#7 Custom barplot layout

Here are 3 examples of customisation you could probably need for your barplots.

• Labels
• Axis names
• Bottom margin

• Labels

  
  # libraries
  import numpy as np
  import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
  
  # Choose the height of the bars
  height = [3, 12, 5, 18, 45]
  
  # Choose the names of the bars
  bars = ('group1', 'group2', 'group3', 'group4', 'group5')
  y_pos = np.arange(len(bars))
  
  # Create bars
  plt.bar(y_pos, height)
  
  # Create names on the x-axis
  plt.xticks(y_pos, bars, color='orange')
  plt.yticks(color='orange')
  
  # Show graphic
  plt.show()
  
  

• This example shows how to custom the group labels, through the xlabel function.

  
  # libraries
  import numpy as np
  import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
  
  # Create data
  height = [3, 12, 5, 18, 45]
  bars = ('A','B','C','D','E')
  
  # Create bars
  plt.bar(y_pos, height)
  
  # Create names on the x-axis
  plt.xticks(y_pos, bars)
  plt.xlabel('category', fontweight='bold', color = 'orange', fontsize='18')
  
  # Show graphic
  plt.show()
  
  

• A common problem in barplot is to find a way to display the group labels properly. If you them to be readable, you probably need to rotate them and increase the margin size:

  
  # libraries
  import numpy as np
  import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
  
  # Create data
  height = [3, 12, 5, 18, 45]
  bars = ("very long group name 1","very long group name 2","very long group name 3","very long group name 4","very long group name 5")
  
  # Create bars
  plt.bar(y_pos, height)
  
  # Rotation of the bars names
  plt.xticks(y_pos, bars, rotation=90)
  
  # Custom the subplot layout
  plt.subplots_adjust(bottom=0.4, top=0.99)
  
  # Show graphic
  plt.show()