> What makes Matplotlib so professional? > > Assuming that "professional" packages necessarily do the right thing is > an unsafe assumption. Many packages have *lousy* interfaces.
Not that it's a complete explanation for matplotlib's interfaces, but it did start out as a Python-based replacement for MATLAB. I seem to recall that John Hunter started the project because the lab he worked in as a postdoc only had a single MATLAB license, so it wasn't always available when he needed it. Skip -- https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
