Add update_layout figure method to update a figure's layout

Author: jonmmease

packages/python/plotly/plotly/basedatatypes.py

@@ -859,6 +859,29 @@ def update_traces(
             trace.update(patch, **kwargs)
         return self
 
+    def update_layout(self, dict1=None, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Update the properties of the figure's layout with a dict and/or with
+        keyword arguments.
+
+        This recursively updates the structure of the original
+        layout with the values in the input dict / keyword arguments.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        dict1 : dict
+            Dictionary of properties to be updated
+        kwargs :
+            Keyword/value pair of properties to be updated
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        BaseFigure
+            The Figure object that the update_layout method was called on
+        """
+        self.layout.update(dict1, **kwargs)
+        return self
+
     def _select_layout_subplots_by_prefix(
             self,
             prefix,

packages/python/plotly/plotly/tests/test_core/test_update_objects/test_update_layout.py

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+from unittest import TestCase
+import plotly.graph_objects as go
+
+
+class TestUpdateLayout(TestCase):
+
+    def test_update_layout_kwargs(self):
+        # Create initial figure
+        fig = go.Figure()
+        fig.layout.title.font.size = 10
+
+        # Grab copy of original figure
+        orig_fig = go.Figure(fig)
+
+        fig.update_layout(title_font_family='Courier New')
+        orig_fig.layout.update(title_font_family='Courier New')
+        self.assertEqual(fig, orig_fig)
+
+    def test_update_layout_dict(self):
+        # Create initial figure
+        fig = go.Figure()
+        fig.layout.title.font.size = 10
+
+        # Grab copy of original figure
+        orig_fig = go.Figure(fig)
+
+        fig.update_layout(dict(title=dict(font=dict(family='Courier New'))))
+        orig_fig.layout.update(title_font_family='Courier New')
+        self.assertEqual(fig, orig_fig)