Solid and dashed parts of line in one python plot with matplotlib

Question

I can draw a plot with two lines using the below code no problem.

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

# Data

df=pd.DataFrame({'dates': ['2001','2002','2003','2030'], 'census_people': [306,327,352,478], 'census_houses': [150,200,249,263]})

# multiple line plot
plt.plot('dates', 'census_people', data=df, marker='o', color='green', linewidth=2)
plt.plot('dates','census_houses',data=df,marker='o',color='orange',linewidth=2)

My question is, I want both lines to be solid, EXCEPT for the part of the line between 2003 and 2030, which I want to be dashed (as it is a projection of what will happen in the future). So something like this, where the past data (i.e. the line connecting the first three data points) is a solid line, and the future projected data (i.e. the line connecting the third and fourth data point) is a dashed line.

(I can find lots of examples of plotting a dashed line, just not plotting solid and dashed on the same line).

Right, because a line is either solid or dashed, not both. But clearly you can plot two lines, one solid, one dashed. — ImportanceOfBeingErnest
– ImportanceOfBeingErnest, Commented Jul 10, 2019 at 15:48

mauve · Accepted Answer · 2019-07-10 15:54:46Z

1

I don't know if there's a way to do it how you seem to want to do it, but what I would do is plot them separately:

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

# Data

df=pd.DataFrame({'dates': [2001, 2002, 2003, 2030], 'census_people': [306,327,352,478], 'census_houses': [150,200,249,263]}) #I changed the dates from strings to ints

# multiple line plot
plt.plot('dates', 'census_people', data=df[df['dates'] < 2004], marker='o', color='green', linewidth=2)
plt.plot('dates', 'census_people', data=df[df['dates'] > 2002], marker='o', color='green', linewidth=2, linestyle = '--')
plt.plot('dates','census_houses',data=df[df['dates'] < 2004] ,marker='o',color='orange', linewidth=2)
plt.plot('dates','census_houses',data=df[df['dates'] > 2002] ,marker='o',color='orange', linewidth=2, linestyle = '--')

answered Jul 10, 2019 at 15:54

mauve

2,7711 gold badge25 silver badges35 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Solid and dashed parts of line in one python plot with matplotlib

1 Answer 1

Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related