This is a list of miscellaneous resources I’ve come across dealing with data visualization in several forms.
These are mostly utility libraries and viewers that I had scattered all over the place and that are best concentrated on a single page for reference.
The Graphs and Graphing and Visualization pages will be subsumed by this one in the fullness of time.
Ratings are entirely subjective based on my interest.
Charting and Plotting
| Date |
Link |
Type |
Formats |
Rating |
Notes |
| 2010 |
| 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 library |
Flash |
|
Built atop Degrafa, adding a few layout primitives and other building blocks. |
| Degrafa : Declarative Graphics Framework |
Flex library |
Flash |
|
Seems very flexible and powerful. |
| Mar 03 |
RGraph |
JavaScript library |
HTML canvas |
|
Pretty extensive, does interaction, Gantt charts, supports 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 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 |
| 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 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 |
Scientific Visualization
| Link |
Type |
Formats |
Rating |
Notes |
| MayaVi |
Desktop app |
Multiple |
|
Heavy-duty scientific visualization tool |
| matplotlib |
Python library |
Too many to list |
|
Inspired by Matlab. Good for publication quality output. Extremely sophisticated (and complex). |
| SciGraphica |
Desktop app |
Multiple |
|
Competent GTK app, hasn’t been updated since 2005 |
| R |
Desktop app |
Multiple |
|
Focuses on statistical computing, graphics are a competent add-on |
Graphs
Miscellaneous
| Link |
Type |
Formats |
Rating |
Notes |
| NodeBox |
Desktop app |
Multiple |
|
Can be used to programmatically do just about anything, including graphs |
| Flare |
Multi-purpose library |
Flash |
|
Can do several kinds of interactive data plots and directed/undirected graphs |
| Flow Map |
Java desktop tool |
Multiple |
|
Unique, as far as I know |
Geodata
