"""
This example shows how to use a path patch to draw a bunch of
rectangles for an animated histogram
"""
import numpy as np
import matplotlib
matplotlib.use('TkAgg') # do this before importing pylab

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import matplotlib.patches as patches
import matplotlib.path as path

fig, ax = plt.subplots()

# histogram our data with numpy
data = np.random.randn(1000)
n, bins = np.histogram(data, 100)

# get the corners of the rectangles for the histogram
left = np.array(bins[:-1])
right = np.array(bins[1:])
bottom = np.zeros(len(left))
top = bottom + n
nrects = len(left)

# here comes the tricky part -- we have to set up the vertex and path
# codes arrays using moveto, lineto and closepoly

# for each rect: 1 for the MOVETO, 3 for the LINETO, 1 for the
# CLOSEPOLY; the vert for the closepoly is ignored but we still need
# it to keep the codes aligned with the vertices
nverts = nrects*(1+3+1)
verts = np.zeros((nverts, 2))
codes = np.ones(nverts, int) * path.Path.LINETO
codes[0::5] = path.Path.MOVETO
codes[4::5] = path.Path.CLOSEPOLY
verts[0::5,0] = left
verts[0::5,1] = bottom
verts[1::5,0] = left
verts[1::5,1] = top
verts[2::5,0] = right
verts[2::5,1] = top
verts[3::5,0] = right
verts[3::5,1] = bottom

barpath = path.Path(verts, codes)
patch = patches.PathPatch(barpath, facecolor='green', edgecolor='yellow', alpha=0.5)
ax.add_patch(patch)

ax.set_xlim(left[0], right[-1])
ax.set_ylim(bottom.min(), top.max())

def animate():
    if animate.cnt>=100:
        return

    animate.cnt += 1
    # simulate new data coming in
    data = np.random.randn(1000)
    n, bins = np.histogram(data, 100)
    top = bottom + n
    verts[1::5,1] = top
    verts[2::5,1] = top
    fig.canvas.draw()
    fig.canvas.manager.window.after(100, animate)
animate.cnt = 0
fig.canvas.manager.window.after(100, animate)
plt.show()
