matplotlib · mdboom · Oct 15, 2015 · Aug 10, 2015 · Aug 13, 2015 · Aug 13, 2015
diff --git a/doc/users/whats_new.rst b/doc/users/whats_new.rst
@@ -742,6 +742,13 @@ way as setting `CC` or `CXX` before building. An example follows.
 
     export PKG_CONFIG=x86_64-pc-linux-gnu-pkg-config
 
+AxesGrid toolkit
+----------------
+
+Twins of host axes (see `~mpl_toolkits.axes_grid1.host_subplot()` and its
+``twin*`` methods) now have ``remove()`` functionality. Some visibility changes
+made by the ``twin*`` methods were modified to faciliate this feature.
+
 .. _whats-new-1-4:
 
 new in matplotlib-1.4

diff --git a/lib/mpl_toolkits/axes_grid1/parasite_axes.py b/lib/mpl_toolkits/axes_grid1/parasite_axes.py
@@ -255,6 +255,7 @@ def get_aux_axes(self, tr, viewlim_mode="equal", axes_class=None):
         # note that ax2.transData == tr + ax1.transData
         # Anthing you draw in ax2 will match the ticks and grids of ax1.
         self.parasites.append(ax2)
+        ax2._remove_method = lambda h: self.parasites.remove(h)
         return ax2
 
 
@@ -326,17 +327,16 @@ def twinx(self, axes_class=None):
         ax2 = parasite_axes_class(self, sharex=self, frameon=False)
         self.parasites.append(ax2)
 
-        # for normal axes
-
-        self.axis["right"].toggle(all=False)
-        self.axis["right"].line.set_visible(True)
+        self.axis["right"].set_visible(False)
 
         ax2.axis["right"].set_visible(True)
-        ax2.axis["left","top", "bottom"].toggle(all=False)
-        ax2.axis["left","top", "bottom"].line.set_visible(False)
+        ax2.axis["left", "top", "bottom"].set_visible(False)
 
-        ax2.axis["right"].toggle(all=True)
-        ax2.axis["right"].line.set_visible(False)
+        def _remove_method(h):
+            self.parasites.remove(h)
+            self.axis["right"].set_visible(True)
+            self.axis["right"].toggle(ticklabels=False, label=False)
+        ax2._remove_method = _remove_method
 
         return ax2
 
@@ -360,15 +360,16 @@ def twiny(self, axes_class=None):
         ax2 = parasite_axes_class(self, sharey=self, frameon=False)
         self.parasites.append(ax2)
 
-        self.axis["top"].toggle(all=False)
-        self.axis["top"].line.set_visible(True)
+        self.axis["top"].set_visible(False)
 
         ax2.axis["top"].set_visible(True)
-        ax2.axis["left","right", "bottom"].toggle(all=False)
-        ax2.axis["left","right", "bottom"].line.set_visible(False)
+        ax2.axis["left", "right", "bottom"].set_visible(False)
 
-        ax2.axis["top"].toggle(all=True)
-        ax2.axis["top"].line.set_visible(False)
+        def _remove_method(h):
+            self.parasites.remove(h)
+            self.axis["top"].set_visible(True)
+            self.axis["top"].toggle(ticklabels=False, label=False)
+        ax2._remove_method = _remove_method
 
         return ax2
 
@@ -399,43 +400,18 @@ def twin(self, aux_trans=None, axes_class=None):
                                                viewlim_mode="transform",
                                                )
         self.parasites.append(ax2)
+        ax2._remove_method = lambda h: self.parasites.remove(h)
 
+        self.axis["top", "right"].set_visible(False)
 
