Provide a Julia syntax for nodes instead of pushing raw strings to the Axis.

[tpapp]

I will look into this.

Also, we could require that stuff to be written out verbatim is put in a wrapper type, say RawLaTeX, which would make it easier to find and document.

[KristofferC]

which would make it easier to find and document.

Perhaps, but it would also be a bit annoying? I think just making it more clear in the documentation is enough.

[tpapp]

Can you please clarify: you would prefer no new syntax, just document that <: AbstractString elements in AxisLike objects are written as is? My understanding is that this already happens, just underdocumented.

This is my preferred solution, as it would solve \legend, \legendentry, \label, arbitrary code, eg using \node and similar, without type proliferation. Cf #44.

[KristofferC]

For this issue, I meant it would be good to have a Node object with a Julia constructor. So instead of having to use the string raw"\node[fill=green] at (2, 5) {$F 42$};") we use something like Node( { fill => "green" }, "\$F 42\$)". That way you could use a colorant from the Colors package instead of a string because the Option functionality in PGFPlots knows how to translate a colorant to .tex.

However, we need to find a constructor that takes care of, at least, the most common usages of node.

Regarding strings, I think things should be kept as is. If you push a string into an Axis, just printing it makes sense.

[tpapp]

I have looked at this again following some recent requests on discourse.

\node is equivalent to \path node and as such is immensely versatile and powerful. I have looked at common usages on StackOverflow and the TikZ manual, and I am not sure that aiming to cover even a fraction of them is simple.

However, with #167, one can do eg

using PGFPlotsX, Colors
col = RGB(70/255, 130/25, 180/255)
@pgf Axis(Plot(Table(0:10, 0:10)),
          raw"\node" * print_tex(String, { color = col}) * " at " *
          print_tex(String, Coordinate(2, 5)) * raw"{$F 42$};")

[KristofferC]

I have looked at common usages on StackOverflow and the TikZ manual, and I am not sure that aiming to cover even a fraction of them is simple.

Yeah, I remember doing the same and just gave up on trying to map it nicely to julia syntax.

[tpapp]

Should I add an example like the one above to the manual?

Can it be made simpler/easier? print_tex(..., ::AbstractVector) is free, so one could do

using PGFPlotsX, Colors
PGFPlotsX.print_tex(io::IO, vec::AbstractVector) = foreach(elt -> print_tex(io, elt), vec)

and then the example simplifies to

col = RGB(70/255, 130/25, 180/255)
@pgf Axis(Plot(Table(0:10, 0:10)),
          [raw"\node", { color = col }, " at ", Coordinate(2, 5), raw"{$F 42$};"])

which is no longer that horrible.

[tpapp]

A worked example with \node is now available here:

https://kristofferc.github.io/PGFPlotsX.jl/dev/examples/latex/

There is no special syntax though, just a bit more convenient interface to print_texing everything, so I am not sure it closes this issue.