Forcing matplotlib to prioritize plot limits over plot ticks

[RafalSkolasinski]

In current situation when setting extents and ticks for Image the ticks position got prioritize and therefore value given to extents are ignored. For example see (image from Options tutorial).

%%opts Image (clims=(0,0.072)) [situate_axes=True colorbar=True] 

img = image.clone(extents=(-.2, -.2, .2, .2))
img(style={'cmap': 'Greens'}, plot={'xticks': [-1,0,1]})

I checked that it is indeed the matplotlib behaviour when ticks are set after limits. Please see following two examples for comparision

from matplotlib import pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
%matplotlib inline

data = np.random.rand(100, 100)
plt.imshow(data)

plt.xticks([10, 30, 50]);
plt.xlim(20, 40);

and

from matplotlib import pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
%matplotlib inline

data = np.random.rand(100, 100)
plt.imshow(data)

plt.xlim(20, 40);
plt.xticks([10, 30, 50]);

In second examples ticks are prioritized, in first one not.

I would propose to change holoviews default behaviour to process first xticks and then xlim.

[philippjfr]

Fixed in #1209.