Named colors and hex codes in Matplotlib - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Named colors and hex codes

Start

↓

Choose color type

↓

Named

↓

Use color in plot

↓

Display plot

↓

End

This flow shows choosing a color by name or hex code, using it in a plot, and displaying the result.

Execution Sample

Matplotlib

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
plt.plot([1,2,3], color='red')
plt.plot([3,2,1], color='#00FF00')
plt.show()

This code plots two lines, one in named color 'red' and one in hex color '#00FF00' (green), then shows the plot.

Execution Table

Step	Action	Color Input	Color Used	Plot Element
1	Plot first line	'red'	Red (RGB: 1,0,0)	Line 1 in red
2	Plot second line	'#00FF00'	Green (RGB: 0,1,0)	Line 2 in green
3	Show plot	N/A	N/A	Plot displayed with two colored lines

💡 Plot displayed with lines colored by named color and hex code.

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 1	After Step 2	Final
color	None	'red'	'#00FF00'	N/A
line_colors	[]	['red']	['red', '#00FF00']	['red', '#00FF00']

Key Moments - 2 Insights

Why can I use both 'red' and '#00FF00' as colors?

Matplotlib accepts colors by name (like 'red') or by hex code (like '#00FF00'). Both represent colors but in different formats, as shown in execution_table steps 1 and 2.

What does the hex code '#00FF00' mean?

It is a hex color code representing green. The first two digits are red, next two green, last two blue. '#00FF00' means no red, full green, no blue, as seen in execution_table step 2.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, what color is used for the first line plotted?

A Blue

B Green

C Red

D Black

💡 Hint

Check Step 1 in the execution_table under 'Color Used'.

At which step is the hex code '#00FF00' used?

A Step 2

B Step 1

C Step 3

D Never

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Color Input' column in execution_table.

If you change the color 'red' to '#FF0000', what happens in the variable_tracker?

A The color value changes after Step 2

B The color value changes from 'red' to '#FF0000' after Step 1

C The color value stays 'red' after Step 1

D No change in color values

💡 Hint

Check the 'color' variable changes in variable_tracker after Step 1.

Concept Snapshot

Named colors and hex codes in matplotlib:
- Use named colors like 'red', 'blue', 'green'.
- Use hex codes like '#FF0000' for red.
- Both specify colors for plot elements.
- Hex codes are #RRGGBB format.
- Matplotlib accepts both interchangeably.

Full Transcript

This lesson shows how matplotlib accepts colors by name or hex code. The code plots two lines: one with the named color 'red' and one with the hex code '#00FF00' which is green. The execution table traces each step: plotting the first line with 'red', the second with '#00FF00', and then showing the plot. The variable tracker shows how the color variables change after each step. Key moments clarify why both color formats work and what hex codes mean. The quiz tests understanding of which colors are used and how changing color inputs affects variables. The snapshot summarizes how to use named colors and hex codes in matplotlib plots.