pyqt5-chart-widget 3.0.0

Lightweight interactive chart widget for PyQt5 with built-in approximation, multi-series, and extensible fit modes

pyqt5-chart-widget

Zero dependencies beyond PyQt5. Drop the package in, plot your data. No matplotlib, no numpy — ~1000 lines total.

Originally built for an industrial powder feeder control application where a calibration curve needed to render fast, look clean, and not require importing half of scipy.

Install

pip install pyqt5-chart-widget

Python >= 3.8, PyQt5 >= 5.15.

---

Quickstart

import sys
from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QApplication, QMainWindow
from pyqt5_chart_widget import ChartWidget

app = QApplication(sys.argv)
win = QMainWindow()

chart = ChartWidget()
chart.setLabel("left",   "Flow, g/min")
chart.setLabel("bottom", "RPM")

xs = [i * 100 for i in range(20)]
ys = [x * 0.05 + x ** 1.1 * 0.0003 for x in xs]

line = chart.plot(label="Pump A")
line.setData(xs=xs, ys=ys)

scatter = chart.addScatter(size=10, label="Calibration")
scatter.setData(x=xs[::3], y=ys[::3])

fit = chart.addFit(line, mode_key="poly3", label="Polynomial fit")

win.setCentralWidget(chart)
win.resize(900, 500)
win.show()
sys.exit(app.exec_())

---

ChartWidget

ChartWidget(
    parent=None,
    show_toolbar:  bool = True,
    show_legend:   bool = False,
    show_sidebar:  bool = False,
    font:          QFont | None = None,
    threaded_fit:  bool = False,
)

threaded_fit=True moves fit computation off the main thread. Useful for large datasets or slow spline fits. Leave it False if you can't create additional threads — some embedded runtimes and multiprocessing workers don't allow it.

Method	Description
plot(color, width, label, dashed)	Add a line series → _LineItem
addScatter(size, color, label)	Add a scatter series → _ScatterItem
addFit(source, mode_key, color, width, dashed, label)	Add a fit curve for a series → _FitItem
addLine(y=, x=, color, width, dashed)	Add an infinite reference line → _InfLine
setLabel(side, text)	Set axis label — "left" or "bottom"
autofit()	Fit view to current data bounds
setAutofitEnabled(bool)	Enable/disable auto-fit when data changes (default: True)
setLatestPointVisible(bool)	Show/hide latest-point badges on axis rulers
setThreadedFit(bool)	Switch threaded fit computation on/off at runtime
setToolbarVisible(visible)	Show/hide the toolbar
setSidebarVisible(visible)	Show/hide the sidebar
setLegendVisible(visible)	Show/hide the legend overlay
sidebar()	Return the SidebarLabel instance (or None)
removeItem(item)	Remove any series or line
clearAll()	Remove all series
refreshFitMenu()	Rebuild the fit-mode dropdown (call after register_fit_mode)
exportCsv()	Open save dialog, write all series to CSV
exportImage()	Open save dialog, save canvas as PNG
grabImage()	Return QPixmap of the canvas without a dialog

Color arguments accept any string QColor understands: "#e74c3c", "red", "rgb(200,100,50)". Omit color to get one from the auto-palette.

---

Series

line = chart.plot(label="Sensor A")
line.setData(xs=[...], ys=[...])
line.setVisible(True)
line.setRawVisible(False)   # hide raw data points; keep the fit curve visible
line.setLabel("New label")

scatter = chart.addScatter(size=10, label="Samples")
scatter.setData(x=[...], y=[...])
scatter.setRawVisible(False)

fit = chart.addFit(line, mode_key="spline", label="Spline fit")
fit.setModeKey("poly3")     # change algorithm live
fit.setVisible(False)

hline = chart.addLine(y=100.0, color="#f39c12", dashed=True)
hline.setValue(150.0)
hline.setVisible(True)

setRawVisible(False) hides the raw line or scatter while leaving any associated fit curve untouched. Use this when you only want to show the approximation.

---

Getting fit data out of the chart

fit = chart.addFit(line, mode_key="poly3")
line.setData(xs=[...], ys=[...])

xs, ys = fit.getData()
# Returns a 400-point dense evaluation across the source data's x range.
# Both xs and ys are plain Python lists of floats.

xs, ys = fit.getData(x_lo=0.0, x_hi=500.0, n_pts=1000)
# Supply an explicit range and resolution when needed.

getData() always runs synchronously, regardless of whether threaded_fit is on. It's safe to call from any code path that needs the numbers.

