matplotlib · tacaswell · Aug 29, 2015 · Jul 11, 2015 · Jul 12, 2015 · Jul 14, 2015
diff --git a/doc/api/api_changes/2015-08-17-remove_color_cycle.rst b/doc/api/api_changes/2015-08-17-remove_color_cycle.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+`color_cycle` deprecated
+````````````````````````
+
+In light of the new property cycling feature,
+the Axes method *set_color_cycle* is now deprecated.
+Calling this method will replace the current property cycle with
+one that cycles just the given colors.
+
+Similarly, the rc parameter *axes.color_cycle* is also deprecated in
+lieu of the new *axes.prop_cycle* parameter. Having both parameters in
+the same rc file is not recommended as the result cannot be
+predicted. For compatibility, setting *axes.color_cycle* will
+replace the cycler in *axes.prop_cycle* with a color cycle.
+Accessing *axes.color_cycle* will return just the color portion
+of the property cycle, if it exists.
+
+Timeline for removal has not been set.
diff --git a/doc/users/whats_new/rcparams.rst b/doc/users/whats_new/rcparams.rst
@@ -1,3 +1,19 @@
+Added ``axes.prop_cycle`` key to rcParams
+`````````````````````````````````````````
+This is a more generic form of the now-deprecated ``axes.color_cycle`` param.
+Now, we can cycle more than just colors, but also linestyles, hatches,
+and just about any other artist property. Cycler notation is used for
+defining proprty cycles. Adding cyclers together will be like you are
+`zip()`-ing together two or more property cycles together::
+
+    axes.prop_cycle: cycler('color', 'rgb') + cycler('lw', [1, 2, 3])
+
+You can even multiply cyclers, which is like using `itertools.product()`
+on two or more property cycles. Remember to use parentheses if writing
+a multi-line `prop_cycle` parameter.
+
+..plot:: mpl_examples/color/color_cycle_demo.py
+
 Added ``errorbar.capsize`` key to rcParams
 ``````````````````````````````````````````
 Controls the length of end caps on error bars. If set to zero, errorbars

diff --git a/examples/color/color_cycle_demo.py b/examples/color/color_cycle_demo.py
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
 """
-Demo of custom color-cycle settings to control colors for multi-line plots.
+Demo of custom property-cycle settings to control colors and such
+for multi-line plots.
 
 This example demonstrates two different APIs:
 
-    1. Setting the default rc-parameter specifying the color cycle.
-       This affects all subsequent plots.
-    2. Setting the color cycle for a specific axes. This only affects a single
-       axes.
+    1. Setting the default rc-parameter specifying the property cycle.
+       This affects all subsequent axes (but not axes already created).
+    2. Setting the property cycle for a specific axes. This only
+       affects a single axes.
 """
+from cycler import cycler
 import numpy as np
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 
@@ -17,13 +19,14 @@
 yy = np.transpose([np.sin(x + phi) for phi in offsets])
 
 plt.rc('lines', linewidth=4)
+plt.rc('axes', prop_cycle=(cycler('color', ['r', 'g', 'b', 'y']) +
+                           cycler('linestyle', ['-', '--', ':', '-.'])))
