Published-release documentation · release compatibility

Chart Recipes

Use a recipe when you know the chart type and want the shortest supported action flow. Each recipe separates the decisions you must provide from the resources, defaults, and guides that ggaction can infer.

Scatterplot

Compare two quantitative fields and encode a category with color.

createScatterPlot

Line chart

Aggregate values over time and split the result into series.

createLinePlot

Histogram

Bin a quantitative field and count category partitions.

createHistogram

Bar chart

Aggregate ordinal categories and arrange nominal groups side by side.

createBarPlot

Heatmap

Map two discrete fields to cells and a quantitative field to color.

createHeatmap createTextMark encodeText

Regression scatterplot

Layer observations, grouped fits, and confidence bands.

createPointMark createRegression

Density area

Estimate grouped distributions and draw baseline-closed areas.

createAreaMark encodeDensity encodeColor

Horizon chart

Compress a long time series by folding values above and below a baseline.

createAreaMark encodeHorizon editHorizon

Error bar

Keep observations visible while summarizing group uncertainty.

createErrorBar

Error band

Show interval ribbons with explicit lower and upper boundaries.

createErrorBand

Box plot

Compose quartiles, whiskers, medians, and outlier points.

createBoxPlot

Violin plot

Compare complete distribution shapes across categories with symmetric or split density areas.

createViolinPlot editDensity

Program composition

Compare distinct child panels, edit their layout, and replace one stable slot.

hconcat editCompositionLayout replaceCompositionChild

Faceted scatterplot

Repeat a complete point or bar chart by field value.

facet editFacetHeaders editCompositionLayout

Parallel coordinates

Compare multivariate row profiles while retaining row-level identity.

createParallelCoordinates encodeParallelCoordinates

Rose chart

Compare radial magnitudes inside ordered categorical sectors.

createArcMark encodeTheta encodeR

Gradient plot

Compare complete distribution shapes across categories in a compact strip.

createGradientPlot editGradientPlot

Annotated scatterplot

Attach readable data labels to final point, bar, or rule items.

createTextMark encodeText editTextMark

Development trajectories

Connect repeated and non-monotonic positions by a separate quantitative order field.

createLineMark encodePathOrder removePathOrder

Repair missing observations

Repair missing observations with explicit inputs and immutable program revisions.

createWindowData createLinePlot bindMarkData

Compare weighted distributions

Compare weighted distributions with explicit inputs and immutable program revisions.

createHistogram createDensityPlot createECDFPlot

Switch encoding modes atomically

Switch encoding modes atomically with explicit inputs and immutable program revisions.

createScatterPlot encodeChannels

Edit scales and refresh guides

Edit scales and refresh guides with explicit inputs and immutable program revisions.

createScatterPlot editXScale editXAxis

Select and place final-item labels

Select and place final-item labels with explicit inputs and immutable program revisions.

editMarkLabelSelection editMarkLabelPlacement layoutLabels

Apply, override, and remove a theme

Apply, override, and remove a theme with explicit inputs and immutable program revisions.

applyTheme editPointMark removeTheme

Revise facet source and shared guides

Revise facet source and shared guides with explicit inputs and immutable program revisions.

editFacetSource editFacetHeaders editFacetGuides

Remove resources in dependency order

Remove resources in dependency order with explicit inputs and immutable program revisions.

encodeY removeData removeMark

Every flow begins with createCanvas, createData, and a semantic mark or composite action. Follow each action’s required selectors even when only one resource exists. Use stable explicit IDs for later edits; omission is available only where the action documents inference. See authoring conventions.

Each recipe labels its primary snippet as runnable. Later snippets revise the named program produced by that primary flow unless they repeat an import and complete setup explicitly.