Data Visualization with JavaScript

by ig1 • 12 years ago

51 12 12 years ago

bingcrosby• 12 years ago

I actually stumbled on this book yesterday. I read a few chapters. What surprised me the most other than the good content if you're in the JS analytics space, but actually the fluidity and level of the writing was so much than what you usually expect to come across in what on the surface of things should be dry. It kept me going for a few more chapters. Hope this catches on.

nullterminated• 12 years ago

It's all very nice. But this made me throw up a little. "With a functional programming implementation, it’s hard to imagine how a bug (other than a typo) might even be introduced."

danso• 12 years ago

Bravo and thanks to another new and free reference. The non-technical writing has to be tightened up a bit though...it seems that the author, when addressing unknown domains, goes too far in assuming that "oh, everyone knows [this/that]"

Examples from the intro page:

http://sathomas.me/jsdataviz/intro.html

- Even the BBC and the New York Times have noticed: Data defines our world. ...OK, both are certainly old organizations...that doesn't necessarily mean both have been slow on the data uptake...

- Yet according to some estimates, 99.5% of the data our systems collect goes to waste. No one ever analyzes it effectively. - Uh..."some estimates" links to The Register, which has written a story based off of anecdotes...what's that saying about data not being the plural of anecdote? "99.5%" is such an extreme estimate that it sounds like a parody of "44% of all statistics are made up".

- The best visualizations, in fact, impart this understanding subconsciously. Viewers comprehend the data immediately—without thinking. Such presentations free the viewer to more fully consider the implications of the data: the stories it tells, the insights it reveals, or even the warnings it offers. -- Huh?

- If you’re developing web sites or web applications today, there’s a good chance you have data to communicate, and that data may be begging for a good visualization. But how do you know what kind of visualization is appropriate? -- These are all good questions and concerns, but none of them have anything to do with JavaScript, as Edward Tufte was able to tackle this topic before JS was invented.

Yeah, I'm being nitpicky...but the field of data visualization already has too much fluff and confusion. Also, when a writer focuses on a reasonable scope, rather than attempt to play anthropologist/psychologist...there's more time to focus on their actual material.

sathomasga2• 12 years ago

Oops. Although I wasn't really trying to keep this a secret, it's just something that's very much still in-progress. It certainly hasn't been edited yet. To be honest, I'm more worried that the material will fall out-of-date before I can finish it. But comments and criticism (kind or otherwise) are still very much welcome. I really do intend to spend more time on this starting in a month or so. Who knows, it folks are really interested that might be enough of an inspiration to finally push through and finish it.

jackgolding• 12 years ago

Now you have the HN editing/grammar-nazi army!

freefrancisco• 12 years ago

awesome, thanks for doing this, bookmarking it!

piyasde• 12 years ago

Good Book indeed. We are learning alternative from here after d3.js and Highchart. Reading the book and will try to employ this in analytic portions of our in-house project.

pratkar2• 12 years ago

I've always been a D3.js fan, more so because of the extensive range of novel chart types that it has. But, this looks good when you need a simpler solution.

vrepsys• 12 years ago

AFAIK D3.js does not have 'a range' of chart types. It's just that you can use D3 to draw anything you like including charts, maps etc. It does not have any chart types built-in.

pratkar2• 12 years ago

What I meant was users have created an extensive library of re-usable chart types. :)

polskibus• 12 years ago

I noticed Raphael being used - is it still the library of choice? I though most focus is on D3 these days? Would you mind sharing your rationale for each library used?

sathomasga2• 12 years ago

For specialized visualizations, of course, there are specialized libraries. For the more general uses I mostly wanted to provide a survey of some of the libraries that are available. It's not really intended as a recommendation of one library over another. When you really look at it, all of the general charting libraries are pretty similar. I did want to stick with true open source, so no HighCharts, for example.

Data Visualization with JavaScript

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