Add explicit xlabel/ylabel(/zlabel) plot options

holoviews/plotting/bokeh/element.py

@@ -1321,7 +1321,7 @@ class OverlayPlot(GenericOverlayPlot, LegendPlot):
                           'border', 'invert_xaxis', 'invert_yaxis', 'sizing_mode',
                           'title_format', 'legend_position', 'legend_offset',
                           'legend_cols', 'gridstyle', 'legend_muted', 'padding',
-                          'xlim', 'ylim', 'zlim']
+                          'xlabel', 'ylabel', 'xlim', 'ylim', 'zlim']
 
     def __init__(self, overlay, **params):
         super(OverlayPlot, self).__init__(overlay, **params)

holoviews/plotting/mpl/element.py

@@ -56,6 +56,10 @@ class ElementPlot(GenericElementPlot, MPLPlot):
     zaxis = param.Boolean(default=True, doc="""
         Whether to display the z-axis.""")
 
+    zlabel = param.String(default=None, doc="""
+        An explicit override of the z-axis label, if set takes precedence
+        over the dimension label.""")
+
     zrotation = param.Integer(default=0, bounds=(0, 360), doc="""
         Rotation angle of the zticks.""")
 
@@ -128,6 +132,13 @@ def _finalize_axis(self, key, element=None, title=None, dimensions=None, ranges=
                 # Set axis labels
                 if dimensions:
                     self._set_labels(axis, dimensions, xlabel, ylabel, zlabel)
+                else:
+                    if self.xlabel is not None:
+                        axis.set_xlabel(self.xlabel)
+                    if self.ylabel is not None:
+                        axis.set_ylabel(self.ylabel)
+                    if self.zlabel is not None and hasattr(axis, 'set_zlabel'):
+                        axis.set_zlabel(self.zlabel)
 
                 if not subplots:
                     legend = axis.get_legend()
@@ -780,7 +791,7 @@ class OverlayPlot(LegendPlot, GenericOverlayPlot):
                           'xticks', 'yticks', 'zticks', 'xrotation', 'yrotation',
                           'zrotation', 'invert_xaxis', 'invert_yaxis',
                           'invert_zaxis', 'title_format', 'padding',
-                          'xlim', 'ylim', 'zlim']
+                          'xlabel', 'ylabel', 'zlabel', 'xlim', 'ylim', 'zlim']
 
     def __init__(self, overlay, ranges=None, **params):
         if 'projection' not in params:

holoviews/plotting/mpl/raster.py

@@ -209,6 +209,9 @@ class RasterGridPlot(GridPlot, OverlayPlot):
     zaxis = param.Parameter(precedence=-1)
     zrotation = param.Parameter(precedence=-1)
     zformatter = param.Parameter(precedence=-1)
+    xlabel = param.Parameter(precedence=-1)
+    ylabel = param.Parameter(precedence=-1)
+    zlabel = param.Parameter(precedence=-1)
 
 
     def __init__(self, layout, keys=None, dimensions=None, create_axes=False, ranges=None,

holoviews/plotting/plot.py

@@ -673,6 +673,14 @@ class GenericElementPlot(DimensionedPlot):
         The "bare" options allow suppressing all axis labels, including ticks and ylabel.
         Valid options are 'left', 'right', 'bare', 'left-bare' and 'right-bare'.""")
 
+    xlabel = param.String(default=None, doc="""
+        An explicit override of the x-axis label, if set takes precedence
+        over the dimension label.""")
+
+    ylabel = param.String(default=None, doc="""
+        An explicit override of the y-axis label, if set takes precedence
+        over the dimension label.""")
+
     xlim = param.NumericTuple(default=(np.nan, np.nan), length=2, doc="""
        User-specified x-axis range limits for the plot, as a tuple (low,high).
        If specified, takes precedence over data and dimension ranges.""")
@@ -967,11 +975,17 @@ def get_extents(self, element, ranges, range_type='combined', xdim=None, ydim=No
 
 
     def _get_axis_labels(self, dimensions, xlabel=None, ylabel=None, zlabel=None):
-        if dimensions and xlabel is None:
+        if self.xlabel is not None:
+            xlabel = self.xlabel
+        elif dimensions and xlabel is None:
             xlabel = dim_axis_label(dimensions[0]) if dimensions[0] else ''
-        if len(dimensions) >= 2 and ylabel is None:
+        if self.ylabel is not None:
+            ylabel = self.ylabel
+        elif len(dimensions) >= 2 and ylabel is None:
             ylabel = dim_axis_label(dimensions[1]) if dimensions[1] else ''
-        if self.projection == '3d' and len(dimensions) >= 3 and zlabel is None:
+        if getattr(self, 'zlabel', None) is not None:
+            zlabel = self.zlabel
+        elif self.projection == '3d' and len(dimensions) >= 3 and zlabel is None:
             zlabel = dim_axis_label(dimensions[2]) if dimensions[2] else ''
         return xlabel, ylabel, zlabel
 

holoviews/plotting/plotly/element.py

@@ -80,6 +80,10 @@ class ElementPlot(PlotlyPlot, GenericElementPlot):
         labels or a matplotlib tick locator object. If set to None
         default matplotlib ticking behavior is applied.""")
 
