How to Convert Timestamps to a Matplotlib-Compatible Date Format for X-Axis Plotting?

Converting Timestamps to Matplotlib Date Format for X-Axis Plotting

In Matplotlib, plotting time data requires specific handling. To plot an array of timestamps on the x-axis while corresponding floating point numbers are on the y-axis, you need to convert the timestamps to Matplotlib's internal date format.

To achieve this conversion, follow the steps below:

1. Import the necessary libraries:

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import matplotlib.dates
from datetime import datetime

2. Convert the timestamps to datetime objects:

x_values = [datetime(2021, 11, 18, 12), datetime(2021, 11, 18, 14), datetime(2021, 11, 18, 16)]

3. Convert the datetime objects to Matplotlib's date format:

dates = matplotlib.dates.date2num(x_values)

4. Create the plot using plot_date:

plt.plot_date(dates, y_values)

This will generate a plot where the x-axis represents the timestamps in their formatted date, while the y-axis shows the corresponding floating point numbers.

Note: Matplotlib 3.5 and later versions handle datetime data directly, eliminating the need for the plot_date function. Instead, plot using plot after setting the x-axis data type to dates using ax.xaxis.axis_date.

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