[R] 'par mfrow' and not filling horizontally

[Marc Schwartz]

On Sep 8, 2010, at 2:01 PM, Ted Harding wrote:

> Greetings, Folks.
> I'd appreciate being shown the way out of this one!
> I've been round the documentation in ever-drecreasing
> circles, and along other paths, without stumbling on
> the answer.
> 
> The background to the question can be exemplified by
> the example (no graphics window open to start with):
> 
>  set.seed(54321)
>  X0 <- rnorm(50) ; Y0 <- rnorm(50)
> 
>  par(mfrow=c(2,1),mfg=c(1,1),cex=0.5)
>  plot(X0,Y0,pch="+",col="blue",xlim=c(-3,3),ylim=c(-3,3),
>  xlab="X",ylab="Y",main="My Plot",asp=1)
> 
>  par(mfg=c(2,1))
>  plot(X0,Y0,pch="+",col="blue",xlim=c(-3,3),ylim=c(-3,3),
>  xlab="X",ylab="Y",main="My Plot",asp=1)
> 
> As you will see, both plots have been extended laterally
> to fill the plotting area horizontally, hence extend from
> approx X = -8 to approx X = +8 (on my X11 display), despite
> the xlim=c(-3,3); however, the "ylim=c(-3,3)" has been
> respected, as has "asp=1".
> 
> What I would like to see, independently of the shape of
> the graphics window, is a pair of square plots, each with
> X and Y ranging from -3 to 3, even if this leaves empty
> space in the graphics window on either side.
> 
> Hints?
> 
> With thanks,
> Ted.


Ted, 

Try this:

 set.seed(54321)
 X0 <- rnorm(50) ; Y0 <- rnorm(50)

 # add pty = "s"
 par(mfrow=c(2, 1), mfg = c(1, 1), cex = 0.5,
     pty = "s")  

 plot(X0, Y0, pch = "+", col = "blue",
      xlim = c(-3, 3), ylim = c(-3, 3),
      xlab = "X", ylab = "Y", main = "My Plot",
      asp = 1)

 par(mfg = c(2, 1))
 plot(X0, Y0, pch = "+", col = "blue", 
      xlim= c(-3, 3), ylim = c(-3, 3),
      xlab = "X", ylab = "Y", main = "My Plot",
      asp = 1)


See ?par and 'pty', which defaults to "m".

HTH,

Marc Schwartz