Merge pull request #29513 from meeseeksmachine/auto-backport-of-pr-29471-on-v3.10.x

rcomer · web-flow · commit c0a92607645a · 2025-01-24T17:16:53.000Z
Backport PR #29471 on branch v3.10.x (Fix subplot docs)
diff --git a/doc/api/axes_api.rst b/doc/api/axes_api.rst
@@ -616,5 +616,6 @@ Other
    Axes.get_transformed_clip_path_and_affine
    Axes.has_data
    Axes.set
+   Axes.remove
 
 .. autoclass:: matplotlib.axes.Axes.ArtistList
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py b/lib/matplotlib/pyplot.py
@@ -1449,16 +1449,10 @@ def subplot(*args, **kwargs) -> Axes:
 
     Notes
     -----
-    Creating a new Axes will delete any preexisting Axes that
-    overlaps with it beyond sharing a boundary::
-
-        import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
-        # plot a line, implicitly creating a subplot(111)
-        plt.plot([1, 2, 3])
-        # now create a subplot which represents the top plot of a grid
-        # with 2 rows and 1 column. Since this subplot will overlap the
-        # first, the plot (and its Axes) previously created, will be removed
-        plt.subplot(211)
+    .. versionchanged:: 3.8
+        In versions prior to 3.8, any preexisting Axes that overlap with the new Axes
+        beyond sharing a boundary was deleted. Deletion does not happen in more
+        recent versions anymore. Use `.Axes.remove` explicitly if needed.
 
     If you do not want this behavior, use the `.Figure.add_subplot` method
     or the `.pyplot.axes` function instead.
