This is a list of miscellaneous resources I’ve come across dealing with data visualization in several forms.
Ratings are entirely subjective based on my interest.
Date |
Link |
Type |
Formats |
Rating |
Notes |
2017 |
May 27th |
Plotnine |
Python |
iPython |
★★★★★ |
A graphing grammar that works atop ggplot2 |
2016 |
May 21st |
XKCD plots in matplotlib |
Python |
Multiple |
★★★★★ |
Because real life mimics comics sometimes. |
May 8th |
Vega |
Multiple |
Multiple |
★★★★★ |
a declarative format for creating, saving, and sharing visualization designs, powering a number of tools. |
2015 |
Dec 7 |
d3.compose |
JavaScript |
SVG |
★★★★★ |
Another D3 extension for composing charts |
Mar 18 |
Textures.js |
JavaScript |
SVG |
★★★★ |
An amazing D3 add-on that provides textured fills. |
2014 |
Nov 14 |
MetricsGraphics.js |
JavaScript |
SVG |
★★★★ |
Another D3 wrapper, with nice features for dashboards. |
Aug 7 |
Chartist |
JavaScript |
SVG |
★★★ |
Interesting approach to responsiveness, not many features. |
Jul 28 |
Vincent |
Python |
SVG |
★★★★ |
Glue for creating charts in iPython notebooks |
Bearcart |
Python |
SVG |
★★★★ |
Jul 25 |
Bokeh |
Python |
Multiple |
★★★★ |
Very impressive for server-driven rendering. |
Jul 11 |
CanvasXPress |
JavaScript |
Canvas |
★★★ |
Not very useful to me, but has a few unusual plot types, like heatmap and Venn diagrams. |
C |
JSXGraph |
JavaScript |
SVG |
★★★★ |
Excellent for interactive mathematics. |
|
dimple |
JavaScript |
SVG |
★★★★ |
Yet another D3 wrapper |
dygraphs |
JavaScript |
Canvas |
★★★★ |
Very sophisticated. |
xCharts |
JavaScript |
SVG |
★★★ |
Simple and uncluttered. |
C3.js |
JavaScript |
SVG |
★★★★★ |
Provides a very interesting set of options. |
Peity |
JavaScript |
SVG |
★★★ |
Good for sparklines. |
Jun 26 |
Epoch |
JavaScript |
SVG |
★★★★★ |
Real-time charting done sensibly |
Jun 24 |
BlockSpring |
JavaScript |
Multiple |
★★★★★ |
A whole site devoted to modular visualization |
Jun 10 |
dc.js |
JavaScript |
SVG |
★★★★★ |
A charting library based on D3 with native crossfilter support |
2013 |
Nov 15 |
chartjs |
JavaScript |
SVG |
★★★★ |
Nice design, but free only for non-commercial use. |
Nov 11 |
HighCharts |
JavaScript |
SVG |
★★★★ |
Free for non-commercial use. Constantly updated, but somehow I just can’t bear it. |
Oct 1 |
ChartJS |
JavaScript |
Canvas |
★★★★★ |
Simple, straightforward, easy to use. |
2012 |
Nov 28 |
XKCD charts in D3 |
JavaScript |
N/A |
|
I just had to make note of this. |
Oct 30 |
crossfilter |
JavaScript |
N/A |
★★★★★ |
A library for exploring large multivariate datasets in the browser. |
Jul 12 |
Rickshaw |
JavaScript |
SVG |
★★★★ |
Another D3 wrapper. |
May 3 |
nvd3.js |
JavaScript |
SVG |
★★★★★ |
A simplified D3 wrapper that I found terribly useful. |
Apr 25 |
Cubism.js |
JavaScript |
SVG |
★★★★★ |
A D3 plugin that supports horizon charts, one of my personal favorites for time series visualization. |
Apr 16 |
Envision |
JavaScript |
HTML canvas |
★★★★★ |
An extension of HumbleFinance (below) with extra features. |
2011 |
Apr 9 |
Graphite |
Python |
Misc. |
★★★★ |
A complete data collection and real time charting framework. |
