contourf: use np.inf instead of 1e300 for out-of-range color levels

efiring · efiring · commit 72e1c6cfeaab · 2012-07-21T10:03:21.000-10:00
Note that trying to simplify the code further by using np.inf a
few lines above, in self._levels, does not work; I'm not sure what
it breaks, but it definitely breaks something, probably in the
colorbar code.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/contour.py b/lib/matplotlib/contour.py
@@ -1043,11 +1043,11 @@ def _process_levels(self):
             # layer values are mid-way between levels
             self.layers = 0.5 * (self._levels[:-1] + self._levels[1:])
             # ...except that extended layers must be outside the
-            # normed range, so use huge values:
+            # normed range:
             if self.extend in ('both', 'min'):
-                self.layers[0] = -1e300
+                self.layers[0] = -np.inf
             if self.extend in ('both', 'max'):
-                self.layers[-1] = 1e300
+                self.layers[-1] = np.inf
         else:
             self.layers = self.levels # contour: a line is a thin layer
                          #  Use only original levels--no extended levels
