mergeAxes.py

def mergeAxes(axesList):
    """
    Takes the given `axesList`, and returns a new `matplotlib.axes` instance
    that contains all the lines in the given axes.
 
    @param[in] axesList
               A list of instances of `matplotlib.axes`.
    """
 
    import matplotlib
 
    if not isinstance(axesList, list):
        raise TypeError()
    for axes in axesList:
        if not isinstance(axes, matplotlib.axes.Axes):
            raise TypeError()
 
 
    retAxes = matplotlib.figure.Figure().add_subplot(1, 1, 1)
    titles = []
    xLabels = []
    yLabels = []
    retLines = []
    legendLabels = []
 
    for sourceAxes in axesList:
        for line in sourceAxes.get_lines():
            newLine, = retAxes.plot(line.get_xdata(), line.get_ydata())
            retLines.append(newLine)
 
        titles.append(sourceAxes.get_title())
        xLabels.append(sourceAxes.get_xlabel())
        yLabels.append(sourceAxes.get_ylabel())
 
        for text in sourceAxes.get_legend().get_texts():
            legendLabels.append(text.get_text())
 
    retAxes.legend(retLines, legendLabels)
 
    uniqueTitles = list(set(titles))
    uniqueXLabels = list(set(xLabels))
    uniqueYLabels = list(set(yLabels))
 
    def labelSetter(uniqueLabels, setter):
        if len(uniqueLabels) == 0:
            return
 
        if len(uniqueLabels) == 1:
            setter(uniqueLabels[0])
            return
 
        label = None
        for l in uniqueLabels:
            if label is None:
                label = l
            else:
                label += " | " + l
        setter(label)
 
    labelSetter(uniqueTitles, retAxes.set_title)
    labelSetter(uniqueXLabels, retAxes.set_xlabel)
    labelSetter(uniqueYLabels, retAxes.set_ylabel)
 
    return retAxes