DecimalForm in Plot Ticks

Question

I'm trying to get my plot ticks in decimal form. The automatic output is

Plot[x, {x, 0, 10^-5}]

but I would like all ticks in the format 0.000008 etc.

I tried the following method, described in a previous Q&A:

longticks = Show[#, AbsoluteOptions[#, Ticks] /. {n_?NumberQ, n_, a_List, b_List} :> {n, AccountingForm[n], a, b}] &;
Plot[x, {x, 0, 10^-5}] // longticks

but it doesn't do what I hoped, as you can see below:

I'm using Mathematica version 13.0.

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Jun 09 '22 at 02:48

It seems that the approach from the linked answer is sound but a small modification of the replacement pattern is needed, perhaps because the tick specification format may have changed since that answer:

longticks2 = Show[#, AbsoluteOptions[#, Ticks] /. {pos_, lbl:Except[""], len_} :> {pos, AccountingForm[pos], len}]&
Plot[x, {x, 0, 10^-5}] // longticks2

rhermans · Answer 2 · 2022-06-09T07:31:57.393

You can create the strings in any way you want them.

myticks= Function[
    {number},
    {
        number,
        ToString[
            AccountingForm[
                N[number], 
                {12, 7}, 
                NumberSigns -> {"-", "+"},
                NumberPadding->{" ","0"}
            ]
        ]
    }
]
Plot[
    x
    , {x, 0, 10^-5}
    ,FrameTicks-> {
        myticks/@FindDivisions[{0,  10^-5}, 3],
        myticks/@FindDivisions[{0,  10^-5}, 10]
        }
    ,PlotTheme->"Scientific"
]

Even though this, I think, answers your question, it does look rather ugly and hard to read. I would advise against ever showing numbers with so many insignificant decimal points. Better to use integer numbers on a proper scale.

DecimalForm in Plot Ticks

2 Answers2