What is the ChartJS library?

ChartJS is a free, open-source JavaScript library. Its primary purpose is for data visualization in the form of multiple charts. These include line, bar, pie, scatter, and many more. It also provides the user with animation capabilities on its charts, such as pop-ups, zooming, annotations, drag-and-drop, and more. It is written in pure JavaScript and is entirely independent of other libraries, which makes it easier to integrate into already working projects.

Moreover, ChartJS comes equipped with TypeScript capabilities which make it compatible with all popular JavaScript frameworks such as React, Vue, Svelte, and Angular. Due to its popularity, ChartJS also has thorough documentation with an active community creating an ever-learning and improving community. Finally, ChartJS proves to be one of the better charting libraries due to its ability to handle large datasets due to its rendering on HTML5 canvas. This allows for efficient data manipulation and reduces the pressure on the DOM tree.

Types of charts

ChartJS provides its users with eight charts that can be used based on the requirement. All of these charts are configured with accessibility settings that allow us to set custom parameters on how the data is shown to us. Moreover, it provides a solid UI/UX experience by allowing users to change the color, background color, border color, and canvas color as they wish. Furthermore, it also allows for custom fonts, font sizes, and other font properties. Finally, it provides animation abilities that can be enabled or disabled per need.

Bar chart

The bar chart shows the data values as vertical bars. It is used to show trend data on a grid graph. It can also be used to show the comparison of multiple datasets.

Bar chart
Bar chart

Note: To learn how to implement this in Angular, check out this Answer.

Line chart

The line chart shows data points on a line. It is also used to show trend data on a graph. It can also be used to compare two or more datasets.

Line chart
Line chart

Note: To learn how to implement this in Angular, check out this Answer.

Area chart

The area chart is a subset of both line and bar charts. It can be used to show space below, above, or between a boundary. It does this by using the fill option or the filler plugin depending on the requirements.

Area chart
Area chart

Note: To learn how to implement this in Angular, check out this answer.

// ADD HYPERLINK TO AREA CHART ANSWER

Bubble chart

The bubble chart is used to display three-dimensional (3D) data. The values on the x and y axes determine the location of the bubble. The size of the bubble represents the third dimension. This is useful when displaying complex data that needs more dimensions to show its use.

Bubble chart
Bubble chart

Note: To learn how to implement this in Angular, check out this answer.

// ADD HYPERLINK TO BUBBLE CHART ANSWER

Piechart/Doughnut chart

The piechart and/or doughnut charts show data that can be divided into multiple chunks that summate a total value. They show relational properties and ratios between different categories. Doughnut charts are the same in their usage but are slightly different in appearance due to their center cutout.

Pie chart
Pie chart

Note: To learn how to implement this in Angular, check out this Answer.

Mixed chart

The mixed chart makes it possible to combine multiple charts into one chart. This allows complex data to be displayed through multiple charts rather than one confusing chart. Moreover, it allows for different data types to be shown on one graph.

Mixed (line & bar) chart
Mixed (line & bar) chart

Note: To learn how to implement this in Angular, check out this answer.

// ADD HYPERLINK TO mixed CHART ANSWER

Polar Area chart

The polar area chart is similar to a piechart/doughnut chart, but each category has the same angle. The differentiating factor is the segment's radius, which depends on the value. This chart is used to show comparison data and the scale of values.

Polar area chart
Polar area chart

Note: To learn how to implement this in Angular, check out this answer.

// ADD HYPERLINK TO polar chart ANSWER

Radar chart

The radar chart shows multiple data points and the variations between them. They are used for comparing points of two or more different data sets with various features or characteristics.

Radar chart
Radar chart

Note: To learn how to implement this in Angular, check out this Answer.

Scatter chart

The scatter chart shows the relationship between the two variables. These are the most common types of charts used to show relationships and can scale to the third (z-axis) dimension. It is used when we have values for our x and y axis for specific events.

Scatter chart
Scatter chart

Note: To learn how to implement this in Angular, check out this Answer.

Conclusion

ChartJs allows users to display data in a way that allows it to be interactive and visually appealing. Moreover, the ease of use and seamless integration with its JavaScript frameworks makes it a popular choice for developers. Moreover, the extensive documentation at ChartJs creates an easy learning experience and encourages others to jump in. Overall, ChartJs is a robust library for those needing data visualization as it provides as is required, and it does so in an organized, fast, and presentable manner.

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