Remove strong dependency on matplotlib #872
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Nice! How about using the full try:
import pylab
except ImportError:
pass
else:
<plot stuff>This isolated the exception a bit better ;) |
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@tammoippen Thanks for this nice fix! But I am seriously wondering about why we have this plot in the test at all!? The code does, as far as I can see, nothing except check that plotting works. So I would remove it completely. I suppose the plot is here because we converted an example into a test at some point.
| import pylab | ||
| from nest import raster_plot | ||
| except ImportError: | ||
| pass |
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I would replace this with return and then have the else part as plain code.
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This would be even nicer.
Edit: On second thought: I am not so sure. This is exactly what the else-branch in a try-catch is supposed to do - perform the code that is only executable, when the try is successful. Putting a return there can easily be overlooked...
| pylab.legend(('nest', sei.__class__.__name__)) | ||
| pylab.savefig('sp' + sei.__class__.__name__ + '.png') | ||
| raster_plot.from_device(self.spike_detector) | ||
| pylab.savefig('sp_raster_plot.png') |
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Why should we plot in a test at all?
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Look at this line. Apparently, the author of the test wanted to debug the tests...
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@tammoippen I suppose this is a matter of philosophy, but it makes some sense. To make the code more legible, I would suggest
- to move the definition of the
plot()method to right before - rename it
_plot()to mark it as internal - add a docstring like
"Can be called by tearDown() to cross-check tests..
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- to move the definition of the plot() method to right before
Which version are you referring to? The complete _plot code in the try: block?
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@heplesser Please can you clearify that for me:
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PyNEST only uses pylab (matplotlib.pylab) in `raster_plot` and `voltage_trace`. In tests, this matplotlib is mostly optional. This makes matplotlib completely optional for test.
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I applied the changed I suggest @heplesser asked me to do. This PR is hindering nest to be accepted in homebrew core since Dec 13, 2017. I get no replies since Jan 15. Can somebody please have a look? |
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@tammoippen We discussed this during our ongoing hackathon and concluded that test should not contain any plotting, and that "try import except pass" can be dangerous in tests. Could you explicitly remove all plotting-related code?
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@heplesser Done as requested. |
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Thanks! 🎉 🍰 |
PyNEST only uses pylab (matplotlib.pylab) in
raster_plotandvoltage_trace. Intests, this matplotlib is mostly optional - except for
test_sp/test_growth_curves.py.This PR makes matplotlib completely optional for test.
Making matplotlib optional will greatly simplify maintaining the nest
homebrewformula inhomebrew-core, ashomebrew-sciencewill be deprecated.