matplotlib / matplotlib/matplotlib

ENH: add entrys to legend explicitly

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New feature topic: legend
Dominant language
Python
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Description

It'd be nice to be able to register artists with the legend on the fly rather than on creation (`plt.plot(label='my-label')`) or all at once (`plt.legend([h1, h1], ['label1, label2'])`). I think this would be helpful for managing multiple legends or to modify a third party legend.

> You basically have to add a method `Legend.add_entry(handle, label)` that properly updates the internal state.

_Originally posted by @timhoffm in https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/issues/29422#issuecomment-2576407483_

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First steps

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  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start with the Legend implementation and the existing plt.plot(label=...) and plt.legend(...) entry points. Trace how handles and labels are stored, then define the behavior for adding an artist after creation and verify that the legend updates for multiple or third-party legends.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
data-visualization
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
48/100

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