[python] How to show two figures using matplotlib?

I have some troubles while drawing two figures at the same time, not shown in a single plot. But according to the documentation, I wrote the code and only the figure one shows. I think maybe I lost something important. Could anyone help me to figure out? Thanks. (The *tlist_first* used in the code is a list of data.)

plt.figure(1)
plt.hist(tlist_first, bins=2000000, normed = True, histtype ="step", cumulative = True, color = 'g',label = 'first answer')
plt.ylabel('Percentage of answered questions')
plt.xlabel('Minutes elapsed after questions are posted')

plt.axvline(x = 30, ymin = 0, ymax = 1, color = 'r', linestyle = '--', label = '30 min')
plt.axvline(x = 60, ymin = 0, ymax = 1, color = 'c', linestyle = '--', label = '1 hour')
plt.legend()
plt.xlim(0,120)
plt.ylim(0,1) 
plt.show()
plt.close() ### not working either with this line or without it

plt.figure(2)
plt.hist(tlist_first, bins=2000000, normed = True, histtype ="step", cumulative = True, color = 'g',label = 'first answer')

plt.ylabel('Percentage of answered questions')
plt.xlabel('Minutes elapsed after questions are posted')

plt.axvline(x = 240, ymin = 0, ymax = 1, color = 'r', linestyle = '--', label = '30 min')
plt.axvline(x = 1440, ymin = 0, ymax = 1, color = 'c', linestyle = '--', label = '1 hour')
plt.legend(loc= 4)
plt.xlim(0,2640)
plt.ylim(0,1)
plt.show()

This question is related to python matplotlib

The answer is


Alternatively to calling plt.show() at the end of the script, you can also control each figure separately doing:

f = plt.figure(1)
plt.hist........
............
f.show()

g = plt.figure(2)
plt.hist(........
................
g.show()

raw_input()

In this case you must call raw_input to keep the figures alive. This way you can select dynamically which figures you want to show

Note: raw_input() was renamed to input() in Python 3


I had this same problem.


Did:

f1 = plt.figure(1)

# code for figure 1

# don't write 'plt.show()' here


f2 = plt.figure(2)

# code for figure 2

plt.show()


Write 'plt.show()' only once, after the last figure. Worked for me.


Alternatively, I would suggest turning interactive on in the beginning and at the very last plot, turn it off. All will show up, but they will not disappear as your program will stay around until you close the figures.

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from matplotlib import interactive

plt.figure(1)
... code to make figure (1)

interactive(True)
plt.show()

plt.figure(2)
... code to make figure (2)

plt.show()

plt.figure(3)
... code to make figure (3)

interactive(False)
plt.show()

You should call plt.show() only at the end after creating all the plots.