vis
⚠️ This project is not maintained anymore! Please go to https://github.com/visjs
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⚠️ This project is not maintained anymore! Please go to https://github.com/visjs
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Quick Overview
Vis.js is a dynamic, browser-based visualization library. It is designed to handle large amounts of dynamic data and enables users to manipulate and interact with the data. The library consists of multiple components for creating network diagrams, timelines, graphs, and more.
Pros
- Highly interactive and customizable visualizations
- Supports large datasets with smooth performance
- Multiple components for different types of visualizations (networks, timelines, graphs)
- Active community and regular updates
Cons
- Learning curve can be steep for complex visualizations
- Documentation could be more comprehensive
- Some users report occasional rendering issues in specific browsers
- Limited built-in styling options, requiring custom CSS for advanced designs
Code Examples
- Creating a basic network:
// Create nodes and edges
const nodes = new vis.DataSet([
{ id: 1, label: 'Node 1' },
{ id: 2, label: 'Node 2' },
{ id: 3, label: 'Node 3' }
]);
const edges = new vis.DataSet([
{ from: 1, to: 2 },
{ from: 1, to: 3 }
]);
// Create a network
const container = document.getElementById('mynetwork');
const data = { nodes: nodes, edges: edges };
const options = {};
const network = new vis.Network(container, data, options);
- Creating a timeline:
// Create timeline items
const items = new vis.DataSet([
{id: 1, content: 'Item 1', start: '2023-01-01'},
{id: 2, content: 'Item 2', start: '2023-01-03', end: '2023-01-07'},
{id: 3, content: 'Item 3', start: '2023-01-09'}
]);
// Configuration for the Timeline
const options = {};
// Create a Timeline
const timeline = new vis.Timeline(container, items, options);
- Creating a graph2d:
// Create a DataSet with items
const items = new vis.DataSet([
{x: '2023-01-01', y: 30},
{x: '2023-01-02', y: 50},
{x: '2023-01-03', y: 40}
]);
// Configuration for the Graph2d
const options = {
start: '2023-01-01',
end: '2023-01-03'
};
// Create a Graph2d
const graph2d = new vis.Graph2d(container, items, options);
Getting Started
- Include Vis.js in your project:
<script src="https://unpkg.com/vis-network/standalone/umd/vis-network.min.js"></script>
- Create a container element in your HTML:
<div id="mynetwork"></div>
- Initialize a visualization (e.g., a network):
const container = document.getElementById('mynetwork');
const data = {
nodes: new vis.DataSet([
{id: 1, label: 'Node 1'},
{id: 2, label: 'Node 2'}
]),
edges: new vis.DataSet([
{from: 1, to: 2}
])
};
const options = {};
const network = new vis.Network(container, data, options);
Competitor Comparisons
⚠️ This project is not maintained anymore! Please go to https://github.com/visjs
Pros of vis
- More comprehensive and feature-rich library
- Supports a wider range of visualization types
- Larger community and more frequent updates
Cons of vis
- Larger file size and potentially heavier performance impact
- Steeper learning curve due to more complex API
- May include unnecessary features for simpler projects
Code comparison
vis:
var nodes = new vis.DataSet([
{id: 1, label: 'Node 1'},
{id: 2, label: 'Node 2'},
{id: 3, label: 'Node 3'}
]);
var edges = new vis.DataSet([
{from: 1, to: 2},
{from: 1, to: 3}
]);
var container = document.getElementById('mynetwork');
var data = {
nodes: nodes,
edges: edges
};
var options = {};
var network = new vis.Network(container, data, options);
vis-:
// No direct equivalent in vis- as it's not a full library
// vis- focuses on specific components like Timeline
// Example for Timeline:
var container = document.getElementById('visualization');
var items = new vis.DataSet([
{id: 1, content: 'item 1', start: '2013-04-20'},
{id: 2, content: 'item 2', start: '2013-04-14'}
]);
var options = {};
var timeline = new vis.Timeline(container, items, options);
Note: The code comparison is limited as vis- is not a direct equivalent to vis, but rather a collection of specific components.
Open-source JavaScript charting library behind Plotly and Dash
Pros of Plotly.js
- More comprehensive and feature-rich, offering a wider range of chart types and customization options
- Better documentation and community support, with extensive examples and tutorials
- Easier integration with modern web frameworks like React, Vue, and Angular
Cons of Plotly.js
- Larger file size and potentially slower performance for complex visualizations
- Steeper learning curve due to its extensive API and configuration options
- May be overkill for simple visualization needs, where Vis.js could be more lightweight
Code Comparison
Vis.js (creating a simple line chart):
var container = document.getElementById('visualization');
var items = [
{x: '2023-01-01', y: 30},
{x: '2023-01-02', y: 50},
{x: '2023-01-03', y: 40}
];
var dataset = new vis.DataSet(items);
var graph2d = new vis.Graph2d(container, dataset);
Plotly.js (creating a simple line chart):
var data = [{
x: ['2023-01-01', '2023-01-02', '2023-01-03'],
y: [30, 50, 40],
type: 'scatter'
}];
Plotly.newPlot('myDiv', data);
Both libraries offer ways to create visualizations, but Plotly.js generally provides more built-in options and a more declarative approach to chart creation. Vis.js may require more manual setup for certain chart types but can be more flexible for custom visualizations.
