`subplot` — Split a figure into subplot grids for multi-panel charts, side-by-side comparisons, and MATLAB `subplot` workflows.

subplot(m, n, p) selects an axes location inside an m by n figure grid and returns an axes handle for that slot. In RunMat, subplot selection is the backbone for axes-local plot state: legends, labels, log modes, view angles, and plot children all attach to the currently selected subplot unless an explicit handle is passed.

How `subplot` works in RunMat

The returned value is an axes handle that can be passed explicitly to later plotting commands.
Subplot-local metadata stays isolated per axes: titles, legends, limits, log modes, and 3-D view state are all tracked independently.
Subsequent plotting commands operate on the selected subplot unless another axes handle is passed explicitly.
Indices are one-based in the MATLAB style. subplot(2, 2, 3) selects the third slot in row-major order.

Examples

Create a 2x2 subplot layout

subplot(2, 2, 1);
plot(0:0.1:1, (0:0.1:1).^2);
subplot(2, 2, 2);
scatter(1:5, [5 4 3 2 1]);

Capture and reuse an axes handle explicitly

ax = subplot(1, 2, 2);
plot(ax, 0:0.1:1, sin(0:0.1:1));
get(ax, 'Type')

Expected output:

ans =
    'axes'

Show that subplot-local state stays isolated

subplot(1, 2, 1);
semilogx(logspace(0, 2, 50), logspace(0, 2, 50));
subplot(1, 2, 2);
plot(1:5, 1:5);

Expected output:

% Only the first subplot uses a logarithmic x-axis

FAQ

How do I control the number of rows and columns in a subplot layout?

The first two arguments to subplot(m, n, p) set the grid dimensions: m rows and n columns. The third argument p selects which slot to activate, counted in row-major order starting at 1. subplot(3, 1, 2) gives you the middle row of a three-row single-column layout.

Set matching limits on both axes manually with axis or set. There's no automatic linkaxes yet, but explicit limits keep them in sync.

subplot(2, 1, 1); plot(0:10, rand(1, 11)); axis([0 10 0 1]);
subplot(2, 1, 2); plot(0:10, rand(1, 11)); axis([0 10 0 1]);

Can I make subplots of unequal sizes?

You can span multiple grid slots by passing a vector as the third argument. subplot(2, 2, [1 2]) creates a subplot that spans the entire top row of a 2x2 grid, while the bottom row keeps two separate panels.

These functions work well alongside subplot. Each page has runnable examples you can try in the browser.

plot, legend, get, set

More plotting resources

Open-source implementation

Unlike proprietary runtimes, every RunMat function is open-source. Read exactly how subplot works, line by line, in Rust.

View subplot.rs on GitHub
Learn how the runtime works
Found a bug? Open an issue with a minimal reproduction.

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subplot — Split a figure into subplot grids for multi-panel charts, side-by-side comparisons, and MATLAB subplot workflows.

How subplot works in RunMat