PythonXY, IPython Qt Console, matplotlib, draw something not in inline mode
Question: I'm new to PythonXY and Matplotlib. I installed PythonXY (v2.7.3.1) in default
full mode.

![PythonXY](http://i.stack.imgur.com/5FPEQ.png)

I use the "IPython Qt Console" application.

![IPython Qt Console](http://i.stack.imgur.com/Mif78.png)

I draw something using `matplotlib.pyplot` (imported as `plt`). For example.
When `plt.plot([1,3,2,4])`, the figure display in the same IPython console
immediately.

![plt.plot](http://i.stack.imgur.com/7xN9g.png)

If this, I cannot add some other properties, `plt.title`, `plt.xlabel`,
`plt.ylabel`, or more. Why? And how can I draw figures in another window,
adding more properties, and making the figure not display until `plt.show()`?


Answer: If you select from the Interactive Consoles dropdown on the Python(x,y) Home
launcher, "IPython (Qt)" and then click either the Console 2 or cmd.exe
button, it should then run IPython (Qt) with the Qt4Agg backend which will
allow you to plot in a separate window and apply titles and so on. For more
info see [What is a backend](http://matplotlib.org/faq/usage_faq.html#what-is-
a-backend).

What Python(x,y) in your example above is doing is launching IPython with the
pylab inline backend which is different from the standard backends so your
commands aren't having any affect, similar behaviour is noted in this [issue
on
github](https://github.com/ipython/ipython/issues/2851#issuecomment-14090091).
It doesn't seem possible to change the backend once IPython has been launched
with inline. I'm not sure where the Python(x,y) options are set or which
script is called to launch the item in the Applications dropdown.

Worth taking a look at [Anaconda](https://store.continuum.io/cshop/anaconda/)
as a free Python distribution with a scientific focus and regular updates.
Anaconda doesn't by default load pylab into IPython so you can choose the
backend after launching IPython.

