[IPython-dev] Pylab support: How about dynamic backend selection?

[Hans Meine]

Hi,

right now, IPython has special thread support for different GUI backends, and 
special support for MPL/pylab.  AFAIK, when I specify -pylab on the cmdline, 
ipython will choose the "right" GUI toolkit depending on my matplotlibrc 
backend setting.  However, I sometimes need Qt4 and sometimes WX support, 
which are both supported by MPL, but the -pylab overwrites the threading 
switch.

My suggestion is to let the -pylab switch gracefully handle -foothread 
switches by internally calling matplotlib.use(...) to let MPL use the same 
GUI toolkit that has been specified on the cmdline.

What do you think?

Greetings,
  Hans