Python API Reference

Documentation for the mtbpy module's classes and methods for Python.

In This Topic

Module: mtbpy
Example code that converts Minitab date format to Unix date format

To accomplish Python integration with Minitab Statistical Software, Minitab, LLC provides the mtbpy module. The following descriptions of the classes and methods from the mtbpy module prepare you to write Python code that integrates with Minitab Statistical Software.

For information on how to install Minitab's Python module and how to run Python from Minitab Statistical Software, go to Installing Python to use with Minitab Statistical Software.

For more information on Python, consult the guidance available at www.python.org.

Module: mtbpy

Class: mtb_instance

The following are the methods for the mtb_instance class.

`get_column`

Retrieves a column from a Minitab worksheet to use in Python.

column_name: string: Specifies the column to retrieve. You can specify either the column number (for example, "C1") or the column name (for example, "My Column").

Return value

Returns the column of data from the active worksheet as a Python list. The list can contain either text or numeric values.

Example

from mtbpy import mtbpy

column1 = mtbpy.mtb_instance().get_column("C1")
column2 = mtbpy.mtb_instance().get_column("My Column")

`get_constant`

Retrieves a constant from a Minitab worksheet to use in Python.

constant_name: string: Specifies the constant to retrieve. You can specify either the constant number (for example, "K1") or the constant name (for example, "My Constant").

Return value

Returns a constant that can be either a text or numeric value.

Example

from mtbpy import mtbpy

constant1 = mtbpy.mtb_instance().get_constant("K1")
constant2 = mtbpy.mtb_instance().get_constant("My Constant")

`get_matrix`

Retrieves a matrix from a Minitab worksheet to use in Python.

matrix_name: string: Specifies the matrix to retrieve. You can specify either the matrix number (for example, "M1") or the matrix name (for example, "My Matrix").

Return value

Returns the columns of data from the matrix as a Python list of lists.

Example

from mtbpy import mtbpy

matrix1 = mtbpy.mtb_instance().get_matrix("M1")
matrix2 = mtbpy.mtb_instance().get_matrix("My Matrix")

`add_message`

Appends a message to the Minitab Output pane.

message: string: Specifies the message to display.

Return value

None

Example

from mtbpy import mtbpy

mtbpy.mtb_instance().add_message("This is a message.")

`set_note`

Sets a note at the top of the Minitab Output pane.

message: string: Specifies the text to display.

Return value

None

Example

from mtbpy import mtbpy

mtbpy.mtb_instance().set_note("The output contains one note.")

`set_note`

Sets the title at the top of the Minitab Output pane.

title: string: Specifies the text to display.

Return value

None

Example

from mtbpy import mtbpy

mtbpy.mtb_instance().set_title("The output contains one title.")

`add_image`

Appends an image to the Minitab Output pane when you have a supported image file.

path: string: Specifies the path to the image.

Return value

None

Example

from mtbpy import mtbpy
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

N_points = 1000 
n_bins = 50 
x = np.random.randn(N_points) 
y = .4 * x + np.random.randn(N_points) + 5 
fig, axs = plt.subplots(1, 2, sharey=True, tight_layout=True) 
axs[0].hist(x, bins=n_bins) 
axs[1].hist(y, bins=n_bins) 
fig.savefig("histogram.png") 
mtbpy.mtb_instance().add_image("histogram.png")

`add_image_bytes`

Appends an image to the Minitab Output pane when you have a bytes object.

data: bytes: Specifies the bytes of data for an image. For example, you can enter a bytes array as the parameter.

Return value

None

Example

from mtbpy import mtbpy

image_data = b'\x89PNG\r\n\x1a\n\x00\x00\x00\rIHDR\x00\x00\x00\t\x00\x00\x00\t\x08\x02\x00\x00\x00o\xf3\x91G\x00\x00\x00\x01sRGB\x00\xae\xce\x1c\xe9\x00\x00\x00\x04gAMA\x00\x00\xb1\x8f\x0b\xfca\x05\x00\x00\x00\tpHYs\x00\x00\x0e\xc3\x00\x00\x0e\xc3\x01\xc7o\xa8d\x00\x00\x00"IDAT\x18Wc\xd8a\xbb\x8b\x81\x01\'I\xba\x04\x01i\x9c\x12\x04\xa4qJ\x10\x90\xc6)\xb1\xc3v\x17\x00\xfc\x0bE\x08o,\xff\xe2\x00\x00\x00\x00IEND\xaeB`\x82'
mtbpy.mtb_instance().add_image_bytes(image_data)

`add_table`

Appends a table to the Minitab Output pane.

columns: list of lists: Specifies the columns of data for the table as a list of lists.
headers: list (Optional): Specifies the column headers for the table. The default headers is an empty list.
title: string (Optional): Specifies the title for the table. The default title is "".
footnote: string (Optional): Specifies the footnote under the table. The default footnote is "".

Return value

None

Example

from mtbpy import mtbpy

mytitle = "My table title"
myheaders = ["Header for column 1", "Header for column 2"]
mycolumns = [[1,1,1],[2,2,2]]
myfootnote = "My footnote for the table."
mtbpy.mtb_instance().add_table(columns=mycolumns, headers=myheaders, title=mytitle, footnote=myfootnote)

Example code that converts Minitab date format to Unix date format

By default, Minitab uses a different datetime format than Python. To convert from the Minitab datetime format to the Unix datetime format, use the following code:

from datetime import datetime, timedelta

def minitab_to_unix_datetime(pOrdinal, pEpoch0=datetime(1899, 12, 30)):
    return(pEpoch0 + timedelta(days=pOrdinal))