-        # for normal axes
-        #self.yaxis.tick_left()
-        #self.xaxis.tick_bottom()
-        #ax2.yaxis.tick_right()
-        #ax2.xaxis.set_visible(True)
-        #ax2.yaxis.set_visible(True)
-
-        #ax2.yaxis.set_label_position('right')
-        ##ax2.xaxis.tick_top()
-        #ax2.xaxis.set_label_position('top')
-
-
-        self.axis["top","right"].toggle(all=False)
-        self.axis["top","right"].line.set_visible(False)
-        #self.axis["left","bottom"].toggle(label=True)
-
-        ax2.axis["top","right"].set_visible(True)
-
-        ax2.axis["bottom","left"].toggle(all=False)
-        ax2.axis["bottom","left"].line.set_visible(False)
-
-        ax2.axis["top","right"].toggle(all=True)
-        ax2.axis["top","right"].line.set_visible(True)
-
-
-        # # for axisline axes
-        # self._axislines["right"].set_visible(False)
-        # self._axislines["top"].set_visible(False)
-        # ax2._axislines["left"].set_visible(False)
-        # ax2._axislines["bottom"].set_visible(False)
+        ax2.axis["top", "right"].set_visible(True)
+        ax2.axis["left", "bottom"].set_visible(False)
 
-        # ax2._axislines["right"].set_visible(True)
-        # ax2._axislines["top"].set_visible(True)
-        # ax2._axislines["right"].major_ticklabels.set_visible(True)
-        # ax2._axislines["top"].major_ticklabels.set_visible(True)
+        def _remove_method(h):
+            self.parasites.remove(h)
+            self.axis["top", "right"].set_visible(True)
+            self.axis["top", "right"].toggle(ticklabels=False, label=False)
+        ax2._remove_method = _remove_method
 
         return ax2
 

diff --git a/..._toolkits/tests/baseline_images/test_axes_grid1/twin_axes_empty_and_removed.png b/..._toolkits/tests/baseline_images/test_axes_grid1/twin_axes_empty_and_removed.png
diff --git a/lib/mpl_toolkits/tests/test_axes_grid1.py b/lib/mpl_toolkits/tests/test_axes_grid1.py
@@ -3,9 +3,11 @@
 
 from matplotlib.externals import six
 
+import matplotlib
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 from matplotlib.testing.decorators import image_comparison
-from mpl_toolkits.axes_grid1 import make_axes_locatable
+from mpl_toolkits.axes_grid1 import make_axes_locatable, host_subplot
+from itertools import product
 import numpy as np
 
 
@@ -50,6 +52,36 @@ def test_divider_append_axes():
     axHistleft.yaxis.set_ticklabels(())
     axHistright.yaxis.set_ticklabels(())
 
+
+@image_comparison(baseline_images=['twin_axes_empty_and_removed'],
+    extensions=["png"])
+def test_twin_axes_empty_and_removed():
+    # Purely cosmetic font changes (avoid overlap)
+    matplotlib.rcParams.update({"font.size": 8})
+    matplotlib.rcParams.update({"xtick.labelsize": 8})
+    matplotlib.rcParams.update({"ytick.labelsize": 8})
+    generators = [ "twinx", "twiny", "twin" ]
+    modifiers = [ "", "host invisible", "twin removed", "twin invisible",
+        "twin removed\nhost invisible" ]
+    # Unmodified host subplot at the beginning for reference
+    h = host_subplot(len(modifiers)+1, len(generators), 2)
+    h.text(0.5, 0.5, "host_subplot", horizontalalignment="center",
+        verticalalignment="center")
+    # Host subplots with various modifications (twin*, visibility) applied
+    for i, (mod, gen) in enumerate(product(modifiers, generators),
+        len(generators)+1):
+        h = host_subplot(len(modifiers)+1, len(generators), i)
+        t = getattr(h, gen)()
+        if "twin invisible" in mod:
+            t.axis[:].set_visible(False)
+        if "twin removed" in mod:
+            t.remove()
+        if "host invisible" in mod:
+            h.axis[:].set_visible(False)
+        h.text(0.5, 0.5, gen + ("\n" + mod if mod else ""),
+            horizontalalignment="center", verticalalignment="center")
+    plt.subplots_adjust(wspace=0.5, hspace=1)
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     import nose
     nose.runmodule(argv=['-s', '--with-doctest'], exit=False)