matplotlib · oscargus · Jan 6, 2023 · Dec 29, 2022
diff --git a/doc/api/next_api_changes/deprecations/24864-AL.rst b/doc/api/next_api_changes/deprecations/24864-AL.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+``BrokenBarHCollection`` is deprecated
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+It was just a thin wrapper inheriting from `.PolyCollection`;
+`~.Axes.broken_barh` has now been changed to return a `.PolyCollection`
+instead.
+
+The ``BrokenBarHCollection.span_where`` helper is likewise deprecated; for the
+duration of the deprecation it has been moved to the parent `.PolyCollection`
+class.  Use `~.Axes.fill_between` as a replacement; see
+:doc:`/gallery/lines_bars_and_markers/span_regions` for an example.
diff --git a/examples/lines_bars_and_markers/span_regions.py b/examples/lines_bars_and_markers/span_regions.py
@@ -1,34 +1,23 @@
 """
-========================================================================
-Shade regions defined by a logical mask using fill_between or span_where
-========================================================================
-
-Shade regions where a logical mask is True with `.Axes.fill_between` or with
-`matplotlib.collections.BrokenBarHCollection.span_where`.
+==========================================================
+Shade regions defined by a logical mask using fill_between
+==========================================================
 """
 
 import numpy as np
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
-import matplotlib.collections as collections
 
 
 t = np.arange(0.0, 2, 0.01)
 s = np.sin(2*np.pi*t)
 
-fig, axs = plt.subplots(2, sharex=True, sharey=True)
-for ax in axs:
-    ax.plot(t, s, color='black')
-    ax.axhline(0, color='black')
+fig, ax = plt.subplots()
 
-axs[0].set_title('using fill_between')
-axs[0].fill_between(t, 1, where=s > 0, facecolor='green', alpha=.5)
-axs[0].fill_between(t, -1, where=s < 0, facecolor='red', alpha=.5)
+ax.plot(t, s, color='black')
+ax.axhline(0, color='black')
 
-axs[1].set_title('using span_where')
-axs[1].add_collection(collections.BrokenBarHCollection.span_where(
-    t, ymin=0, ymax=1, where=s > 0, facecolor='green', alpha=0.5))
-axs[1].add_collection(collections.BrokenBarHCollection.span_where(
-    t, ymin=-1, ymax=0, where=s < 0, facecolor='red', alpha=0.5))
+ax.fill_between(t, 1, where=s > 0, facecolor='green', alpha=.5)
+ax.fill_between(t, -1, where=s < 0, facecolor='red', alpha=.5)
 
 plt.show()
 
@@ -41,6 +30,3 @@
 #    in this example:
 #
 #    - `matplotlib.axes.Axes.fill_between`
-#    - `matplotlib.collections.BrokenBarHCollection`
-#    - `matplotlib.collections.BrokenBarHCollection.span_where`
-#    - `matplotlib.axes.Axes.add_collection`
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
@@ -2826,10 +2826,6 @@ def broken_barh(self, xranges, yrange, **kwargs):
         A rectangle is drawn for each element of *xranges*. All rectangles
         have the same vertical position and size defined by *yrange*.
 
-        This is a convenience function for instantiating a
-        `.BrokenBarHCollection`, adding it to the Axes and autoscaling the
-        view.
-
         Parameters
         ----------
         xranges : sequence of tuples (*xmin*, *xwidth*)
@@ -2841,13 +2837,13 @@ def broken_barh(self, xranges, yrange, **kwargs):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        `~.collections.BrokenBarHCollection`
+        `~.collections.PolyCollection`
 
         Other Parameters
         ----------------
         data : indexable object, optional
             DATA_PARAMETER_PLACEHOLDER
-        **kwargs : `.BrokenBarHCollection` properties
+        **kwargs : `.PolyCollection` properties
 
             Each *kwarg* can be either a single argument applying to all
             rectangles, e.g.::
@@ -2862,32 +2858,28 @@ def broken_barh(self, xranges, yrange, **kwargs):
 
             Supported keywords:
 
