# Binscatter Properties

Binscatter appearance and behavior

`Binscatter` properties control the appearance and behavior of binned scatter plots. By changing property values, you can modify aspects of the display. Use dot notation to refer to a particular object and property:

```h = binscatter(randn(1,100),randn(1,100)); N = h.NumBins h.NumBins = [3 3]```

## Bins

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Number of bins, specified as a scalar or two-element vector ```[Nx Ny]```.

• If `NumBins` is specified as a two-element vector `[Nx Ny]`, then `binscatter` uses `Nx` bins in the x dimension and `Ny` bins in the y dimension.

• If `NumBins` is specified as a scalar, then `Nx` and `Ny` are both set to the scalar value.

`binscatter` uses `Nx` and `Ny` bins along the x and y dimensions in the initial plot, when the axes are not zoomed in. (The axes are not zoomed in when the `XLimMode` and `YLimMode` properties are both `'auto'`.) When zooming, `binscatter` adjusts the number of bins to maintain a bin size such that the visible portion of the plot is approximately divided into `Nx`-by-`Ny` bins.

The maximum number of bins in each dimension is 250. The default number of bins is computed based on the data size and standard deviation and does not exceed 100.

Example: `[10 20]`

Data Types: `single` | `double` | `int8` | `int16` | `int32` | `int64` | `uint8` | `uint16` | `uint32` | `uint64`

Selection mode for number of bins, specified as either `'auto'` or `'manual'`. With the default value of `'auto'`, the number of bins is computed from the data according to Scott's rule, ```[3.5*std(X(:))*numel(X)^(-1/4), 3.5*std(Y(:))*numel(Y)^(-1/4)]```.

If you specify the number of bins, then the value of `'NumBinsMode'` is set to `'manual'`.

Toggle to show empty bins, specified as either `'off'` or `'on'`, or as numeric or logical `1` (`true`) or `0` (`false`). A value of `'on'` is equivalent to `true`, and `'off'` is equivalent to `false`. Thus, you can use the value of this property as a logical value. The value is stored as an on/off logical value of type `matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState`.

Specify `'on'` or `true` to color tiles in the plot that fall within the bin limits, but have no data points.

Bin edges in x-dimension, returned as a vector.

Data Types: `single` | `double` | `datetime` | `duration`

Bin edges in y dimension, returned as a vector.

Data Types: `single` | `double` | `datetime` | `duration`

Data limits in x-dimension, specified as a two-element vector `[Xmin Xmax]`.

`binscatter` only displays data points that fall within the specified data limits inclusively, ${X}_{\mathrm{min}}\le X\le {X}_{\mathrm{max}}$.

Example: `[0 10]`

Data Types: `single` | `double` | `int8` | `int16` | `int32` | `int64` | `uint8` | `uint16` | `uint32` | `uint64` | `datetime` | `duration`

Selection mode for data limits in x-dimension, specified as `'auto'` or `'manual'`. The default value is `'auto'`, so that the bin limits automatically adjust to the data along the x-axis.

If you explicitly specify `XLimits`, then `XLimitsMode` is automatically set to `'manual'`. In that case, specify `XLimitsMode` as `'auto'` to rescale the bin limits to the data.

Data limits in y-dimension, specified as a two-element vector `[Ymin Ymax]`.

`binscatter` only displays data points that fall within the specified data limits inclusively, ${Y}_{\mathrm{min}}\le Y\le {Y}_{\mathrm{max}}$.

Example: `[0 10]`

Data Types: `single` | `double` | `int8` | `int16` | `int32` | `int64` | `uint8` | `uint16` | `uint32` | `uint64` | `datetime` | `duration`

Selection mode for data limits in y-dimension, specified as `'auto'` or `'manual'`. The default value is `'auto'`, so that the bin limits automatically adjust to the data along the y-axis.

If you explicitly specify `YLimits`, then `YLimitsMode` is automatically set to `'manual'`. In that case, specify `YLimitsMode` as `'auto'` to rescale the bin limits to the data.

## Data

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x coordinates of data, specified as a vector.

Data Types: `single` | `double` | `int8` | `int16` | `int32` | `int64` | `uint8` | `uint16` | `uint32` | `uint64` | `datetime` | `duration`

y coordinates of data, specified as a vector.

Data Types: `single` | `double` | `int8` | `int16` | `int32` | `int64` | `uint8` | `uint16` | `uint32` | `uint64` | `datetime` | `duration`

Bin values, returned as a double matrix. The `(i,j)`th entry in `Values` specifies the bin count for the bin whose x edges are ```[XBinEdges(i), XBinEdges(i+1)]``` and whose y edges are `[YBinEdges(j), YBinEdges(j+1)]`.

The bin inclusion scheme for the different numbered bins in `Values`, as well as their relative orientation to the x-axis and y-axis, is

For example, the `(1,1)` bin includes values that fall on the first edge in each dimension. The last bin in the bottom right includes values that fall on any of its edges.

## Transparency

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Transparency of tiles, specified as a scalar value between `0` and `1` inclusive. `binscatter` uses the same transparency for all the tiles. A value of `1` means fully opaque and `0` means completely transparent (invisible).

Example: `binscatter(X,Y,'FaceAlpha',0.5)` creates a binned scatter plot with semitransparent bins.

## Legend

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Text used by the legend, specified as a character vector. The text appears next to an icon of the binscatter.

Example: `'Text Description'`

For multiline text, create the character vector using `sprintf` with the new line character `\n`.

Example: `sprintf('line one\nline two')`

Alternatively, you can specify the legend text using the `legend` function.

• If you specify the text as an input argument to the `legend` function, then the legend uses the specified text and sets the `DisplayName` property to the same value.

• If you do not specify the text as an input argument to the `legend` function, then the legend uses the text in the `DisplayName` property. The default value of `DisplayName` is one of these values.

• For numeric inputs, `DisplayName` is a character vector representing the variable name of the input data used to construct the histogram. If the input data does not have a variable name, then `DisplayName` is empty, `''`.

• For categorical array inputs, `DisplayName` is empty, `''`.

If the `DisplayName` property does not contain any text, then the legend generates a character vector. The character vector has the form `'dataN'`, where `N` is the number assigned to the binscatter object based on its location in the list of legend entries.

If you edit interactively the character vector in an existing legend, then MATLAB® updates the `DisplayName` property to the edited character vector.

Control for including or excluding the object from a legend, returned as an `Annotation` object. Set the underlying `IconDisplayStyle` property to one of these values:

• `'on'` — Include the object in the legend (default).

• `'off'` — Do not include the object in the legend.

For example, to exclude a graphics object, `go`, from the legend set the `IconDisplayStyle` property to `'off'`.