---

Built-in fit modes

Key	Method	Min points
linear_origin	y = kx (through origin)	1
linear	Ordinary least-squares	2
poly2	Polynomial degree 2	2
poly3	Polynomial degree 3	2
poly4	Polynomial degree 4	2
pchip	Piecewise Cubic Hermite (monotone)	2
spline	Natural cubic spline	2

---

Custom fit modes

from pyqt5_chart_widget import FitMode, register_fit_mode

def my_fit(x_pts, y_pts, x_eval):
    # x_pts / y_pts are pre-sorted and de-duplicated before this is called.
    # Return a list of floats with the same length as x_eval.
    k = sum(xi * yi for xi, yi in zip(x_pts, y_pts)) / sum(xi**2 for xi in x_pts)
    return [k * xi for xi in x_eval]

register_fit_mode(FitMode("my_fit", "My custom fit", my_fit, min_points=2))

# If the chart is already on screen, rebuild the dropdown:
chart.refreshFitMenu()

---

Threaded fit computation

For large datasets or expensive spline fits, pass threaded_fit=True:

chart = ChartWidget(threaded_fit=True)

Or flip it at runtime:

chart.setThreadedFit(True)

While a fit is computing, the canvas shows the previous cached result. The update arrives asynchronously and triggers a repaint automatically. If you zoom or pan quickly, the pending computation is queued and runs once the in-flight worker finishes.

Leave threaded_fit=False (the default) if creating threads is not allowed in your environment — some embedded runtimes, multiprocessing child processes, and certain test frameworks don't support it.

---

Auto-fit toggle

By default, the view refits whenever you push new data via setData. Disable it to manage the viewport yourself:

chart.setAutofitEnabled(False)
chart.autofit()  # still works on demand

The toolbar has an Auto-fit toggle button for this. Double-clicking the chart always triggers a fit regardless of the setting.

---

Latest-point markers

chart.setLatestPointVisible(True)

Or use the Latest button in the toolbar. Each visible series gets a small colored badge on the X and Y axis rulers showing the last value in the series. Handy when streaming live data and you need to read the current value without hovering.

---

Crosshair and hover

Hover over the plot area to get a crosshair, a snap dot on the nearest point, and an X/Y tooltip. The snap works on:

• Individual scatter points
• Interpolated positions along line segments (not just the data points)
• Interpolated positions on fit curves

A tangent line is drawn at the snap point for line series and fit curves.

---

Sidebar

chart = ChartWidget(show_sidebar=True)
sb = chart.sidebar()

sb.addLabel("Controls")
sb.addSeparator()
sb.addButton("Toggle line", lambda: line.setVisible(not line.visible))
sb.addButton("Export CSV",  chart.exportCsv, tooltip="Save data")
sb.clear()

---

Legend

chart = ChartWidget(show_legend=True)
# or later:
chart.setLegendVisible(True)

Only series that have a label and are visible appear in the legend.

---

Color palette

from pyqt5_chart_widget import set_palette, reset_colors

set_palette(["#ff0000", "#00ff00", "#0000ff"])  # replace the built-in palette
reset_colors()                                    # restart the auto-color index

---

Internationalization

from pyqt5_chart_widget import set_tr, update_strings

# Hook into your own translation system:
set_tr(lambda key: my_translations.get(key, key))

# Or patch individual strings:
update_strings({
    "chart_widget.btn_fit":      "Fit view",
    "chart_widget.btn_csv":      "Save CSV",
    "chart_widget.btn_autofit_toggle": "Live fit",
    "chart_widget.btn_latest":   "Now",
})

---

Interaction

Action	Result
Scroll wheel	Zoom in/out centered on cursor
Left drag	Pan
Double-click	Reset view to data bounds
Hover	Crosshair + snap to nearest point/curve + tangent

---

Module layout

pyqt5_chart_widget/
├── __init__.py       — public API re-exports
├── chart_widget.py   — ChartWidget, toolbar
├── canvas.py         — rendering, interaction, hover
├── items.py          — _LineItem, _ScatterItem, _FitItem, _InfLine
├── math_utils.py     — FitMode, built-in fitters, register_fit_mode, nice_ticks
├── sidebar.py        — SidebarLabel
├── palette.py        — auto-color palette
└── i18n.py           — tr(), set_tr(), update_strings()

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Why not matplotlib or pyqtgraph?

Matplotlib embedded in Qt is slow to start, awkward to theme, and brings in a lot of machinery for one calibration curve. Pyqtgraph is excellent but requires numpy as a hard dependency. This widget is ~1000 lines, has zero runtime dependencies beyond PyQt5, and does exactly what the name says.

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License

MIT