Bring data to life with SVG, Canvas and HTML. :bar_chart::chart_with_upwards_trend::tada:
Pros of D3
- Highly flexible and customizable, allowing for complex and unique visualizations
- Large and active community with extensive documentation and examples
- Supports a wide range of data formats and visualization types
Cons of D3
- Steeper learning curve due to its low-level nature
- Requires more code to create basic visualizations
- Performance can be an issue with large datasets or complex animations
Code Comparison
D3 example:
const svg = d3.select("body").append("svg")
.attr("width", 400)
.attr("height", 300);
svg.selectAll("circle")
.data(data)
.enter().append("circle")
.attr("cx", d => d.x)
.attr("cy", d => d.y)
.attr("r", 5);
Vis.js example:
const nodes = new vis.DataSet(data);
const network = new vis.Network(container, {nodes: nodes}, options);
Summary
D3 offers more flexibility and customization options, making it suitable for complex and unique visualizations. It has a larger community and supports a wide range of data formats. However, it has a steeper learning curve and requires more code for basic visualizations. Vis.js, on the other hand, provides a higher-level API, making it easier to create common visualizations with less code. The choice between the two depends on the specific project requirements and the developer's familiarity with each library.
Simple HTML5 Charts using the <canvas> tag
Pros of Chart.js
- Simpler API and easier to get started with for basic charts
- Extensive documentation and large community support
- Responsive and mobile-friendly out of the box
Cons of Chart.js
- Limited to 2D chart types, lacking network graphs and timelines
- Less flexibility for complex customizations compared to Vis
Code Comparison
Chart.js example:
new Chart(ctx, {
type: 'bar',
data: {
labels: ['Red', 'Blue', 'Yellow'],
datasets: [{
label: 'My Dataset',
data: [12, 19, 3]
}]
}
});
Vis example:
var nodes = new vis.DataSet([
{id: 1, label: 'Node 1'},
{id: 2, label: 'Node 2'}
]);
var edges = new vis.DataSet([
{from: 1, to: 2}
]);
var network = new vis.Network(container, {nodes, edges}, {});
Chart.js focuses on traditional chart types with a straightforward API, while Vis offers more diverse visualization options, including networks and timelines, with a more complex but flexible API. Chart.js is ideal for quick, standard charts, whereas Vis excels in scenarios requiring advanced interactivity or specialized visualizations.
JavaScript 3D Library.
Pros of three.js
- More powerful 3D rendering capabilities
- Larger community and ecosystem
- Extensive documentation and examples
Cons of three.js
- Steeper learning curve
- Heavier library size
- May be overkill for simple 2D visualizations
Code Comparison
three.js:
const scene = new THREE.Scene();
const camera = new THREE.PerspectiveCamera(75, window.innerWidth / window.innerHeight, 0.1, 1000);
const renderer = new THREE.WebGLRenderer();
renderer.setSize(window.innerWidth, window.innerHeight);
document.body.appendChild(renderer.domElement);
vis:
const nodes = new vis.DataSet([
{ id: 1, label: 'Node 1' },
{ id: 2, label: 'Node 2' },
]);
const edges = new vis.DataSet([
{ from: 1, to: 2 },
]);
const network = new vis.Network(container, { nodes, edges }, options);
three.js is a comprehensive 3D library for creating complex 3D scenes and animations in the browser. It offers a wide range of features and is well-suited for game development and advanced visualizations.
vis is more focused on 2D data visualization, particularly for networks, timelines, and graphs. It provides a higher-level API for creating these specific types of visualizations quickly and easily.
While three.js offers more flexibility and power for 3D graphics, vis is more user-friendly for common data visualization tasks. The choice between the two depends on the specific requirements of your project and the complexity of the visualizations you need to create.