```go.Annotation.LegendInformation.IconDisplayStyle = 'off'; ```

Alternatively, you can control the items in a legend using the `legend` function. Specify the first input argument as a vector of the graphics objects to include. If you do not specify an existing graphics object in the first input argument, then it does not appear in the legend. However, graphics objects added to the axes after the legend is created do appear in the legend. Consider creating the legend after creating all the plots to avoid extra items.

## Interactivity

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State of visibility, specified as `'on'` or `'off'`, or as numeric or logical `1` (`true`) or `0` (`false`). A value of `'on'` is equivalent to `true`, and `'off'` is equivalent to `false`. Thus, you can use the value of this property as a logical value. The value is stored as an on/off logical value of type `matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState`.

• `'on'` — Display the object.

• `'off'` — Hide the object without deleting it. You still can access the properties of an invisible object.

Data tip content, specified as a `DataTipTemplate` object. You can control the content that appears in a data tip by modifying the properties of the underlying `DataTipTemplate` object. For a list of properties, see DataTipTemplate Properties.

For an example of modifying data tips, see Create Custom Data Tips.

Note

The `DataTipTemplate` object is not returned by `findobj` or `findall`, and it is not copied by `copyobj`.

Context menu, specified as a `ContextMenu` object. Use this property to display a context menu when you right-click the object. Create the context menu using the `uicontextmenu` function.

Note

If the `PickableParts` property is set to `'none'` or if the `HitTest` property is set to `'off'`, then the context menu does not appear.

Selection state, specified as `'on'` or `'off'`, or as numeric or logical `1` (`true`) or `0` (`false`). A value of `'on'` is equivalent to true, and `'off'` is equivalent to `false`. Thus, you can use the value of this property as a logical value. The value is stored as an on/off logical value of type `matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState`.

• `'on'` — Selected. If you click the object when in plot edit mode, then MATLAB sets its `Selected` property to `'on'`. If the `SelectionHighlight` property also is set to `'on'`, then MATLAB displays selection handles around the object.

• `'off'` — Not selected.

