Example boxplot code
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
# Fixing random state for reproducibility
np.random.seed(19680801)
# fake up some data
spread = np.random.rand(50) * 100
center = np.ones(25) * 50
flier_high = np.random.rand(10) * 100 + 100
flier_low = np.random.rand(10) * -100
data = np.concatenate((spread, center, flier_high, flier_low), 0)
fig1, ax1 = plt.subplots()
ax1.set_title('Basic Plot')
ax1.boxplot(data)
fig2, ax2 = plt.subplots()
ax2.set_title('Notched boxes')
ax2.boxplot(data, notch=True)
green_diamond = dict(markerfacecolor='g', marker='D')
fig3, ax3 = plt.subplots()
ax3.set_title('Changed Outlier Symbols')
ax3.boxplot(data, flierprops=green_diamond)
fig4, ax4 = plt.subplots()
ax4.set_title('Hide Outlier Points')
ax4.boxplot(data, showfliers=False)
red_square = dict(markerfacecolor='r', marker='s')
fig5, ax5 = plt.subplots()
ax5.set_title('Horizontal Boxes')
ax5.boxplot(data, vert=False, flierprops=red_square)
fig6, ax6 = plt.subplots()
ax6.set_title('Shorter Whisker Length')
ax6.boxplot(data, flierprops=red_square, vert=False, whis=0.75)
Fake up some more data
spread = np.random.rand(50) * 100
center = np.ones(25) * 40
flier_high = np.random.rand(10) * 100 + 100
flier_low = np.random.rand(10) * -100
d2 = np.concatenate((spread, center, flier_high, flier_low), 0)
data.shape = (-1, 1)
d2.shape = (-1, 1)
Making a 2-D array only works if all the columns are the same length. If they are not, then use a list instead. This is actually more efficient because boxplot converts a 2-D array into a list of vectors internally anyway.
data = [data, d2, d2[::2,0]]
fig7, ax7 = plt.subplots()
ax7.set_title('Multiple Samples with Different sizes')
ax7.boxplot(data)
plt.show()