Plotly.js React Tutorial

What is Plotly.js?

Plotly.js is a high-level, declarative chart library built on top of d3.js and stack.gl. It is highly cutomizable and robust. Additionally, the built-in export options are wonderful. The file size for Plotly.js can be challenging for real-time applications and the learning curve can be steep.

What is React?

React is a popular JavaScript library for building user interfaces, particularly single-page applications where dynamic content needs to be updated without reloading the page. Developed by Facebook (now Meta Platforms), React has grown in popularity due to its simplicity, efficiency, and scalability. It allows developers to build large web applications that can change data without reloading the page, offering a responsive and fluid user experience. React has a virtual DOM for faster manipulation, a component based architecture, and a great community for support. It is efficient, flexible, and widely used in the market.

Plotly.js React Code Example

This example demonstrates how to create a simple line chart using Plotly.js within a React application. Plotly.js is a versatile charting library that provides an easy way to create interactive, high-quality charts. To integrate Plotly.js in a React app, we'll use the `react-plotly.js` wrapper, which simplifies the process of creating Plotly charts in React.

First, ensure you have the necessary packages installed in your project. You can add them by running:

npm install react-plotly.js plotly.js


Next, here’s how you could set up a simple line chart component:

import React from 'react';
import Plot from 'react-plotly.js';

const LineChart = () => {
 // Sample data for the chart
 const xValues = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];
 const yValues = [2, 3, 2, 4, 5];

 return (
   <Plot
     data={[
       {
         x: xValues,
         y: yValues,
         type: 'scatter',  // Defines the chart type
         mode: 'lines+markers', // Visualization mode
         marker: {color: 'blue'}, // Marker properties
       },
     ]}
     layout={{width: 720, height: 440, title: 'A Simple Line Chart'}}
   />
 );
};

export default LineChart;


Finally, you can import and use the LineChart component in your application as follows:

import React from 'react';
import LineChart from './LineChart';

const App = () => {
 return (
   <div>
     <h2>My React Plotly Chart</h2>
     <LineChart />
   </div>
 );
};

export default App;


This example showcases the ease with which you can integrate Plotly.js into a React application to create dynamic and interactive charts. You can further customize the chart by exploring the vast array of settings and options provided by Plotly.js.