Automate matplotlib for Bar Charts

Creating a Real-Time Bar Chart with Python and Matplotlib

If you're a beginner in Python and are keen to explore data visualization, this post will guide you through creating a real-time bar chart using Python's Matplotlib library.

Prerequisites

• Python installed
• Matplotlib library installed

Code Overview

This code accomplishes the following:

1. Imports the necessary libraries
2. Initializes an array for bar heights
3. Sets up the plotting window
4. Iterates 50 times, updating the bar heights and re-plotting

Step-by-Step Code Walkthrough

Step 1: Import Matplotlib and Random Libraries

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import random

Step 2: Initialize Array

values = [0]*50

Step 3: Set Up the Plot

plt.xlim(0, 50)
plt.ylim(0, 100)

Step 4: Main Loop for Real-Time Plotting

for i in range(50):
    values[i] = random.randint(0, 50)
    plt.bar(list(range(50)), values)
    plt.pause(0.001)

plt.show()

Understanding the Code

The code initializes a list called values with 50 zeroes. The loop runs 50 times, each time replacing one of the zeroes with a random value between 0 and 50. The bar chart updates to reflect the new heights, occurring 50 times in total.

Conclusion

This example provides an introductory guide to real-time data visualization using Python and Matplotlib. In a few lines of code, we were able to create a dynamic bar chart that updates its bars in real-time.

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