Terminology

Consistent naming across FigRecipe code, docs, and UI.

Core Hierarchy

Canvas (editor workspace)
 └─ Figure (matplotlib Figure, mm-sized)
     └─ Axes (single plot panel)
         ├─ Axis (x or y ruler with ticks)
         └─ Plot (visual data: lines, bars, scatter, etc.)

Figure

A matplotlib Figure — the top-level container for all visual elements. In FigRecipe, figure dimensions are defined in exact mm via the style system (margins, axes sizes, spacing).

Wrapped as RecordingFigure to track recipe operations
fig._fig accesses the underlying matplotlib Figure
One figure = one .yaml recipe = one output image

Axes

A single plot panel (matplotlib Axes). One figure can contain a grid of axes (e.g., 2×3). Each axes has its own coordinate system, spines, ticks, labels, and title.

FigRecipe returns axes as a 2D list: axes[row][col]
Plural “axes” refers to multiple panels, not the x/y axis lines

Axis

A single x or y ruler line (matplotlib XAxis / YAxis). Part of an axes. Contains tick marks, tick labels, an axis label (e.g., “Time (s)”), and a scale (linear, log, etc.).

Not to be confused with “axes” (the panel container).

Plot

The visual data representation drawn within an axes — lines, bars, scatter points, histograms, contours, images, etc. In matplotlib these are “artists” (Line2D, PathCollection, BarContainer, etc.).

Panel

Synonym for axes in FigRecipe context. Used in panel labels (“A”, “B”, “C”), panel_bboxes, align_panels(), and distribute_panels().

Canvas

The editor workspace — an HTML/CSS container with a mm-grid background, rulers, zoom/pan controls, and snap guides. Not a matplotlib object. Figures are placed on the canvas at absolute pixel positions.

Style

A named configuration (e.g., SCITEX) defining mm-based dimensions: margins, axes sizes, spacing, fonts, line widths, colors.

Recipe

A YAML file that fully describes how to reproduce a figure: plot type, data source, style overrides, panel layout.

Editor-Specific Terms

Term	Meaning
Hitmap	Color-coded overlay mapping pixel regions to figure elements
Bbox	Bounding box — `{x, y, width, height}` in image pixels
Placed figure	A figure positioned on the canvas at `(x, y)`
Snap guide	Visual alignment line shown during drag
Composition	Multi-figure arrangement on the canvas

Common Confusions

Wrong	Right	Why
“the axes line”	“the axis”	Axes = panel, axis = ruler line
“tight layout”	“mm-based layout”	FigRecipe uses explicit mm positions, not auto-layout
“canvas background”	“figure background”	Canvas is the editor; figure is the matplotlib object
`bbox_inches="tight"`	(omit)	Breaks mm coordinates — never use in FigRecipe editor