 fig, (ax0, ax1) = plt.subplots(nrows=2)
-
-plt.rc('axes', color_cycle=['r', 'g', 'b', 'y'])
 ax0.plot(yy)
 ax0.set_title('Set default color cycle to rgby')
 
-ax1.set_color_cycle(['c', 'm', 'y', 'k'])
+ax1.set_prop_cycle(cycler('color', ['c', 'm', 'y', 'k']) +
+                   cycler('lw', [1, 2, 3, 4]))
 ax1.plot(yy)
 ax1.set_title('Set axes color cycle to cmyk')
 

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py b/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py
@@ -121,7 +121,8 @@
 from matplotlib.cbook import is_string_like, mplDeprecation
 from matplotlib.compat import subprocess
 from matplotlib.rcsetup import (defaultParams,
-                                validate_backend)
+                                validate_backend,
+                                cycler)
 
 import numpy
 from matplotlib.externals.six.moves.urllib.request import urlopen
@@ -826,6 +827,8 @@ def matplotlib_fname():
     'svg.embed_char_paths': ('svg.fonttype',
                              lambda x: "path" if x else "none", None),
     'savefig.extension': ('savefig.format', lambda x: x, None),
+    'axes.color_cycle': ('axes.prop_cycle', lambda x: cycler('color', x),
+                         lambda x: [c.get('color', None) for c in x]),
     }
 
 _deprecated_ignore_map = {
@@ -1452,6 +1455,7 @@ def tk_window_focus():
     'matplotlib.tests.test_transforms',
     'matplotlib.tests.test_triangulation',
     'matplotlib.tests.test_widgets',
+    'matplotlib.tests.test_cycles',
     'matplotlib.sphinxext.tests.test_tinypages',
     'mpl_toolkits.tests.test_mplot3d',
     'mpl_toolkits.tests.test_axes_grid1',

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/artist.py b/lib/matplotlib/artist.py
@@ -900,13 +900,20 @@ def properties(self):
 
     def set(self, **kwargs):
         """
-        A tkstyle set command, pass *kwargs* to set properties
+        A property batch setter. Pass *kwargs* to set properties.
+        Will handle property name collisions (e.g., if both
+        'color' and 'facecolor' are specified, the property
+        with higher priority gets set last).
+
         """
         ret = []
-        for k, v in six.iteritems(kwargs):
+        for k, v in sorted(kwargs.items(), reverse=True):
             k = k.lower()
             funcName = "set_%s" % k
-            func = getattr(self, funcName)
+            func = getattr(self, funcName, None)
+            if func is None:
+               raise TypeError('There is no %s property "%s"' %
+                               (self.__class__.__name__, k))
             ret.extend([func(v)])
         return ret
 
@@ -1406,14 +1413,17 @@ def setp(obj, *args, **kwargs):
     funcvals = []
     for i in range(0, len(args) - 1, 2):
         funcvals.append((args[i], args[i + 1]))
-    funcvals.extend(kwargs.items())
+    funcvals.extend(sorted(kwargs.items(), reverse=True))
 
     ret = []
     for o in objs:
         for s, val in funcvals:
             s = s.lower()
             funcName = "set_%s" % s
-            func = getattr(o, funcName)
+            func = getattr(o, funcName, None)
+            if func is None:
+                raise TypeError('There is no %s property "%s"' %
+                                (o.__class__.__name__, s))
             ret.extend([func(val)])
     return [x for x in cbook.flatten(ret)]
 

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
@@ -1265,9 +1265,9 @@ def plot(self, *args, **kwargs):
 
         Return value is a list of lines that were added.
 
-        By default, each line is assigned a different color specified by a
-        'color cycle'.  To change this behavior, you can edit the
-        axes.color_cycle rcParam.
+        By default, each line is assigned a different style specified by a
+        'style cycle'.  To change this behavior, you can edit the
+        axes.prop_cycle rcParam.
 
         The following format string characters are accepted to control
         the line style or marker:
@@ -2935,8 +2935,8 @@ def xywhere(xs, ys, mask):
             l0, = self.plot(x, y, fmt, **kwargs)
 
         if ecolor is None:
-            if l0 is None:
-                ecolor = six.next(self._get_lines.color_cycle)
+            if l0 is None and 'color' in self._get_lines._prop_keys:
+                ecolor = six.next(self._get_lines.prop_cycler)['color']
             else:
                 ecolor = l0.get_color()
 
@@ -5829,8 +5829,8 @@ def hist(self, x, bins=10, range=None, normed=False, weights=None,
 
         nx = len(x)  # number of datasets
 
-        if color is None:
-            color = [six.next(self._get_lines.color_cycle)
+        if color is None and 'color' in self._get_lines._prop_keys:
+            color = [six.next(self._get_lines.prop_cycler)['color']
                      for i in xrange(nx)]
         else:
             color = mcolors.colorConverter.to_rgba_array(color)