TypeError: 'AxesSubplot' object is not iterable when trying to create 2 subplots

Question

I am trying to create two subplots in the same output. But I get a Type Error: 'AxesSubplot' object is not iterable when trying to create ax.1 and ax.2

Below is an example of the code and what I've tried to do.

import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

#plot 1 data
x1_data = np.random.randint(80, size=(400, 4))
y1_data = np.random.randint(80, size=(400, 4))

#plot 2 data
x2_data = np.random.randint(80, size=(400, 4))
y2_data = np.random.randint(80, size=(400, 4))

fig, (ax1, ax2) = plt.subplots(figsize = (8,6))

#scatter plot 1
scatter1 = ax1.scatter(x1_data[0], y1_data[0]) 

#scatter plot 2
scatter2 = ax2.scatter(x2_data[0], y2_data[0]) 

plt.draw()                    

I tried .add_subplot() but get the same error?

Answer 1

You'll need to specify either

>>> plt.subplots(2, 1, figsize=(8,6))

or

>>> plt.subplots(1, 2, figsize=(8,6))

Otherwise, only one Axes is returned, and you are trying to do iterable unpacking on it, which won't work.

The call signature is subplots(nrows=1, ncols=1, ...).

>>> fig, (ax1, ax2) = plt.subplots(1, 2, figsize=(8, 6))
>>> scatter1 = ax1.scatter(x1_data[0], y1_data[0]) 
>>> scatter2 = ax2.scatter(x2_data[0], y2_data[0]) 

Alternatively, you could use .add_subplot(). First create a Figure, then add to it:

>>> fig = plt.figure(figsize=(8, 6))
>>> ax1 = fig.add_subplot(211)
>>> ax2 = fig.add_subplot(212)
>>> ax1.scatter(x1_data[0], y1_data[0]) 
>>> ax2.scatter(x2_data[0], y2_data[0])