Author: Bob Rudis
Date: 2016-03-21

# Introduction to vegalite

#### Bob Rudis

#### 2016-03-21

`vegalite` is an R `htmlwidget` interface to the Vega-Lite JavaScript visualization library.

What is “Vega” and why “-Lite”? Vega is _“a full declarative visualization grammar, suitable for expressive custom interactive visualization design and programmatic generation.“” Vega-Lite ”provides a higher-level grammar for visual analysis, comparable to ggplot or Tableau, that generates complete Vega specifications.“_ Vega-Lite compiles to Vega and is more compact and accessible than Vega. Both are just JSON data files with a particular schema that let you encode the data, encodings and aesthetics for statistical charts.

The following is a gallery of code & examples to help you get started with the package.

    library(vegalite)

### bar mark

    dat <- jsonlite::fromJSON('[
          {"a": "A","b": 28}, {"a": "B","b": 55}, {"a": "C","b": 43},
          {"a": "D","b": 91}, {"a": "E","b": 81}, {"a": "F","b": 53},
          {"a": "G","b": 19}, {"a": "H","b": 87}, {"a": "I","b": 52}
        ]')

    vegalite(viewport_height=250) %>%
      cell_size(400, 200) %>%
      add_data(dat) %>%
      encode_x("a", "ordinal") %>%
      encode_y("b", "quantitative") %>%
      mark_bar()

### point mark

    vegalite(viewport_width=400, viewport_height=400) %>%
      cell_size(400, 400) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/cars.json") %>%
      encode_x("Horsepower", "quantitative") %>%
      encode_y("Miles_per_Gallon", "quantitative") %>%
      mark_point()

### cirlce mark

    vegalite(viewport_width=400, viewport_height=400) %>%
      cell_size(400, 400) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/cars.json") %>%
      encode_x("Horsepower", "quantitative") %>%
      encode_y("Miles_per_Gallon", "quantitative") %>%
      mark_circle()

### color and shape

    vegalite(viewport_width=400, viewport_height=400) %>%
      cell_size(400, 400) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/cars.json") %>%
      encode_x("Horsepower", "quantitative") %>%
      encode_y("Miles_per_Gallon", "quantitative") %>%
      encode_color("Origin", "nominal") %>%
      encode_shape("Origin", "nominal") %>%
      mark_point()

### size

    vegalite(viewport_width=400, viewport_height=400) %>%
      cell_size(400, 400) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/cars.json") %>%
      encode_x("Horsepower", "quantitative") %>%
      encode_y("Miles_per_Gallon", "quantitative") %>%
      encode_size("Acceleration", "quantitative") %>%
      mark_point()

### filtered line

    vegalite(viewport_width=400, viewport_height=450) %>%
      cell_size(400, 450) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/stocks.csv") %>%
      add_filter("datum.symbol==='GOOG'") %>%
      encode_x("date", "temporal") %>%
      encode_y("price", "quantitative") %>%
      mark_line()

### ticks

    vegalite(viewport_height=200) %>%
      cell_size(400, 200) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/cars.json") %>%
      encode_x("Horsepower", "quantitative") %>%
      encode_y("Cylinders", "ordinal") %>%
      mark_tick()

### multi-series line

    vegalite(viewport_height=500) %>%
      cell_size(400, 400) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/stocks.csv") %>%
      encode_x("date", "temporal") %>%
      encode_y("price", "quantitative") %>%
      encode_color("symbol", "nominal") %>%
      mark_line()

### facet col

    vegalite(viewport_height=350) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/movies.json") %>%
      encode_x("Worldwide_Gross", "quantitative") %>%
      encode_y("US_DVD_Sales", "quantitative") %>%
      facet_col("MPAA_Rating", "ordinal") %>%
      mark_point()

### facet row

    vegalite(viewport_height=1400) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/movies.json") %>%
      encode_x("Worldwide_Gross", "quantitative") %>%
      encode_y("US_DVD_Sales", "quantitative") %>%
      facet_row("MPAA_Rating", "ordinal") %>%
      mark_point()

### facet both

    vegalite(viewport_height=2900) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/movies.json") %>%
      encode_x("Worldwide_Gross", "quantitative") %>%
      encode_y("US_DVD_Sales", "quantitative") %>%
      facet_col("MPAA_Rating", "ordinal") %>%
      facet_row("Major_Genre", "ordinal") %>%
      mark_point()

### log scale

    dat <- jsonlite::fromJSON('[
          {"x": 0, "y": 1}, {"x": 1, "y": 10},
          {"x": 2, "y": 100}, {"x": 3, "y": 1000},
          {"x": 4, "y": 10000}, {"x": 5, "y": 100000},
          {"x": 6, "y": 1000000}, {"x": 7, "y": 10000000}
        ]')

    vegalite(viewport_height=300) %>%
      add_data(dat) %>%
      encode_x("x", "quantitative") %>%
      encode_y("y", "quantitative") %>%
      mark_point() %>%
      scale_y_log()