Display of selection handles when selected, specified as `'on'` or `'off'`, or as numeric or logical `1` (`true`) or `0` (`false`). A value of `'on'` is equivalent to true, and `'off'` is equivalent to `false`. Thus, you can use the value of this property as a logical value. The value is stored as an on/off logical value of type `matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState`.

• `'on'` — Display selection handles when the `Selected` property is set to `'on'`.

• `'off'` — Never display selection handles, even when the `Selected` property is set to `'on'`.

## Callbacks

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Mouse-click callback, specified as one of these values:

• Function handle

• Cell array containing a function handle and additional arguments

• Character vector that is a valid MATLAB command or function, which is evaluated in the base workspace (not recommended)

Use this property to execute code when you click the object. If you specify this property using a function handle, then MATLAB passes two arguments to the callback function when executing the callback:

• Clicked object — Access properties of the clicked object from within the callback function.

• Event data — Empty argument. Replace it with the tilde character (`~`) in the function definition to indicate that this argument is not used.

For more information on how to use function handles to define callback functions, see Callback Definition.

Note

If the `PickableParts` property is set to `'none'` or if the `HitTest` property is set to `'off'`, then this callback does not execute.

Object creation function, specified as one of these values:

• Function handle.

• Cell array in which the first element is a function handle. Subsequent elements in the cell array are the arguments to pass to the callback function.

• Character vector containing a valid MATLAB expression (not recommended). MATLAB evaluates this expression in the base workspace.

For more information about specifying a callback as a function handle, cell array, or character vector, see Callback Definition.

This property specifies a callback function to execute when MATLAB creates the object. MATLAB initializes all property values before executing the `CreateFcn` callback. If you do not specify the `CreateFcn` property, then MATLAB executes a default creation function.

Setting the `CreateFcn` property on an existing component has no effect.

If you specify this property as a function handle or cell array, you can access the object that is being created using the first argument of the callback function. Otherwise, use the `gcbo` function to access the object.

Object deletion function, specified as one of these values:

• Function handle.

• Cell array in which the first element is a function handle. Subsequent elements in the cell array are the arguments to pass to the callback function.

• Character vector containing a valid MATLAB expression (not recommended). MATLAB evaluates this expression in the base workspace.

For more information about specifying a callback as a function handle, cell array, or character vector, see Callback Definition.

This property specifies a callback function to execute when MATLAB deletes the object. MATLAB executes the `DeleteFcn` callback before destroying the properties of the object. If you do not specify the `DeleteFcn` property, then MATLAB executes a default deletion function.

If you specify this property as a function handle or cell array, you can access the object that is being deleted using the first argument of the callback function. Otherwise, use the `gcbo` function to access the object.

## Callback Execution Control

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Callback interruption, specified as `'on'` or `'off'`, or as numeric or logical `1` (`true`) or `0` (`false`). A value of `'on'` is equivalent to `true`, and `'off'` is equivalent to `false`. Thus, you can use the value of this property as a logical value. The value is stored as an on/off logical value of type `matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState`.

This property determines if a running callback can be interrupted. There are two callback states to consider:

• The running callback is the currently executing callback.

• The interrupting callback is a callback that tries to interrupt the running callback.

Whenever MATLAB invokes a callback, that callback attempts to interrupt the running callback (if one exists). The `Interruptible` property of the object owning the running callback determines if interruption is allowed.

• A value of `'on'` allows other callbacks to interrupt the object's callbacks. The interruption occurs at the next point where MATLAB processes the queue, such as when there is a `drawnow`, `figure`, `uifigure`, `getframe`, `waitfor`, or `pause` command.

• If the running callback contains one of those commands, then MATLAB stops the execution of the callback at that point and executes the interrupting callback. MATLAB resumes executing the running callback when the interrupting callback completes.

• If the running callback does not contain one of those commands, then MATLAB finishes executing the callback without interruption.

• A value of `'off'` blocks all interruption attempts. The `BusyAction` property of the object owning the interrupting callback determines if the interrupting callback is discarded or put into a queue.

Note

Callback interruption and execution behave differently in these situations:

• If the interrupting callback is a `DeleteFcn`, `CloseRequestFcn` or `SizeChangedFcn` callback, then the interruption occurs regardless of the `Interruptible` property value.

• If the running callback is currently executing the `waitfor` function, then the interruption occurs regardless of the `Interruptible` property value.

• `Timer` objects execute according to schedule regardless of the `Interruptible` property value.

