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Improve legend loc and bbox_to_anchor documentation (#26620)#31422

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timhoffm merged 3 commits into
matplotlib:mainfrom
amanparganiha:fix/legend-docs-26620
Mar 30, 2026
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Improve legend loc and bbox_to_anchor documentation (#26620)#31422
timhoffm merged 3 commits into
matplotlib:mainfrom
amanparganiha:fix/legend-docs-26620

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@amanparganiha amanparganiha commented Mar 29, 2026

PR summary

Fixes #26620 — Improves the loc and bbox_to_anchor parameter documentation in the legend module.

  • Why is this change necessary? The current loc documentation uses three separate paragraphs to describe legend positions, which is verbose and harder to scan. The bbox_to_anchor docs don't clearly state it's an advanced option or link to relevant guides.

  • What problem does it solve? Makes legend positioning easier to understand at a glance by adding a visual ASCII grid of all 9 positions, and clarifies the relationship between loc and bbox_to_anchor.

  • What is the reasoning for this implementation? Follows the suggestions in [Doc]: Improve legend loc and bbox_to_anchor documentation #26620 by maintainer @timhoffm.

Changes

  • Parameter loc: Replaced three text paragraphs with a concise explanation and an ASCII visual grid showing all 9 legend positions. Clarified that positions are within a bounding box configurable via bbox_to_anchor.
  • Parameter bbox_to_anchor: Clarified this is an advanced option for free placement. Added cross-references to Figure.legend for outside placement and to the :ref:legend_guide``.

AI Disclosure

I used Claude (Anthropic) for researching the issue and drafting the documentation text. The changes were reviewed and verified by me.

PR checklist

  • "closes [Doc]: Improve legend loc and bbox_to_anchor documentation #26620" is in the body of the PR description
  • [N/A] new and changed code is tested
  • [N/A] "Plotting related" features are demonstrated in an example
  • [N/A] "New Features" and "API Changes" are noted with a directive and release note
  • Documentation complies with general and docstring guidelines

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github-actions Bot commented Mar 29, 2026

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timhoffm
timhoffm reviewed Mar 30, 2026
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Thanks for the PR!

Comment thread lib/matplotlib/legend.py Outdated
Comment thread lib/matplotlib/legend.py Outdated
amanparganiha and others added 2 commits March 30, 2026 13:41
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amanparganiha commented Mar 30, 2026

Thanks for the review! Applied both suggestions.

@amanparganiha amanparganiha mentioned this pull request Mar 30, 2026
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@timhoffm timhoffm added this to the v3.11.0 milestone Mar 30, 2026
@timhoffm timhoffm merged commit 7820a63 into matplotlib:main Mar 30, 2026
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@amanparganiha amanparganiha deleted the fix/legend-docs-26620 branch April 26, 2026 11:25
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[Doc]: Improve legend loc and bbox_to_anchor documentation

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