MNT: prefer "clear" as canonical over clf

tacaswell · tacaswell · commit f37add188c8b · 2022-03-30T18:33:50.000-04:00
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/figure.py b/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
@@ -913,7 +913,7 @@ def _break_share_link(ax, grouper):
         # Break link between any twinned axes
         _break_share_link(ax, ax._twinned_axes)
 
-    def clf(self, keep_observers=False):
+    def clear(self, keep_observers=False):
         """
         Clear the figure.
 
@@ -928,7 +928,7 @@ def clf(self, keep_observers=False):
 
         # first clear the axes in any subfigures
         for subfig in self.subfigs:
-            subfig.clf(keep_observers=keep_observers)
+            subfig.clear(keep_observers=keep_observers)
         self.subfigs = []
 
         for ax in tuple(self.axes):  # Iterate over the copy.
@@ -949,8 +949,8 @@ def clf(self, keep_observers=False):
 
         self.stale = True
 
-    # synonym for `clf`."""
-    clear = clf
+    # synonym for `clear`.
+    clf = clear
 
     # Note: in the docstring below, the newlines in the examples after the
     # calls to legend() allow replacing it with figlegend() to generate the
@@ -2340,7 +2340,7 @@ def __init__(self,
         self.subplotpars = subplotpars
 
         self._axstack = _AxesStack()  # track all figure axes and current axes
-        self.clf()
+        self.clear()
         self._cachedRenderer = None
 
         # list of child gridspecs for this figure
@@ -2839,15 +2839,18 @@ def set_figheight(self, val, forward=True):
         """
         self.set_size_inches(self.get_figwidth(), val, forward=forward)
 
-    def clf(self, keep_observers=False):
+    def clear(self, keep_observers=False):
         # docstring inherited
-        super().clf(keep_observers=keep_observers)
-        # FigureBase.clf does not clear toolbars, as
+        super().clear(keep_observers=keep_observers)
+        # FigureBase.clear does not clear toolbars, as
         # only Figure can have toolbars
         toolbar = self.canvas.toolbar
         if toolbar is not None:
             toolbar.update()
 
+    # synonym for `clear`.
+    clf = clear
+
     @_finalize_rasterization
     @allow_rasterization
     def draw(self, renderer):
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_figure.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_figure.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 from matplotlib._api.deprecation import MatplotlibDeprecationWarning
 from matplotlib.testing.decorators import image_comparison, check_figures_equal
 from matplotlib.axes import Axes
-from matplotlib.figure import Figure
+from matplotlib.figure import Figure, FigureBase
 from matplotlib.layout_engine import (ConstrainedLayoutEngine,
                                       TightLayoutEngine)
 from matplotlib.ticker import AutoMinorLocator, FixedFormatter, ScalarFormatter
@@ -790,6 +790,12 @@ def test_figure_clear():
     assert fig.axes == []
 
 
+def test_clf_is_clear():
+    for cls in [FigureBase] + FigureBase.__subclasses__():
+        assert cls.clf is cls.clear
+        assert cls.clear.__name__ == 'clear'
+
+
 @mpl.style.context('mpl20')
 def test_picking_does_not_stale():
     fig, ax = plt.subplots()
