Plotting example

plotting.py

import numpy as np
from matplotlib import pyplot as plt # imports plotting library, uses 'plt' as the handle. for help, google "matplotlib"

x = np.linspace(-1, 1, 100)
y = x.**2 + 2.*x + 1

plt.figure() # open a new figure (sometimes you see ax, fig = plt.figure() if people want to instantiate multiple figures.
plt.plot(x,y)
plt.xlabel("x axis")
plt.ylabel("y axis")
plt.title("Here is a plot.")
plt.savefig("name_of_file.png") # save it to file
# plt.show() # this will make it open as a figure that you can look at -- optional
plt.cla() # now that you've saved it, clear it out to be efficient with memory.