diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
index dc15642c9216..45b7182af5de 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
@@ -3412,10 +3412,15 @@ def set_xticklabels(self, labels, fontdict=None, minor=False, **kwargs):
"""
Set the x-tick labels with list of string labels.
+ .. warning::
+ This method should only be used after fixing the tick positions
+ using `~.axes.Axes.set_xticks`. Otherwise, the labels may end up
+ in unexpected positions.
+
Parameters
----------
- labels : List[str]
- List of string labels.
+ labels : list of str
+ The label texts.
fontdict : dict, optional
A dictionary controlling the appearance of the ticklabels.
@@ -3426,12 +3431,13 @@ def set_xticklabels(self, labels, fontdict=None, minor=False, **kwargs):
'verticalalignment': 'baseline',
'horizontalalignment': loc}
- minor : bool, optional
+ minor : bool, default: False
Whether to set the minor ticklabels rather than the major ones.
Returns
-------
- A list of `~.text.Text` instances.
+ labels : list of `~.Text`
+ The labels.
Other Parameters
-----------------
@@ -3792,12 +3798,17 @@ def get_yticklabels(self, minor=False, which=None):
def set_yticklabels(self, labels, fontdict=None, minor=False, **kwargs):
"""
- Set the y-tick labels with list of strings labels.
+ Set the y-tick labels with list of string labels.
+
+ .. warning::
+ This method should only be used after fixing the tick positions
+ using `~.axes.Axes.set_yticks`. Otherwise, the labels may end up
+ in unexpected positions.
Parameters
----------
- labels : List[str]
- list of string labels
+ labels : list of str
+ The label texts.
fontdict : dict, optional
A dictionary controlling the appearance of the ticklabels.
@@ -3808,12 +3819,13 @@ def set_yticklabels(self, labels, fontdict=None, minor=False, **kwargs):
'verticalalignment': 'baseline',
'horizontalalignment': loc}
- minor : bool, optional
+ minor : bool, default: False
Whether to set the minor ticklabels rather than the major ones.
Returns
-------
- A list of `~.text.Text` instances.
+ labels
+ A list of `~.text.Text` instances.
Other Parameters
----------------
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axis.py b/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
index 2101d802264c..13363f7de362 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
@@ -1632,6 +1632,11 @@ def set_major_formatter(self, formatter):
formatter : `~matplotlib.ticker.Formatter`
"""
cbook._check_isinstance(mticker.Formatter, formatter=formatter)
+ if (isinstance(formatter, mticker.FixedFormatter)
+ and len(formatter.seq) > 0
+ and not isinstance(self.major.locator, mticker.FixedLocator)):
+ cbook._warn_external('FixedFormatter should only be used together '
+ 'with FixedLocator')
self.isDefault_majfmt = False
self.major.formatter = formatter
formatter.set_axis(self)
@@ -1646,6 +1651,11 @@ def set_minor_formatter(self, formatter):
formatter : `~matplotlib.ticker.Formatter`
"""
cbook._check_isinstance(mticker.Formatter, formatter=formatter)
+ if (isinstance(formatter, mticker.FixedFormatter)
+ and len(formatter.seq) > 0
+ and not isinstance(self.minor.locator, mticker.FixedLocator)):
+ cbook._warn_external('FixedFormatter should only be used together '
+ 'with FixedLocator')
self.isDefault_minfmt = False
self.minor.formatter = formatter
formatter.set_axis(self)
@@ -1697,6 +1707,11 @@ def set_ticklabels(self, ticklabels, *args, minor=False, **kwargs):
r"""
Set the text values of the tick labels.
+ .. warning::
+ This method should only be used after fixing the tick positions
+ using `.Axis.set_ticks`. Otherwise, the labels may end up in
+ unexpected positions.
+
Parameters
----------
ticklabels : sequence of str or of `Text`\s
@@ -1718,18 +1733,8 @@ def set_ticklabels(self, ticklabels, *args, minor=False, **kwargs):
"3.1", message="Additional positional arguments to "
"set_ticklabels are ignored, and deprecated since Matplotlib "
"3.1; passing them will raise a TypeError in Matplotlib 3.3.")
- get_labels = []
- for t in ticklabels:
- # try calling get_text() to check whether it is Text object
- # if it is Text, get label content
- try:
- get_labels.append(t.get_text())
- # otherwise add the label to the list directly
- except AttributeError:
- get_labels.append(t)
- # replace the ticklabels list with the processed one
- ticklabels = get_labels
-
+ ticklabels = [t.get_text() if hasattr(t, 'get_text') else t
+ for t in ticklabels]
if minor:
self.set_minor_formatter(mticker.FixedFormatter(ticklabels))
ticks = self.get_minor_ticks()
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py
index 16f495c04375..377b109f1ec8 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py
@@ -5064,11 +5064,15 @@ def test_set_get_ticklabels():
ax[1].set_title(ha[1])
# set ticklabel to 1 plot in normal way
- ax[0].set_xticklabels(('a', 'b', 'c', 'd'))
- ax[0].set_yticklabels(('11', '12', '13', '14'))
+ ax[0].set_xticks(range(10))
+ ax[0].set_yticks(range(10))
+ ax[0].set_xticklabels(['a', 'b', 'c', 'd'])
+ ax[0].set_yticklabels(['11', '12', '13', '14'])
# set ticklabel to the other plot, expect the 2 plots have same label
# setting pass get_ticklabels return value as ticklabels argument
+ ax[1].set_xticks(ax[0].get_xticks())
+ ax[1].set_yticks(ax[0].get_yticks())
ax[1].set_xticklabels(ax[0].get_xticklabels())
ax[1].set_yticklabels(ax[0].get_yticklabels())
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_figure.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_figure.py
index 52befc23f14a..665a23bc2a6e 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_figure.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_figure.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
from datetime import datetime
from pathlib import Path
import platform
+import warnings
from matplotlib import rcParams
from matplotlib.testing.decorators import image_comparison, check_figures_equal
@@ -317,7 +318,11 @@ def test_autofmt_xdate(which):
ax.xaxis_date()
ax.xaxis.set_minor_locator(AutoMinorLocator(2))
- ax.xaxis.set_minor_formatter(FixedFormatter(minors))
+ with warnings.catch_warnings():
+ warnings.filterwarnings(
+ 'ignore',
+ 'FixedFormatter should only be used together with FixedLocator')
+ ax.xaxis.set_minor_formatter(FixedFormatter(minors))
fig.autofmt_xdate(0.2, angle, 'right', which)
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/ticker.py b/lib/matplotlib/ticker.py
index 5551542a2cb4..f50305301ab8 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/ticker.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/ticker.py
@@ -345,6 +345,11 @@ def __call__(self, x, pos=None):
class FixedFormatter(Formatter):
"""
Return fixed strings for tick labels based only on position, not value.
+
+ .. note::
+ `.FixedFormatter` should only be used together with `.FixedLocator`.
+ Otherwise, the labels may end up in unexpected positions.
+
"""
def __init__(self, seq):
"""