Chapter 1. An introduction to D3.js
This chapter covers
- The basics of HTML, CSS, and the Document Object Model (DOM)
- The principles of Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)
- Node and ES2015 functionality
- Data-binding and selections with D3
- Different data types and their data visualization methods
D3 is behind nearly all the most innovative and exciting information visualization on the web today. D3 stands for data-driven documents. It’s a brand name, but also a class of applications that have been offered on the web in one form or another for years. In my career, I’ve made many things that could be considered data-driven documents. These include everything from one-off dynamic maps or social network diagrams to robust visual explorations of time and place. You’ll be using D3 whether you’re building data visualization prototypes for research or big data dashboards at the top tech companies.
D3.js was created to fill a pressing need for web-accessible, sophisticated data visualization. Let’s say your company has used Business Intelligence tools for a while, but they don’t show you the kind of patterns in the data that your team needs. You need to build a custom dashboard that shows exactly how your customers are behaving, tailored for your specific domain. That dashboard needs to be fast, interactive, and shareable around the organization. You’re going to use D3 for that.