-            %(BrokenBarHCollection:kwdoc)s
+            %(PolyCollection:kwdoc)s
         """
         # process the unit information
-        if len(xranges):
-            xdata = cbook._safe_first_finite(xranges)
-        else:
-            xdata = None
-        if len(yrange):
-            ydata = cbook._safe_first_finite(yrange)
-        else:
-            ydata = None
+        xdata = cbook._safe_first_finite(xranges) if len(xranges) else None
+        ydata = cbook._safe_first_finite(yrange) if len(yrange) else None
         self._process_unit_info(
             [("x", xdata), ("y", ydata)], kwargs, convert=False)
-        xranges_conv = []
-        for xr in xranges:
-            if len(xr) != 2:
-                raise ValueError('each range in xrange must be a sequence '
-                                 'with two elements (i.e. an Nx2 array)')
-            # convert the absolute values, not the x and dx...
-            x_conv = np.asarray(self.convert_xunits(xr[0]))
-            x1 = self._convert_dx(xr[1], xr[0], x_conv, self.convert_xunits)
-            xranges_conv.append((x_conv, x1))
-
-        yrange_conv = self.convert_yunits(yrange)
-
-        col = mcoll.BrokenBarHCollection(xranges_conv, yrange_conv, **kwargs)
+
+        vertices = []
+        y0, dy = yrange
+        y0, y1 = self.convert_yunits((y0, y0 + dy))
+        for xr in xranges:  # convert the absolute values, not the x and dx
+            try:
+                x0, dx = xr
+            except Exception:
+                raise ValueError(
+                    "each range in xrange must be a sequence with two "
+                    "elements (i.e. xrange must be an (N, 2) array)") from None
+            x0, x1 = self.convert_xunits((x0, x0 + dx))
+            vertices.append([(x0, y0), (x0, y1), (x1, y1), (x1, y0)])
+
+        col = mcoll.PolyCollection(np.array(vertices), **kwargs)
         self.add_collection(col, autolim=True)
         self._request_autoscale_view()
 

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/collections.py b/lib/matplotlib/collections.py
@@ -1225,7 +1225,26 @@ def set_verts_and_codes(self, verts, codes):
                        for xy, cds in zip(verts, codes)]
         self.stale = True
 
+    @classmethod
+    @_api.deprecated("3.7", alternative="fill_between")
+    def span_where(cls, x, ymin, ymax, where, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Return a `.BrokenBarHCollection` that plots horizontal bars from
+        over the regions in *x* where *where* is True.  The bars range
+        on the y-axis from *ymin* to *ymax*
+
+        *kwargs* are passed on to the collection.
+        """
+        xranges = []
+        for ind0, ind1 in cbook.contiguous_regions(where):
+            xslice = x[ind0:ind1]
+            if not len(xslice):
+                continue
+            xranges.append((xslice[0], xslice[-1] - xslice[0]))
+        return BrokenBarHCollection(xranges, [ymin, ymax - ymin], **kwargs)
+
 
+@_api.deprecated("3.7")
 class BrokenBarHCollection(PolyCollection):
     """
     A collection of horizontal bars spanning *yrange* with a sequence of
@@ -1251,23 +1270,6 @@ def __init__(self, xranges, yrange, **kwargs):
                   (xmin, ymin)] for xmin, xwidth in xranges]
         super().__init__(verts, **kwargs)
 
-    @classmethod
-    def span_where(cls, x, ymin, ymax, where, **kwargs):
-        """
-        Return a `.BrokenBarHCollection` that plots horizontal bars from
-        over the regions in *x* where *where* is True.  The bars range
-        on the y-axis from *ymin* to *ymax*
-
-        *kwargs* are passed on to the collection.
-        """
-        xranges = []
-        for ind0, ind1 in cbook.contiguous_regions(where):
-            xslice = x[ind0:ind1]
-            if not len(xslice):
-                continue
-            xranges.append((xslice[0], xslice[-1] - xslice[0]))
-        return cls(xranges, [ymin, ymax - ymin], **kwargs)
-
 
 class RegularPolyCollection(_CollectionWithSizes):
     """A collection of n-sided regular polygons."""