Graph theory (network) library for visualisation and analysis
Pros of Cytoscape.js
- More extensive graph theory algorithms and analysis capabilities
- Better performance for large-scale networks and complex visualizations
- More active development and larger community support
Cons of Cytoscape.js
- Steeper learning curve due to more complex API
- Less built-in support for non-graph visualizations (e.g., timelines, networks)
Code Comparison
Vis.js example:
var nodes = new vis.DataSet([
{id: 1, label: 'Node 1'},
{id: 2, label: 'Node 2'}
]);
var edges = new vis.DataSet([
{from: 1, to: 2}
]);
var network = new vis.Network(container, {nodes: nodes, edges: edges}, options);
Cytoscape.js example:
var cy = cytoscape({
container: document.getElementById('cy'),
elements: [
{ data: { id: 'a' } },
{ data: { id: 'b' } },
{ data: { id: 'ab', source: 'a', target: 'b' } }
]
});
Both libraries offer powerful graph visualization capabilities, but Cytoscape.js is more focused on graph theory and complex network analysis, while Vis.js provides a broader range of visualization types. Cytoscape.js has better performance for large networks but may require more time to learn. Vis.js is easier to get started with and offers more diverse visualization options out of the box.
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vis.js (deprecated!)
:exclamation: This project is not maintained anymore! (See Issue #4259 for details)
We welcome you to use the libraries from the visjs community from now on.
Vis.js is a dynamic, browser based visualization library. The library is designed to be easy to use, handle large amounts of dynamic data, and enable manipulation of the data. The library consists of the following components:
- DataSet and DataView. A flexible key/value based data set. Add, update, and remove items. Subscribe on changes in the data set. A DataSet can filter and order items, and convert fields of items.
- DataView. A filtered and/or formatted view on a DataSet.
- Graph2d. Plot data on a timeline with lines or barcharts.
- Graph3d. Display data in a three dimensional graph.
- Network. Display a network (force directed graph) with nodes and edges.
- Timeline. Display different types of data on a timeline.
The vis.js library was initially developed by Almende B.V.
Install
Install via npm:
npm install vis
Install via bower:
bower install vis
Link via cdnjs: https://cdnjs.com/libraries/vis
Or download the library from the github project: https://github.com/almende/vis.git.
Load
To use a component, include the javascript and css files of vis in your web page:
<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<html>
<head>
<script src="vis/dist/vis.min.js"></script>
<link href="vis/dist/vis.min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
</head>
<body>
<script type="text/javascript">
// ... load a visualization
</script>
</body>
</html>
or load vis.js using require.js. Note that vis.css must be loaded too.
require.config({
paths: {
vis: 'path/to/vis/dist',
}
});
require(['vis'], function (math) {
// ... load a visualization
});
A timeline can be instantiated as:
var timeline = new vis.Timeline(container, data, options);
Where container
is an HTML element, data
is an Array with data or a DataSet,
and options
is an optional object with configuration options for the
component.
Example
A basic example on loading a Timeline is shown below. More examples can be found in the examples directory of the project.
<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<html>
<head>
<title>Timeline basic demo</title>
<script src="vis/dist/vis.min.js"></script>
<link href="vis/dist/vis.min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
<style type="text/css">
body, html {
font-family: sans-serif;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div id="visualization"></div>
<script type="text/javascript">
var container = document.getElementById('visualization');
var data = [
{id: 1, content: 'item 1', start: '2013-04-20'},
{id: 2, content: 'item 2', start: '2013-04-14'},
{id: 3, content: 'item 3', start: '2013-04-18'},
{id: 4, content: 'item 4', start: '2013-04-16', end: '2013-04-19'},
{id: 5, content: 'item 5', start: '2013-04-25'},
{id: 6, content: 'item 6', start: '2013-04-27'}
];
var options = {};
var timeline = new vis.Timeline(container, data, options);
</script>
</body>
</html>
Build
To build the library from source, clone the project from github
git clone git://github.com/almende/vis.git
The source code uses the module style of node (require and module.exports) to
organize dependencies. To install all dependencies and build the library,
run npm install
in the root of the project.
cd vis
npm install
Then, the project can be build running:
npm run build
To automatically rebuild on changes in the source files, once can use
npm run watch
This will both build and minify the library on changes. Minifying is relatively
slow, so when only the non-minified library is needed, one can use the
watch-dev
script instead:
npm run watch-dev
Custom builds
The folder dist
contains bundled versions of vis.js for direct use in the browser. These bundles contain all the visualizations and include external dependencies such as hammer.js and moment.js.
The source code of vis.js consists of commonjs modules, which makes it possible to create custom bundles using tools like Browserify or Webpack. This can be bundling just one visualization like the Timeline, or bundling vis.js as part of your own browserified web application.
Note that hammer.js version 2 is required as of v4.
