Move table position matplotlib python

Question

I have created a figure that displays a shape and table using matplotlib. The problem is how its produced. They overlap each other. The shape is to scale so I don't want to alter it. I was wondering how I can alter the overall size of the plot or move the position of the table.

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import matplotlib as mpl

fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize = (10,6))
ax.axis('equal')
plt.style.use('ggplot')
ax.grid(False)

xy = 0,0
circle = mpl.patches.Circle(xy, 160, lw = 3, edgecolor = 'black', color = 'b', alpha = 0.1, zorder = 5)
ax.add_patch(circle)   

col_labels=['A','B','C','D','E']
row_labels=['diff','total']

table_vals=[['','','','',''],['','','','','']]

the_table = plt.table(cellText=table_vals,
    colWidths = [0.05]*5,
    rowLabels=row_labels,
    colLabels=col_labels,
    bbox = [0.8, 0.4, 0.2, 0.2])

ax.autoscale()
plt.show()

Answer 1

Position the table outside the axes

You may use loc="right" to position the table right of the axes. Something like fig.subplots_adjust(right=0.8) will leave enough space for it.

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import matplotlib as mpl
plt.style.use('ggplot')

fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize = (10,6))
fig.subplots_adjust(right=0.8)
ax.axis('equal')

ax.grid(False)

xy = 0,0
circle = mpl.patches.Circle(xy, 160, lw = 3, edgecolor = 'black', 
                            facecolor = 'b', alpha = 0.1, zorder = 5)
ax.add_patch(circle)   

col_labels=['A','B','C','D','E']
row_labels=['diff','total']

table_vals=[['','','','',''],['','','','','']]

the_table = plt.table(cellText=table_vals,
          colWidths = [0.05]*5,
          rowLabels=row_labels,
          colLabels=col_labels,
          loc='right', zorder=3)

ax.autoscale()
plt.show()

Put the table in its own axes

You may put the table in a new axes next to the existing one. The advantage is that there is no need to then play with the column width or subplot parameters.

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import matplotlib as mpl
plt.style.use('ggplot')

fig, (ax, ax_table) = plt.subplots(ncols=2, figsize = (10,6),
                                  gridspec_kw=dict(width_ratios=[3,1]))
ax.axis('equal')
ax_table.axis("off")

ax.grid(False)

xy = 0,0
circle = mpl.patches.Circle(xy, 160, lw = 3, edgecolor = 'black', 
                            facecolor = 'b', alpha = 0.1, zorder = 5)
ax.add_patch(circle)   

col_labels=['A','B','C','D','E']
row_labels=['diff','total']

table_vals=[['','','','',''],['','','','','']]

the_table = ax_table.table(cellText=table_vals,
          rowLabels=row_labels,
          colLabels=col_labels,
          loc='center')

ax.autoscale()
plt.show()