2010 |
Sep 20 |
webtreemap |
JavaScript |
HTML |
★★★★★ |
Brilliant treemap code. |
|
Aug 3 |
streamgraph.js |
JavaScript |
HTML canvas |
★★★★ |
An elegant streamgraph implementation. |
Mar 13 |
HumbleFinance |
JavaScript |
HTML canvas |
★★★★ |
A very good reimplementation of the Google Finance charts. |
2009 |
Nov 2 |
Protovis |
JavaScript |
SVG |
★★★★★ |
Seems pretty damn good and provides an amazing array of output formats with a simple approach to coding. |
Jun 6 |
Fun With Canvas: Create a jQuery Graph Plugin |
JavaScript |
HTML canvas |
★★★★ |
Simple and effective |
May 23 |
Axiis : Data Visualization Framework |
“Flex”:Wikipedia:Adobe_Flex library |
Flash |
★★★★ |
Built atop Degrafa, adding a few layout primitives and other building blocks. |
Degrafa : Declarative Graphics Framework |
“Flex”:Wikipedia:Adobe_Flex library |
Flash |
★★★★ |
Seems very flexible and powerful. |
Mar 03 |
RGraph |
JavaScript library |
HTML canvas |
★★★★★ |
Pretty extensive, does interaction, Gantt charts, supports “ASCII”:Wikipedia:ASCII text rendering as well. |
Jan 28 |
jsxgraph |
JavaScript library |
HTML canvas, SVG |
★★★ |
Good for mathematical plotting. |
2008 |
Dec 23 |
TimeSeriesGraph |
Source code |
Flash |
★★★★ |
A clone of the Google Finance zoomable charts |
Sep 17 |
Bluff: Beautiful graphs in JavaScript |
JavaScript library |
HTML canvas |
★★★★ |
A port of the Gruff library for Ruby. Very small and lightweight, can pull data straight off HTML tables. |
Previously |
Open Flash Chart |
Viewer and server-side libraries |
Flash |
★★★★★ |
Pretty damn good, only thing I don’t like are the funky tooltips |
Google Chart API |
Web Service |
PNG |
★★★★ |
Lots of chart types, but “URL”:Wikipedia:URL API makes it a bit limited |
Plotkit |
JavaScript library |
HTML canvas, SVG |
★★★ |
Simple and to the point, hasn’t been updated since 2006 |
Flot |
jQuery extension |
HTML canvas |
★★★★★ |
Amazingly powerful, supports interactive zooming of data |
ExtFlot |
jQuery extension |
HTML canvas |
★★★★★ |
Extended version using ExtJS |
amCharts |
Viewer |
Flash |
★★★★ |
Commercial (free with hard-coded link to home site) |
XML/SWF Charts |
Viewer |
Flash |
★★★ |
Commercial (free with hard-coded link to home site) |
Pychart |
Python library |
PDF, PNG, SVG |
★★★ |
Good for complex scientific plots. Not updated since 2006. |
Chaco |
Python library |
Qt and GUI, primarily |
★★★★★ |
Best suited for “GUI”:Wikipedia:GUI apps |
ZedGraph |
C# classes |
Multiple |
★★★ |
Usable for server-side chart generation as well as GUI |
Pybrary Plot |
C# |
Multiple |
★★ |
Simple and straightforward |
nplot |
C# |
Multiple |
★★★ |
Primarily aimed at server-side plots |
Gnuplot |
CLI tool |
Multiple |
★★★★ |
The old favorite, great for scientific plotting but too complex for simple stuff |
ploticus |
CLI tools |
Multiple |
★★★★★ |
Great for very large datasets |
RRDtool |
Standalone tool with multiple language bindings |
PNG |
★★★★★ |
Excellent for system and network monitoring over large periods of time |
GraphSketcher |
Desktop app |
PDF, JPEG, PNG |
★★★★ |
Simple and to the point, great for off-the-cuff graphs |