### aggregate bar chart

    vegalite(viewport_width=500, viewport_height=400) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/population.json") %>%
      encode_x("people", "quantitative", aggregate="sum") %>%
      encode_y("age", "ordinal") %>%
      scale_y_ordinal(band_size=17) %>%
      add_filter("datum.year == 2000") %>%
      mark_bar()

### binned scatterplot

    vegalite(viewport_width=400, viewport_height=400) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/movies.json") %>%
      encode_x("IMDB_Rating", "quantitative") %>%
      encode_y("Rotten_Tomatoes_Rating", "quantitative") %>%
      encode_size("*", "quantitative", aggregate="count") %>%
      bin_x(maxbins=10) %>%
      bin_y(maxbins=10) %>%
      mark_point()

### slope graph

    vegalite(viewport_width=400, viewport_height=600) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/barley.json") %>%
      encode_x("year", "ordinal") %>%
      encode_y("yield", "quantitative", aggregate="median") %>%
      encode_color("site", "nominal") %>%
      scale_x_ordinal(band_size=50, padding=0.5) %>%
      mark_line()

### histogram

    vegalite(viewport_width=400, viewport_height=400) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/movies.json") %>%
      encode_x("IMDB_Rating", "quantitative") %>%
      encode_y("*", "quantitative", aggregate="count") %>%
      bin_x(maxbins=10) %>%
      mark_bar()

### stacked bar chart

    vegalite(viewport_width=400, viewport_height=400) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/seattle-weather.csv") %>%
      encode_x("date", "temporal") %>%
      encode_y("*", "quantitative", aggregate="count") %>%
      encode_color("weather", "nominal") %>%
      scale_color_nominal(domain=c("sun","fog","drizzle","rain","snow"),
                          range=c("#e7ba52","#c7c7c7","#aec7e8","#1f77b4","#9467bd")) %>%
      timeunit_x("month") %>%
      mark_bar()

### horizontal stacked bar chart

    vegalite(viewport_width=400, viewport_height=400) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/barley.json") %>%
      encode_x("yield", "quantitative", aggregate="sum") %>%
      encode_y("variety", "nominal") %>%
      encode_color("site", "nominal") %>%
      mark_bar()

### stacked area chart

    vegalite() %>%
      cell_size(300, 200) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/unemployment-across-industries.json") %>%
      encode_x("date", "temporal") %>%
      encode_y("count", "quantitative", aggregate="sum") %>%
      encode_color("series", "nominal") %>%
      scale_color_nominal(range="category20b") %>%
      timeunit_x("yearmonth") %>%
      scale_x_time(nice="month") %>%
      axis_x(axisWidth=0, format="%Y", labelAngle=0) %>%
      mark_area()

### streamgraph!

    vegalite() %>%
      cell_size(300, 200) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/unemployment-across-industries.json") %>%
      encode_x("date", "temporal") %>%
      encode_y("count", "quantitative", aggregate="sum") %>%
      encode_color("series", "nominal") %>%
      scale_color_nominal(range="category20b") %>%
      timeunit_x("yearmonth") %>%
      scale_x_time(nice="month") %>%
      axis_x(axisWidth=0, format="%Y", labelAngle=0) %>%
      mark_area(interpolate="basis", stack="center")

### scatter text

    vegalite() %>%
      cell_size(300, 200) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/cars.json") %>%
      encode_x("Horsepower", "quantitative") %>%
      encode_y("Miles_per_Gallon", "quantitative") %>%
      encode_color("Origin", "nominal") %>%
      calculate("OriginInitial", "datum.Origin[0]") %>%
      encode_text("OriginInitial", "nominal") %>%
      mark_text()

### area chart

    vegalite() %>%
      cell_size(300, 200) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/unemployment-across-industries.json") %>%
      encode_x("date", "temporal") %>%
      timeunit_x("yearmonth") %>%
      axis_x(axisWidth=0, format="%Y", labelAngle=0) %>%
      encode_y("count", "quantitative", aggregate="sum") %>%
      mark_area()

### grouped bar chart

    vegalite(viewport_width=400, viewport_height=400) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/population.json") %>%
      add_filter("datum.year == 2000") %>%
      calculate("gender", 'datum.sex == 2 ? "Female" : "Male"') %>%
      encode_x("gender", "nominal") %>%
      encode_y("people", "quantitative", aggregate="sum") %>%
      encode_color("gender", "nominal") %>%
      scale_x_ordinal(band_size=6) %>%
      scale_color_nominal(range=c("#EA98D2", "#659CCA")) %>%
      facet_col("age", "ordinal", padding=4) %>%
      axis_x(remove=TRUE) %>%
      axis_y(title="population", grid=FALSE) %>%
      axis_facet_col(orient="bottom", axisWidth=1, offset=-8) %>%
      facet_cell(stroke_width=0) %>%
      mark_bar()

