coordinatestyle

Coordinatestyle is a term used in data visualization and graphical interfaces to describe the styling rules applied to the coordinate system of a plot or diagram. It governs how axes, grid lines, tick marks, and coordinate labels are drawn, including colors, line widths, font choices, and value formatting. The concept separates the visual representation of coordinates from the plotted data, enabling consistent theming across charts and devices.

In practice, coordinatestyle may include axis line color and width; grid visibility and color; tick marks length, direction, and frequency; tick label font, size, color, and rotation; and the formatting of numeric values, such as decimal precision or scientific notation. It may also encompass units, prefixes, and the handling of axis arrows or end caps. Implementations typically expose coordinatestyle as a style object, an ontology of properties, or a set of configuration options that can be applied globally or to individual plots.

Examples across tools show coordinatestyle influencing axis and grid aesthetics. In Matplotlib, similar control is achieved through tick parameters, spine styling, and grid properties. Plotly and Vega-Lite expose axis objects with properties for color, grid color, tick formatting, and label styling. In LaTeX-based plotting with PGFPlots, axis styling and axis options serve a comparable role for consistent coordinate presentation.

Design considerations for coordinatestyle include readability, accessibility (contrast and legibility), and consistency with overall theming. It should be documented, easy to override, and adaptable to different screen sizes and print contexts. See also axes, ticks, grids, and theming.