import datetime
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import matplotlib.dates as mdates
import matplotlib.cbook as cbook

years    = mdates.YearLocator()   # every year
months   = mdates.MonthLocator()  # every month
yearsFmt = mdates.DateFormatter('%Y')

# load a numpy record array from yahoo csv data with fields date,
# open, close, volume, adj_close from the mpl-data/example directory.
# The record array stores python datetime.date as an object array in
# the date column
datafile = cbook.get_sample_data('goog.npy')
r = np.load(datafile).view(np.recarray)

fig, ax = plt.subplots()
ax.plot(r.date, r.adj_close)


# format the ticks
ax.xaxis.set_major_locator(years)
ax.xaxis.set_major_formatter(yearsFmt)
ax.xaxis.set_minor_locator(months)

datemin = datetime.date(r.date.min().year, 1, 1)
datemax = datetime.date(r.date.max().year+1, 1, 1)
ax.set_xlim(datemin, datemax)

# format the coords message box
def price(x): return '$%1.2f'%x
ax.format_xdata = mdates.DateFormatter('%Y-%m-%d')
ax.format_ydata = price
ax.grid(True)

# rotates and right aligns the x labels, and moves the bottom of the
# axes up to make room for them
fig.autofmt_xdate()