matplotlib - How to assign a plot to a variable and use the variable as the return value in a Python function -

i creating 2 python scripts produce plots technical report. in first script defining functions produce plots raw data on hard-disk. each function produces 1 specific kind of plot need. second script more batch file supposed loop around functions , store produced plots on hard-disk.

what need way return plot in python. want this:

fig = some_function_that_returns_a_plot(args) fig.savefig('plot_name') 

but not know how make plot variable can return. possible? so, how?

you can define plotting functions

import numpy np import matplotlib.pyplot plt  # example graph type def fig_barh(ylabels, xvalues, title=''):     # create new figure     fig = plt.figure()      # plot     yvalues = 0.1 + np.arange(len(ylabels))     plt.barh(yvalues, xvalues, figure=fig)     yvalues += 0.4     plt.yticks(yvalues, ylabels, figure=fig)     if title:         plt.title(title, figure=fig)      # return     return fig 

then use them like

from matplotlib.backends.backend_pdf import pdfpages  def write_pdf(fname, figures):     doc = pdfpages(fname)     fig in figures:         fig.savefig(doc, format='pdf')     doc.close()  def main():     = fig_barh(['a','b','c'], [1, 2, 3], 'test #1')     b = fig_barh(['x','y','z'], [5, 3, 1], 'test #2')     write_pdf('test.pdf', [a, b])  if __name__=="__main__":     main()