Merge pull request matplotlib#1931 from NelleV/axes_module

[SPRINT] Refactored the axes module to split it in smaller chunks.

CHANGELOG

@@ -1,3 +1,15 @@
+2013-06-26 Refactored the axes module: the axes module is now a folder,
+	   containing the following submodule:
+	      - _subplots.py, containing all the subplots helper methods
+	      - _base.py, containing several private methods and a new
+		_AxesBase class. This _AxesBase class contains all the methods
+		that are not directly linked to plots of the "old" Axes
+	      - _axes.py contains the Axes class. This class now inherits from
+		_AxesBase: it contains all "plotting" methods and labelling
+		methods.
+	    This refactoring should not affect the API. Only private methods
+	    are not importable from the axes module anymore.
+
 2013-05-18 Added support for arbitrary rasterization resolutions to the
            SVG backend. Previously the resolution was hard coded to 72
            dpi. Now the backend class takes a image_dpi argument for

doc/api/api_changes.rst

@@ -11,6 +11,42 @@ help figure out possible sources of the changes you are experiencing.
 For new features that were added to matplotlib, please see
 :ref:`whats-new`.
 
+Changes in 1.4.x
+================
+
+* A major refactoring of the axes module was made. The axes module has been
+splitted into smaller modules:
+
+    - the `_base` module, which contains a new private _AxesBase class. This
+      class contains all methods except plotting and labelling methods.
+    - the `axes` module, which contains the Axes class. This class inherits
+      from _AxesBase, and contains all plotting and labelling methods.
+    - the `_subplot` module, with all the classes concerning subplotting.
+
+There are a couple of things that do not exists in the `axes` module's
+namespace anymore. If you use them, you need to import them from their
+original location:
+
+  - math -> `import math`
+  - ma -> `from numpy import ma`
+  - cbook -> `from matplotlib import cbook`
+  - division -> `from __future__ import division`
+  - docstring -> `from matplotlib impotr docstring`
+  - is_sequence_of_strings -> `from matplotlib.cbook import is_sequence_of_strings`
+  - is_string_like -> `from matplotlib.cbook import is_string_like`
+  - iterable -> `from matplotlib.cbook import iterable`
+  - itertools -> `import itertools`
+  - martist -> `from matplotlib import artist as martist`
+  - matplotlib -> `import matplotlib`
+  - mcoll -> `from matplotlib import collections as mcoll`
+  - mcolors -> `from matplotlib import colors as mcolors`
+  - mcontour -> `from matplotlib import contour as mcontour`
+  - mpatches -> `from matplotlib import patchs as mpatches`
+  - mpath -> `from matplotlib import path as mpath`
+  - mquiver -> `from matplotlib import quiver as mquiver`
+  - mstack -> `from matplotlib import stack as mstack`
+  - mstream -> `from matplotlib import stream as mstream`
+  - mtable -> `from matplotlib import table as mtable`
 
 .. _changes_in_1_3:
 

lib/matplotlib/axes/__init__.py

@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+from matplotlib.axes._subplots import *
+from matplotlib.axes._axes import *
+from matplotlib.axes._base import _string_to_bool