When an interruption occurs, MATLAB does not save the state of properties or the display. For example, the object returned by the `gca` or `gcf` command might change when another callback executes.

Callback queuing, specified as `'queue'` or `'cancel'`. The `BusyAction` property determines how MATLAB handles the execution of interrupting callbacks. There are two callback states to consider:

• The running callback is the currently executing callback.

• The interrupting callback is a callback that tries to interrupt the running callback.

Whenever MATLAB invokes a callback, that callback attempts to interrupt a running callback. The `Interruptible` property of the object owning the running callback determines if interruption is permitted. If interruption is not permitted, then the `BusyAction` property of the object owning the interrupting callback determines if it is discarded or put in the queue. These are possible values of the `BusyAction` property:

• `'queue'` — Puts the interrupting callback in a queue to be processed after the running callback finishes execution.

• `'cancel'` — Does not execute the interrupting callback.

Ability to capture mouse clicks, specified as one of these values:

• `'visible'` — Capture mouse clicks only when visible. The `Visible` property must be set to `'on'`. The `HitTest` property determines if the `Binscatter` object responds to the click or if an ancestor does.

• `'none'` — Cannot capture mouse clicks. Clicking the `Binscatter` object passes the click to the object behind it in the current view of the figure window. The `HitTest` property of the `Binscatter` object has no effect.

Response to captured mouse clicks, specified as `'on'` or `'off'`, or as numeric or logical `1` (`true`) or `0` (`false`). A value of `'on'` is equivalent to true, and `'off'` is equivalent to `false`. Thus, you can use the value of this property as a logical value. The value is stored as an on/off logical value of type `matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState`.

• `'on'` — Trigger the `ButtonDownFcn` callback of the `Binscatter` object. If you have defined the `ContextMenu` property, then invoke the context menu.

• `'off'` — Trigger the callbacks for the nearest ancestor of the `Binscatter` object that has one of these:

• `HitTest` property set to `'on'`

• `PickableParts` property set to a value that enables the ancestor to capture mouse clicks

Note

The `PickableParts` property determines if the `Binscatter` object can capture mouse clicks. If it cannot, then the `HitTest` property has no effect.

Deletion status, returned as an on/off logical value of type `matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState`.

MATLAB sets the `BeingDeleted` property to `'on'` when the `DeleteFcn` callback begins execution. The `BeingDeleted` property remains set to `'on'` until the component object no longer exists.

Check the value of the `BeingDeleted` property to verify that the object is not about to be deleted before querying or modifying it.

## Parent/Child

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Parent, specified as an `Axes` object.

Children, returned as an empty `GraphicsPlaceholder` array or a `DataTip` object array. Use this property to view a list of data tips that are plotted on the chart.

You cannot add or remove children using the `Children` property. To add a child to this list, set the `Parent` property of the `DataTip` object to the chart object.

Visibility of the object handle in the `Children` property of the parent, specified as one of these values:

• `'on'` — Object handle is always visible.

• `'off'` — Object handle is invisible at all times. This option is useful for preventing unintended changes by another function. Set the `HandleVisibility` to `'off'` to temporarily hide the handle during the execution of that function.

• `'callback'` — Object handle is visible from within callbacks or functions invoked by callbacks, but not from within functions invoked from the command line. This option blocks access to the object at the command line, but permits callback functions to access it.

If the object is not listed in the `Children` property of the parent, then functions that obtain object handles by searching the object hierarchy or querying handle properties cannot return it. Examples of such functions include the `get`, `findobj`, `gca`, `gcf`, `gco`, `newplot`, `cla`, `clf`, and `close` functions.

Hidden object handles are still valid. Set the root `ShowHiddenHandles` property to `'on'` to list all object handles regardless of their `HandleVisibility` property setting.

## Identifiers

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Type of graphics object, returned as `'binscatter'`. Use this property to find all objects of a given type within a plotting hierarchy, such as searching for the type using `findobj`.

Object identifier, specified as a character vector or string scalar. You can specify a unique `Tag` value to serve as an identifier for an object. When you need access to the object elsewhere in your code, you can use the `findobj` function to search for the object based on the `Tag` value.

User data, specified as any MATLAB array. For example, you can specify a scalar, vector, matrix, cell array, character array, table, or structure. Use this property to store arbitrary data on an object.

If you are working in App Designer, create public or private properties in the app to share data instead of using the `UserData` property. For more information, see Share Data Within App Designer Apps.

## Compatibility Considerations

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Not recommended starting in R2020a