET Plots.

BasePlot Class

BasePlot is the abstract base class that all plot types inherit from. It provides common functionality for plot creation, customization, and management.

Class Signature

class BasePlot:
    """Abstract base class for all plot types in MONET Plots."""


    def __init__(self, figsize=(8, 6), dpi=100, **kwargs):
        """Initialize a BasePlot instance.


        Args:
            figsize (tuple): Figure size (width, height) in inches
            dpi (int): Dots per inch for the figure
            **kwargs: Additional keyword arguments
        """
        pass

Constructor Parameters

Parameter Type Default Description
figsize tuple (8, 6) Figure size in inches (width, height)
dpi int 100 Resolution of the figure in dots per inch
**kwargs dict {} Additional matplotlib figure parameters

Public Methods

plot(data, **kwargs)

Main plotting method that must be implemented by subclasses.

def plot(self, data, **kwargs):
    """Main plotting method.


    Args:
        data: Input data to plot
        **kwargs: Additional plotting parameters


    Returns:
        None
    """
    raise NotImplementedError("Subclasses must implement plot method")

save(filename, dpi=None, **kwargs)

Save the current plot to a file.

def save(self, filename, dpi=None, **kwargs):
    """Save the plot to a file.


    Args:
        filename (str): Output filename
        dpi (int, optional): DPI for saved image. Defaults to Figure DPI
        **kwargs: Additional savefig parameters


    Returns:
        None
    """
    pass

Example: 

plot = SpatialPlot()
plot.plot(data)
plot.save('output.png', dpi=300)  # High resolution output

close()

Close the plot and free memory.

def close(self):
    """Close the plot and free resources.


    Returns:
        None
    """
    pass

Example: 

plot = SpatialPlot()
plot.plot(data)
plot.save('output.png')
plot.close()  # Free memory

title(text, fontsize=14, **kwargs)

Set the plot title.

def title(self, text, fontsize=14, **kwargs):
    """Set the plot title.


    Args:
        text (str): Title text
        fontsize (int, optional): Font size. Defaults to 14
        **kwargs: Additional title parameters


    Returns:
        Self for method chaining
    """
    pass

Example: 

plot = SpatialPlot()
plot.plot(data)
plot.title("My Plot Title", fontsize=16, pad=20)

xlabel(text, fontsize=12, **kwargs)

Set the x-axis label.

def xlabel(self, text, fontsize=12, **kwargs):
    """Set the x-axis label.


    Args:
        text (str): X-axis label text
        fontsize (int, optional): Font size. Defaults to 12
        **kwargs: Additional label parameters


    Returns:
        Self for method chaining
    """
    pass

Example: 

plot = TimeSeriesPlot()
plot.plot(df, x='time', y='value')
plot.xlabel("Date", fontsize=12)

ylabel(text, fontsize=12, **kwargs)

Set the y-axis label.

def ylabel(self, text, fontsize=12, **kwargs):
    """Set the y-axis label.


    Args:
        text (str): Y-axis label text
        fontsize (int, optional): Font size. Defaults to 12
        **kwargs: Additional label parameters


    Returns:
        Self for method chaining
    """
    pass

Example: 

plot = TimeSeriesPlot()
plot.plot(df, x='time', y='value')
plot.ylabel("Temperature (°C)")

legend(*args, **kwargs)

Add a legend to the plot.

def legend(self, *args, **kwargs):
    """Add a legend to the plot.


    Args:
        *args: Legend labels
        **kwargs: Additional legend parameters


    Returns:
        Self for method chaining
    """
    pass

Example: 

plot = ScatterPlot()
plot.plot(data1, label='Model 1')
plot.plot(data2, label='Model 2')
plot.legend(loc='upper right', fontsize=10)

grid(show=True, **kwargs)

Toggle plot grid.

def grid(self, show=True, **kwargs):
    """Toggle plot grid.


    Args:
        show (bool): Whether to show grid. Defaults to True
        **kwargs: Additional grid parameters


    Returns:
        Self for method chaining
    """
    pass

Example: 

plot = ScatterPlot()
plot.plot(data)
plot.grid(show=True, linestyle='--', alpha=0.5)

Properties

figure

Access the underlying matplotlib Figure object.

@property
def figure(self):
    """Get the matplotlib Figure object."""
    return self._figure

axes

Access the matplotlib Axes object(s).

@property
def axes(self):
    """Get the matplotlib Axes object(s)."""
    return self._axes

Method Chaining

All setter methods return self, allowing method chaining:

plot = SpatialPlot()
plot.plot(data)\
   .title("My Plot")\
   .xlabel("X-axis")\
   .ylabel("Y-axis")\
   .legend()\
   .save("output.png")

Subclass Implementation

When creating custom plot classes, inherit from BasePlot and implement the plot() method:

from monet_plots.base import BasePlot
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

class CustomPlot(BasePlot):
    def plot(self, data, **kwargs):
        """Implement custom plotting logic."""
        # Your plotting code here
        plt.plot(data, **kwargs)
        return self

Error Handling

The base class includes automatic error handling for common issues:

  • Invalid filenames: Raises ValueError for invalid file paths
  • Missing dependencies: Provides helpful error messages
  • Memory management: Automatic resource cleanup when possible

Debug Mode

Enable debug output for troubleshooting:

plot = SpatialPlot(debug=True)
plot.plot(data)

Performance Considerations

  • Always call close() when done with plots to free memory
  • Reuse plot objects when possible instead of creating new ones
  • Use appropriate DPI values for your output needs

Related Resources: