Matplotlib.axes.Axes.set_xlim() in Python

Last Updated : 12 Jul, 2025

Matplotlib is a library in Python and it is numerical - mathematical extension for NumPy library. The Axes Class contains most of the figure elements: Axis, Tick, Line2D, Text, Polygon, etc., and sets the coordinate system. And the instances of Axes supports callbacks through a callbacks attribute.

matplotlib.axes.Axes.set_xlim() Function:

The Axes.set_xlim() function in axes module of matplotlib library is used to set the x-axis view limits.

Syntax: Axes.set_xlim(self, left=None, right=None, emit=True, auto=False, *, xmin=None, xmax=None) Parameters: This method accepts the following parameters.

left : This parameter is the left xlim in data coordinates

right : This parameter is the right xlim in data coordinates

emit : This parameter is used to notify observers of limit change.

auto : This parameter is used to turn on autoscaling of the x-axis.

xmin, xmax: These parameter are equivalent to left and right and it is an error to pass both xmin and left or xmax and right.

Returns:This method returns the following

left, right :This returns the new x-axis limits in data coordinates.

Below examples illustrate the matplotlib.axes.Axes.set_xlim() function in matplotlib.axes: Example 1:

Python3

# Implementation of matplotlib function
from matplotlib.widgets import Cursor
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt


np.random.seed(19680801)

fig, ax = plt.subplots(facecolor ='#A0F0CC')

x, y = 4*(np.random.rand(2, 100) - .5)
ax.plot(x, y, 'g')
ax.set_xlim(-3, 3)

cursor = Cursor(ax, useblit = True, color ='red', 
                linewidth = 2)
    
ax.set_title('matplotlib.axes.Axes.set_xlim() \
Example\n', fontsize = 14, fontweight ='bold')
plt.show()

Output:

Example 2:

Python3

# Implementation of matplotlib function
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np

fig1, ax1 = plt.subplots()
fig2, ax2 = plt.subplots()
ax1.set(xlim =(-1.0, 1.0), 
        ylim =(-1.0, 1.0),
        autoscale_on = False)

ax2.set(xlim =(-0.5, 0.5), 
        ylim =(-0.5, 0.5),
        autoscale_on = False)

x, y, s, c = np.random.rand(4, 200)
s *= 200

ax1.scatter(x, y, s, c)
ax2.scatter(x, y, s, c)


def GFG(event):
    
    if event.button != 1:
        return
    
    x, y = event.xdata, event.ydata
    ax2.set_xlim(x - 0.5, x + 0.5)
    ax2.set_ylim(y - 0.5, y + 0.5)
    fig2.canvas.draw()

fig1.canvas.mpl_connect('button_press_event',
                        GFG)   
ax1.set_title('matplotlib.axes.Axes.set_xlim() \
Example\n Original Window ',
             fontsize = 14, fontweight ='bold')

ax2.set_title('Zoomed Window',
             fontsize = 14, fontweight ='bold')

plt.show()