Scatter plots in Pandas/Pyplot: How to plot by category

Question

I am trying to make a simple scatter plot in pyplot using a Pandas DataFrame object, but want an efficient way of plotting two variables but have the symbols dictated by a t

Answer 1

From matplotlib 3.1 onwards you can use .legend_elements(). An example is shown in Automated legend creation. The advantage is that a single scatter call can be used.

In this case:

import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

df = pd.DataFrame(np.random.normal(10,1,30).reshape(10,3), 
                  index = pd.date_range('2010-01-01', freq = 'M', periods = 10), 
                  columns = ('one', 'two', 'three'))
df['key1'] = (4,4,4,6,6,6,8,8,8,8)


fig, ax = plt.subplots()
sc = ax.scatter(df['one'], df['two'], marker = 'o', c = df['key1'], alpha = 0.8)
ax.legend(*sc.legend_elements())
plt.show()

In case the keys were not directly given as numbers, it would look as

import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

df = pd.DataFrame(np.random.normal(10,1,30).reshape(10,3), 
                  index = pd.date_range('2010-01-01', freq = 'M', periods = 10), 
                  columns = ('one', 'two', 'three'))
df['key1'] = list("AAABBBCCCC")

labels, index = np.unique(df["key1"], return_inverse=True)

fig, ax = plt.subplots()
sc = ax.scatter(df['one'], df['two'], marker = 'o', c = index, alpha = 0.8)
ax.legend(sc.legend_elements()[0], labels)
plt.show()

Answer 2

You can use scatter for this, but that requires having numerical values for your key1, and you won't have a legend, as you noticed.

It's better to just use plot for discrete categories like this. For example:

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
np.random.seed(1974)

# Generate Data
num = 20
x, y = np.random.random((2, num))
labels = np.random.choice(['a', 'b', 'c'], num)
df = pd.DataFrame(dict(x=x, y=y, label=labels))

groups = df.groupby('label')

# Plot
fig, ax = plt.subplots()
ax.margins(0.05) # Optional, just adds 5% padding to the autoscaling
for name, group in groups:
    ax.plot(group.x, group.y, marker='o', linestyle='', ms=12, label=name)
ax.legend()

plt.show()

If you'd like things to look like the default pandas style, then just update the rcParams with the pandas stylesheet and use its color generator. (I'm also tweaking the legend slightly):

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
np.random.seed(1974)

# Generate Data
num = 20
x, y = np.random.random((2, num))
labels = np.random.choice(['a', 'b', 'c'], num)
df = pd.DataFrame(dict(x=x, y=y, label=labels))

groups = df.groupby('label')

# Plot
plt.rcParams.update(pd.tools.plotting.mpl_stylesheet)
colors = pd.tools.plotting._get_standard_colors(len(groups), color_type='random')

fig, ax = plt.subplots()
ax.set_color_cycle(colors)
ax.margins(0.05)
for name, group in groups:
    ax.plot(group.x, group.y, marker='o', linestyle='', ms=12, label=name)
ax.legend(numpoints=1, loc='upper left')

plt.show()