### normalized stacked bar chart

    vegalite(viewport_width=400, viewport_height=400) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/population.json") %>%
      calculate("gender", 'datum.sex == 2 ? "Female" : "Male"') %>%
      encode_x("age", "ordinal") %>%
      encode_y("people", "quantitative", aggregate="sum") %>%
      encode_color("gender", "nominal") %>%
      scale_x_ordinal(band_size=17) %>%
      scale_color_nominal(range=c("#EA98D2", "#659CCA")) %>%
      mark_bar(stack="normalize")

### normalized stacked bar chart

    vegalite() %>%
      cell_size(300, 300) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/unemployment-across-industries.json") %>%
      encode_x("date", "temporal") %>%
      encode_y("count", "quantitative", aggregate="sum") %>%
      encode_color("series", "nominal") %>%
      scale_x_time(nice="month") %>%
      scale_color_nominal(range="category20b") %>%
      axis_x(axisWidth=0, format="%Y", labelAngle=0) %>%
      axis_y(remove=TRUE) %>%
      timeunit_x("yearmonth") %>%
      mark_area(stack="normalize")

### layered bar chart

    vegalite(viewport_width=400, viewport_height=400) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/population.json") %>%
      add_filter("datum.year == 2000") %>%
      calculate("gender", 'datum.sex == 2 ? "Female" : "Male"') %>%
      encode_x("age", "ordinal") %>%
      encode_y("people", "quantitative", aggregate="sum") %>%
      encode_color("gender", "nominal") %>%
      scale_x_ordinal(band_size=17) %>%
      scale_color_nominal(range=c("#e377c2","#1f77b4")) %>%
      axis_y(title="Population") %>%
      mark_bar(opacity=0.6, stack="none")

### trellis bar chart

    vegalite(viewport_width=400, viewport_height=400) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/population.json") %>%
      add_filter("datum.year == 2000") %>%
      calculate("gender", 'datum.sex == 2 ? "Female" : "Male"') %>%
      encode_x("age", "ordinal") %>%
      encode_y("people", "quantitative", aggregate="sum") %>%
      encode_color("gender", "nominal") %>%
      facet_row("gender", "nominal") %>%
      scale_x_ordinal(band_size=17) %>%
      scale_color_nominal(range=c("#EA98D2","#659CCA")) %>%
      axis_y(title="Population") %>%
      mark_bar()

### trellis stacked bar chart

    vegalite(viewport_width=400, viewport_height=400) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/barley.json") %>%
      encode_x("yield", "quantitative", aggregate="sum") %>%
      encode_y("variety", "nominal") %>%
      encode_color("site", "nominal") %>%
      facet_col("year", "ordinal") %>%
      mark_bar()

### trellis histograms

    vegalite(viewport_height=700) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/cars.json") %>%
      encode_x("Horsepower", "quantitative") %>%
      encode_y("*", "quantitative", aggregate="count") %>%
      encode_color("site", "nominal") %>%
      facet_row("Origin", "nominal") %>%
      bin_x(maxbins=15) %>%
      mark_bar()

### becker’s barley trellis plot

    vegalite(viewport_height=1200) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/barley.json") %>%
      encode_x("yield", "quantitative", aggregate="mean") %>%
      encode_y("variety", "ordinal", sort=sort_def("yield", "mean")) %>%
      encode_color("year", "nominal") %>%
      facet_row("site", "ordinal") %>%
      scale_y_ordinal(band_size=12) %>%
      mark_point()

### sorting line order

    vegalite(viewport_width=300, viewport_height=300) %>%
      cell_size(300, 300) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/driving.json") %>%
      encode_x("miles", "quantitative") %>%
      encode_y("gas", "quantitative") %>%
      encode_path("year", "temporal") %>%
      scale_x_linear(zero=FALSE) %>%
      scale_y_linear(zero=FALSE) %>%
      mark_line()

### sort layer scatterplot

    vegalite(viewport_width=200, viewport_height=200) %>%
      cell_size(200, 200) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/cars.json") %>%
      encode_x("Horsepower", "quantitative") %>%
      encode_y("Miles_per_Gallon", "quantitative") %>%
      encode_color("Origin", "nominal") %>%
      encode_order("Origin", "ordinal", sort="descending") %>%
      mark_point()

### detail lines

    vegalite(viewport_width=200, viewport_height=200) %>%
      cell_size(200, 200) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/stocks.csv") %>%
      encode_x("date", "temporal") %>%
      encode_y("price", "quantitative") %>%
      encode_detail("symbol", "nominal") %>%
      mark_line()

### detail points

    vegalite() %>%
      cell_size(200, 200) %>%
      add_data("https://vega.github.io/vega-editor/app/data/cars.json") %>%
      encode_x("Horsepower", "quantitative", aggregate="mean") %>%
      encode_y("Displacement", "quantitative", aggregate="mean") %>%
      encode_detail("Origin", "nominal") %>%
      mark_point()