Cannot install Matplotlib on Python 3.10

Question

python3.10 -m pip install --user matplotlib

I keep getting the following error when I run the above to install Matplotlib. I was initially getting a C++ error and I installed Visual Studio.

Time Elapsed 00:00:00.36
    error: command 'C:\\Windows\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework\\v4.0.30319\\msbuild.exe' failed with exit code 1
    ----------------------------------------
ERROR: Command errored out with exit status 1:
'C:\Users\HP\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.Python.3.10_qbz5n2kfra8p0\python.exe' -u -c 'import io, os, sys, setuptools, tokenize; sys.argv[0] = '"'"'C:\\Users\\HP\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\pip-install-zq_i4lrq\\matplotlib_ce44358747c74e83a93eefbdd122f13e\\setup.py'"'"'; __file__='"'"'C:\\Users\\HP\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\pip-install-zq_i4lrq\\matplotlib_ce44358747c74e83a93eefbdd122f13e\\setup.py'"'"';f = getattr(tokenize, '"'"'open'"'"', open)(__file__) if os.path.exists(__file__) else io.StringIO('"'"'from setuptools import setup; setup()'"'"');code = f.read().replace('"'"'\r\n'"'"', '"'"'\n'"'"');f.close();exec(compile(code, __file__, '"'"'exec'"'"'))' install --record 'C:\Users\HP\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-record-yvrkad5m\install-record.txt' --single-version-externally-managed --user --prefix= --compile --install-headers 'C:\Users\HP\AppData\Local\Packages\PythonSoftwareFoundation.Python.3.10_qbz5n2kfra8p0\LocalCache\local-packages\Python310\Include\matplotlib'
Check the logs for full command output.

Answer 1

Matplotlib doesn't support Python 3.10 at the moment, so you have the following options.

1. See this answer for detailed instructions to downgrade to Python 3.9.
2. Install the pre-release version of Matplotlib which does support Python 3.10. This can be done with the command pip install matplotlib==3.5.0rc1 (and is what I would recommend doing).

Answer 2

I have been having the same problem for a while now. Another answer I found was here: Error trying to install matplotlib in Windows

In summary, pip install --pre matplotlib also works.