Prerequisites
Before you can do a build:
- Install node.js and npm on your system: https://nodejs.org/
- Install the following modules using npm:
browserify
,babelify
, anduglify-js
:
[sudo] npm install -g browserify babelify uglify-js
- Download or clone the vis.js project:
git clone https://github.com/almende/vis.git
- Install the dependencies of vis.js by running
npm install
in the root of the project:
cd vis
npm install
Examples of custom builds
Example 1: Bundle only a single visualization type
For example, to create a bundle with just the Timeline and DataSet, create an index file named custom.js in the root of the project, containing:
exports.DataSet = require('./lib/DataSet');
exports.Timeline = require('./lib/timeline/Timeline');
Then create a custom bundle using browserify, like:
browserify custom.js -t [ babelify --presets [es2015] ] -o dist/vis-custom.js -s vis
This will generate a custom bundle vis-custom.js, which exposes the namespace vis
containing only DataSet
and Timeline
. The generated bundle can be minified using uglifyjs:
uglifyjs dist/vis-custom.js -o dist/vis-custom.min.js
The custom bundle can now be loaded like:
<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<html>
<head>
<script src="dist/vis-custom.min.js"></script>
<link href="dist/vis.min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
</head>
<body>
...
</body>
</html>
Example 2: Exclude external libraries
The default bundle vis.js
is standalone and includes external dependencies such as hammer.js and moment.js. When these libraries are already loaded by the application, vis.js does not need to include these dependencies itself too. To build a custom bundle of vis.js excluding moment.js and hammer.js, run browserify in the root of the project:
browserify index.js -t [ babelify --presets [es2015] ] -o dist/vis-custom.js -s vis -x moment -x hammerjs
This will generate a custom bundle vis-custom.js, which exposes the namespace vis
, and has moment.js and hammer.js excluded. The generated bundle can be minified with uglifyjs:
uglifyjs dist/vis-custom.js -o dist/vis-custom.min.js
The custom bundle can now be loaded as:
<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<html>
<head>
<!-- load external dependencies -->
<script src="http://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/moment.js/2.17.1/moment.min.js"></script>
<script src="http://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/hammer.js/2.0.8/hammer.min.js"></script>
<!-- load vis.js -->
<script src="dist/vis-custom.min.js"></script>
<link href="dist/vis.min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
</head>
<body>
...
</body>
</html>
Example 3: Bundle vis.js as part of your (commonjs) application
When writing a web application with commonjs modules, vis.js can be packaged automatically into the application. Create a file app.js containing:
var moment = require('moment');
var DataSet = require('vis/lib/DataSet');
var Timeline = require('vis/lib/timeline/Timeline');
var container = document.getElementById('visualization');
var data = new DataSet([
{id: 1, content: 'item 1', start: moment('2013-04-20')},
{id: 2, content: 'item 2', start: moment('2013-04-14')},
{id: 3, content: 'item 3', start: moment('2013-04-18')},
{id: 4, content: 'item 4', start: moment('2013-04-16'), end: moment('2013-04-19')},
{id: 5, content: 'item 5', start: moment('2013-04-25')},
{id: 6, content: 'item 6', start: moment('2013-04-27')}
]);
var options = {};
var timeline = new Timeline(container, data, options);
The application can be bundled and minified:
browserify app.js -o dist/app-bundle.js -t babelify
uglifyjs dist/app-bundle.js -o dist/app-bundle.min.js
And loaded into a webpage:
<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<html>
<head>
<link href="node_modules/vis/dist/vis.min.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
</head>
<body>
<div id="visualization"></div>
<script src="dist/app-bundle.min.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
Example 4: Integrate vis.js components directly in your webpack build
You can integrate e.g. the timeline component directly in you webpack build. Therefor you can e.g. import the component-files from root direcory (starting with "index-").
import { DataSet, Timeline } from 'vis/index-timeline-graph2d';
var container = document.getElementById('visualization');
var data = new DataSet();
var timeline = new Timeline(container, data, {});
To get this to work you'll need to add some babel-loader-setting to your webpack-config:
module: {
module: {
rules: [{
test: /node_modules[\\\/]vis[\\\/].*\.js$/,
loader: 'babel-loader',
query: {
cacheDirectory: true,
presets: [ "babel-preset-es2015" ].map(require.resolve),
plugins: [
"transform-es3-property-literals", // #2452
"transform-es3-member-expression-literals", // #2566
"transform-runtime" // #2566
]
}
}]
}
}
There is also an demo-project showing the integration of vis.js using webpack.
Test
To test the library, install the project dependencies once:
npm install
Then run the tests:
npm run test
License
Copyright (C) 2010-2017 Almende B.V. and Contributors
Vis.js is dual licensed under both
and
Vis.js may be distributed under either license.
Top Related Projects
⚠️ This project is not maintained anymore! Please go to https://github.com/visjs
Open-source JavaScript charting library behind Plotly and Dash
Bring data to life with SVG, Canvas and HTML. :bar_chart::chart_with_upwards_trend::tada:
Simple HTML5 Charts using the <canvas> tag
JavaScript 3D Library.
Graph theory (network) library for visualisation and analysis
Convert
designs to code with AI
Introducing Visual Copilot: A new AI model to turn Figma designs to high quality code using your components.
Try Visual Copilot