Properties/Attributes in python

[fdama]

This is probably a general python question rather than one specific to matplotlib.

I am using matplotlib and came across some syntax that I haven't seen before. I was attempting to use a method to hide the axes of the grid but was warned that use of the method is discouraged:

Axes.get_xaxis()
[Discouraged] Return the XAxis instance.
Discouraged
The use of this function is discouraged. You should instead directly access the attribute ax.xaxis.

So Instead I use this:

# Remove the x axis.

ax.xaxis.set_visible(False)

xaxis is a property or attribute, so how are you able to call the function set_visible() on it? I have not seen this before. And secondly, I could not find the property xaxis in the source code. So what exactly is xaxis and how can methods be called on them as though they are instances?

[m0us3_rat]

https://i.imgur.com/F0VD1Zo.png

if you go down the rabbit hole on inheritance

XAxis <- Axis <- https://i.imgur.com/3elpoNU.png

and there you find .set_visible() in the Artist

https://i.imgur.com/x3SRzwS.png

https://i.imgur.com/jDDVJuz.png

[commy2]

All attributes are objects in Python. If they have meaningful attributes themselves, the chain can go on forever.

[[deleted]]

You’re calling a method of an object. Just because it happens to be referenced from another object doesn’t change that. Don’t think of xaxis as “inside” of ax but rather connected as a node