Add hist.histtype rcParam.

anntzer · anntzer · commit 080d9d304512 · 2018-10-11T19:51:29.000+02:00
histtype='stepfilled' is significantly faster than the current default
('bar') for large numbers of bins, but changing the default would cause
backcompat problems.

The 'hist.histtype' rcParam is introduced with the explicit intent of
preparing this transition (later making 'stepfilled' (or perhaps 'step')
the default and then deprecating the rcParam, to avoid neverending
growth of the rcParam list).
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
@@ -6259,7 +6259,7 @@ def table(self, **kwargs):
 
     @_preprocess_data(replace_names=["x", 'weights'], label_namer="x")
     def hist(self, x, bins=None, range=None, density=None, weights=None,
-             cumulative=False, bottom=None, histtype='bar', align='mid',
+             cumulative=False, bottom=None, histtype=None, align='mid',
              orientation='vertical', rwidth=None, log=False,
              color=None, label=None, stacked=False, normed=None,
              **kwargs):
@@ -6375,7 +6375,10 @@ def hist(self, x, bins=None, range=None, density=None, weights=None,
             - 'step' generates a lineplot that is by default unfilled.
             - 'stepfilled' generates a lineplot that is by default filled.
 
-            Default is 'bar'.
+            For large numbers of bins, 'step' and 'stepfilled' can be
+            significantly faster than 'bar' and 'barstacked'.
+
+            Default is taken from :rc:`hist.histtype`.
 
         align : {'left', 'mid', 'right'}, optional
             Controls how the histogram is plotted.
@@ -6471,6 +6474,8 @@ def hist(self, x, bins=None, range=None, density=None, weights=None,
 
         if bins is None:
             bins = rcParams['hist.bins']
+        if histtype is None:
+            histtype = rcParams['hist.histtype']
 
         # Validate string inputs here so we don't have to clutter
         # subsequent code.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py b/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
@@ -2625,7 +2625,7 @@ def hexbin(
 @docstring.copy_dedent(Axes.hist)
 def hist(
         x, bins=None, range=None, density=None, weights=None,
-        cumulative=False, bottom=None, histtype='bar', align='mid',
+        cumulative=False, bottom=None, histtype=None, align='mid',
         orientation='vertical', rwidth=None, log=False, color=None,
         label=None, stacked=False, normed=None, *, data=None,
         **kwargs):
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py b/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py
@@ -1034,6 +1034,10 @@ def _validate_linestyle(ls):
 
     ## Histogram properties
     'hist.bins': [10, validate_hist_bins],
+    'hist.histtype': [
+        'bar',
+        ValidateInStrings(
+            'histtype', ['bar', 'barstacked', 'step', 'stepfilled'])],
 
     ## Boxplot properties
     'boxplot.notch': [False, validate_bool],
diff --git a/matplotlibrc.template b/matplotlibrc.template
@@ -481,6 +481,7 @@
 #hist.bins : 10                   ## The default number of histogram bins.
                                   ## If Numpy 1.11 or later is
                                   ## installed, may also be `auto`
+#hist.histtype : bar              ## The default histtype.
 
 #### SCATTER PLOTS
 #scatter.marker : o               ## The default marker type for scatter plots.