+    zlabel = param.String(default=None, doc="""
+        An explicit override of the z-axis label, if set takes precedence
+        over the dimension label.""")
+
     graph_obj = None
 
     def initialize_plot(self, ranges=None):

holoviews/tests/plotting/bokeh/testelementplot.py

@@ -94,6 +94,16 @@ def test_element_yrotation(self):
         plot = bokeh_renderer.get_plot(curve).state
         self.assertEqual(plot.yaxis[0].major_label_orientation, np.pi/2)
 
+    def test_element_xlabel_override(self):
+        curve = Curve(range(10)).options(xlabel='custom x-label')
+        plot = bokeh_renderer.get_plot(curve).state
+        self.assertEqual(plot.xaxis[0].axis_label, 'custom x-label')
+
+    def test_element_ylabel_override(self):
+        curve = Curve(range(10)).options(ylabel='custom y-label')
+        plot = bokeh_renderer.get_plot(curve).state
+        self.assertEqual(plot.yaxis[0].axis_label, 'custom y-label')
+
     def test_element_labelled_x_disabled(self):
         curve = Curve(range(10)).options(labelled=['y'])
         plot = bokeh_renderer.get_plot(curve).state

holoviews/tests/plotting/bokeh/testoverlayplot.py

@@ -81,6 +81,26 @@ def test_overlay_no_yaxis(self):
         plot = bokeh_renderer.get_plot(overlay).state
         self.assertFalse(plot.yaxis[0].visible)
 
+    def test_overlay_xlabel_override(self):
+        overlay = (Curve(range(10)) * Curve(range(10))).options(xlabel='custom x-label')
+        plot = bokeh_renderer.get_plot(overlay).state
+        self.assertEqual(plot.xaxis[0].axis_label, 'custom x-label')
+
+    def test_overlay_ylabel_override(self):
+        overlay = (Curve(range(10)) * Curve(range(10))).options(ylabel='custom y-label')
+        plot = bokeh_renderer.get_plot(overlay).state
+        self.assertEqual(plot.yaxis[0].axis_label, 'custom y-label')
+
+    def test_overlay_xlabel_override_propagated(self):
+        overlay = (Curve(range(10)).options(xlabel='custom x-label') * Curve(range(10)))
+        plot = bokeh_renderer.get_plot(overlay).state
+        self.assertEqual(plot.xaxis[0].axis_label, 'custom x-label')
+
+    def test_overlay_ylabel_override_propagated(self):
+        overlay = (Curve(range(10)).options(ylabel='custom y-label') * Curve(range(10)))
+        plot = bokeh_renderer.get_plot(overlay).state
+        self.assertEqual(plot.yaxis[0].axis_label, 'custom y-label')
+
     def test_overlay_xrotation(self):
         overlay = (Curve(range(10)) * Curve(range(10))).opts(plot=dict(xrotation=90))
         plot = bokeh_renderer.get_plot(overlay).state

holoviews/tests/plotting/matplotlib/testelementplot.py

@@ -21,6 +21,16 @@ def test_stream_cleanup(self):
         plot.cleanup()
         self.assertFalse(bool(stream._subscribers))
 
+    def test_element_xlabel(self):
+        element = Curve(range(10)).options(xlabel='custom x-label')
+        axes = mpl_renderer.get_plot(element).handles['axis']
+        self.assertEqual(axes.get_xlabel(), 'custom x-label')
+
+    def test_element_ylabel(self):
+        element = Curve(range(10)).options(ylabel='custom y-label')
+        axes = mpl_renderer.get_plot(element).handles['axis']
+        self.assertEqual(axes.get_ylabel(), 'custom y-label')
+
     def test_element_xformatter_string(self):
         curve = Curve(range(10)).options(xformatter='%d')
         plot = mpl_renderer.get_plot(curve)

holoviews/tests/plotting/matplotlib/testoverlayplot.py

@@ -77,3 +77,23 @@ def cb(X):
         self.assertEqual(len(plot.subplots), 3)
         for i, subplot in enumerate(plot.subplots.values()):
             self.assertEqual(subplot.cyclic_index, i)
+
+    def test_overlay_xlabel(self):
+        overlay = (Curve(range(10)) * Curve(range(10))).options(xlabel='custom x-label')
+        axes = mpl_renderer.get_plot(overlay).handles['axis']
+        self.assertEqual(axes.get_xlabel(), 'custom x-label')
+
+    def test_overlay_ylabel(self):
+        overlay = (Curve(range(10)) * Curve(range(10))).options(ylabel='custom y-label')
+        axes = mpl_renderer.get_plot(overlay).handles['axis']
+        self.assertEqual(axes.get_ylabel(), 'custom y-label')
+
+    def test_overlay_xlabel_override_propagated(self):
+        overlay = (Curve(range(10)).options(xlabel='custom x-label') * Curve(range(10)))
+        axes = mpl_renderer.get_plot(overlay).handles['axis']
+        self.assertEqual(axes.get_xlabel(), 'custom x-label')
+
+    def test_overlay_ylabel_override(self):
+        overlay = (Curve(range(10)).options(ylabel='custom y-label') * Curve(range(10)))
+        axes = mpl_renderer.get_plot(overlay).handles['axis']
+        self.assertEqual(axes.get_ylabel(), 'custom y-label')