What does “rc” in matplotlib's rcParams stand for? [closed]

62
votes

matplotlibrc configuration files are used to customize all kinds of properties in matplotlib. One can change the rc settings to customize the default parameters e.g:

matplotlib.rcParams['font.family'] = 'times new roman'

... but what does "rc" stand for?

I can't find any explanation in the docs

1
pythonmatplotlibconfigurationnaming-conventionsconfiguration-files
See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Configuration_file and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Run_commands. in mpl, rcParams are the parameters that can be set in the .matplotlibrc file – tmdavison
The **matplotlib.rc() ** command can be used to modify multiple settings in a single group at once – chamzz.dot
It stands for “run commands”. – Yas
"run commands" is close to the answer, but so obscure as to be obsolete. I prefer to call it "runtime configuration" parameters. From Wikipedia link above (which I repeat here for completeness) ... 'In the context of Unix-like systems, the term rc stands for the phrase "run commands". It is used for any file that contains startup information for a command.' I don't consider matplotlib to be a Unix-like system, hence applying '.rc' to matplotlib was perhaps out of habit by a Unix programmer. matplotlib.rcparams should be renamed to "runtime_config" or something more obvious. – Rich Lysakowski PhD
@RichLysakowski please don't edit noise into questions. – Andras Deak

1 Answers

70
votes

It's common to end configuration files in 'rc' - e.g. '.xinitrc', '.vimrc' and '.bashrc'.

It stems from practice of having your configs executable - they are automatically Run at startup and they Configure your stuff.

This started long ago, even before Unix:

[Unix: from runcom files on the CTSS system 1962-63, via the startup script /etc/rc] Script file containing startup instructions for an application program (or an entire operating system), usually a text file containing commands of the sort that might have been invoked manually once the system was running but are to be executed automatically each time the system starts up.