@Vitaliy it was recently put to me that python users like/prefer the matplotlib style and even some Mma users prefer the matplotlib appearance for publishing. Maybe "matplotlib" and "ggplot" themes, matching the defaults in these libraries, could be made PlotThemes?

@MikeHoneychurch Actually, a lot of Python users use Seaborn to change the style of matplotlib plots. And there is also a Python package that creates ggplot-like plots. Finally, a lot of Python programmers don't know anything else than matplotlib (which is itself a copy of MATLAB style), because they only ever used Python and MATLAB. They're not loving it based on vast experience of plotting libraries.

But sure, there are some things in ggplot and MATLAB that could be worth having as an option. The axes style of ggplot for example, we've had questions here on MMA.SE on how to create that.

I'm sorry if this is a rant, I'm rather frustrated by matplotlib...

It's not hard to use python in Mathematica, You can work with data in Mathematica and draw with python.

@MikeHoneychurch @Vitaliy I always though that matplotlib's default style was pretty ugly ... At least they've moved on from the terrible RGBColor @@@ Tuples[{0, 1}, {3}] colour scheme.

I agree with @C.E. that the API is pretty bad, and completely uninnovative: just a copy of MATLAB. Actually much of the older open source stuff is just a copy of MATLAB's approach, down to working with matrices and nothing but matrices (= forcing the distinction between column and row vectors), that are stored in column-major order.

I guess the motivation was to "have this for free" rather than "have something better"

Is there anyone around with OS X <= 10.12 (Sierra) and be willing to test something for me?

@Vitaliy As for these MATLAB-like plotting APIs, what's better in them than in Mathematica is the ease of creating multipanel figures, which Mathematica still can't do in 2018 ... that's inexplicable for me.

Fussing with manual ImagePadding values for each and every subfigure, putting them together with Grid, adjusting the spacing of the grid, then looking up the workaround about the default 80% downscaling caused by Grid before exporting doesn't really count as "proper support" for me.

@CarlLange What OS (version) do you use?

@Szabolcs OSX 10.14, sorry :)

I am so annoyed with all this neat stuff in Internal` context being undocumented. All things related to Handlers and Tracking -.-

That reminds me ... sending you another email about what needs documenting ...

The method provided in the answer (mathematica.stackexchange.com/questions/153708/… not work in MMA 11.3... how do it in MMA 11.3?

How do options like Direction or Method work? I'm wondering how to implement my own.

"This year’s Nobel Prize in economics was awarded to a Python convert" -> qz.com/1417145/…

@Szabolcs I am still on OS 10.11 if you want me to test something

@Vitaliy it seems inexplicable that PlotLayout -> "Vertical", PlotLayout -> "CommonXAxis", PlotLayout -> "CommonYAxis" etc are in WaveletListPlot but not part of ListPlot, ListLinePlot, DateListPlot etc