timple
Extended functionality for plotting timedelta-like values with Matplotlib
What it is and what it does
Timple patches Matplotlib to handle timedelta plotting natively. Matplotlib can plot timedelta values as raw numbers but lacks the locators and formatters needed to create readable axis ticks in time intervals (minutes, hours, etc.) or to format durations into human-readable strings like '3:05' for 185 seconds. Timple fills that gap by registering automatic converters and providing customizable tick placement and formatting.
The package supports numpy.timedelta64, datetime.timedelta, and pandas.Timedelta objects, and can also handle pandas.NaT (missing time values). Once enabled, Timple's patches apply globally to Matplotlib, so you use plt.plot() and related functions exactly as usual—the enhanced timedelta handling happens transparently.
Use it for:
- Plot lap times or race durations on a y-axis with readable minute:second formatting
- Visualize event durations or time intervals in scientific data with automatic tick spacing
- Display performance metrics measured in seconds or milliseconds with human-readable axis labels
- Create time-series plots where the x or y axis represents elapsed time rather than wall-clock time
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Timple extends Matplotlib with locators and formatters for plotting timedelta values, enabling readable time-interval axis ticks and automatic formatting of duration data.
Yes, if you regularly plot timedelta data in Matplotlib and want readable time-formatted axes without manual tick configuration. The low install friction and permissive license make it a safe addition. However, dormant maintenance (last update 2023-12-27) means you should verify compatibility with your current Matplotlib and pandas versions before relying on it in production; no active support is available.
Install
timple on PyPI
pip
pip install timpleuv
uv add timplepoetry
poetry add timpleInstalling timple
Before you install
Low install friction; pure Python wheel with only numpy and matplotlib as runtime dependencies. Maintenance is dormant—last release was 2023-12-27 and no commits since then—so expect no active bug fixes or feature updates.
License in practice
MIT license is permissive; you can use, modify, and distribute this package with minimal legal restriction.
Quickstart
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import timple
tmpl = timple.Timple()
tmpl.enable()
plt.plot([...timedelta data...])
plt.show()
Requires numpy and matplotlib to be installed; Python >= 3.7
Verify before relying
- Whether pandas.Timedelta and pandas.NaT support work correctly in current pandas versions
- Compatibility with recent Matplotlib versions beyond what 'supports_current' Python implies
Package facts
| License | MIT (permissive) |
| Python support | supports the current Python release (>=3.7) |
| Install friction | low — pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 2 — numpy, matplotlib |
| Maintenance | dormant — 961 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 106,232/month — #12,662 on PyPI (30-day window, as of 2026-08-14) |
| Known vulnerabilities | none known (OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14) |
Evidence: timple-0.1.8-py3-none-any.whl
Tags
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