ENH: Add PolarAxes.get_rlim() and get_thetalim() for API symmetry

tinezivic · tinezivic · commit 2d28b7f88d27 · 2026-05-17T20:20:13.000+02:00
diff --git a/doc/release/next_whats_new/polar_get_rlim_thetalim.rst b/doc/release/next_whats_new/polar_get_rlim_thetalim.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+``PolarAxes.get_rlim()`` and ``get_thetalim()`` added
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+:class:`~matplotlib.projections.polar.PolarAxes` now provides
+`~matplotlib.projections.polar.PolarAxes.get_rlim` and
+`~matplotlib.projections.polar.PolarAxes.get_thetalim` to complement the
+existing `~matplotlib.projections.polar.PolarAxes.set_rlim` and
+`~matplotlib.projections.polar.PolarAxes.set_thetalim`. Previously, calling
+these getters raised an ``AttributeError``; the workaround was to call the
+base-class ``get_ylim()`` / ``get_xlim()`` directly::
+
+    ax = plt.subplot(projection="polar")
+    ax.set_rlim(1, 5)
+    rmin, rmax = ax.get_rlim()   # was: AttributeError
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/projections/polar.py b/lib/matplotlib/projections/polar.py
@@ -1065,6 +1065,21 @@ def set_thetalim(self, *args, **kwargs):
             raise ValueError("The angle range must be less than a full circle")
         return tuple(np.rad2deg((new_min, new_max)))
 
+    def get_thetalim(self):
+        """
+        Get the minimum and maximum theta values.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        thetamin, thetamax : float
+            The minimum and maximum theta limit values in radians.
+
+        See Also
+        --------
+        set_thetalim
+        """
+        return self.get_xlim()
+
     def set_theta_offset(self, offset):
         """
         Set the offset for the location of 0 in radians.
@@ -1224,6 +1239,21 @@ def set_rlim(self, bottom=None, top=None, *,
         return self.set_ylim(bottom=bottom, top=top, emit=emit, auto=auto,
                              **kwargs)
 
+    def get_rlim(self):
+        """
+        Get the radial axis view limits.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        bottom, top : float
+            The lower and upper radial axis limits.
+
+        See Also
+        --------
+        set_rlim
+        """
+        return self.get_ylim()
+
     def get_rlabel_position(self):
         """
         Returns
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_polar.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_polar.py
@@ -398,6 +398,29 @@ def test_axvspan():
     assert span.get_path()._interpolation_steps > 1
 
 
+def test_polar_get_rlim():
+    # GH#31694 — PolarAxes.get_rlim() should mirror set_rlim()
+    ax = plt.figure().add_subplot(projection='polar')
+    ax.set_rlim(1.5, 8.0)
+    assert ax.get_rlim() == (1.5, 8.0)
+
+
+def test_polar_get_rlim_after_plot():
+    # GH#31694 — get_rlim() should work after autoscaling via plot()
+    ax = plt.figure().add_subplot(projection='polar')
+    theta = np.linspace(0, 2 * np.pi, 10)
+    ax.plot(theta, np.ones(10) * 5.0)
+    rmin, rmax = ax.get_rlim()
+    assert rmax >= 5.0
+
+
+def test_polar_get_thetalim():
+    # GH#31694 — PolarAxes.get_thetalim() should mirror set_thetalim()
+    ax = plt.figure().add_subplot(projection='polar')
+    ax.set_thetalim(0.5, 2.7)
+    assert_allclose(ax.get_thetalim(), (0.5, 2.7))
+
+
 @check_figures_equal()
 def test_remove_shared_polar(fig_ref, fig_test):
     # Removing shared polar axes used to crash.  Test removing them, keeping in
