Your First Chart in React using FusionCharts

FusionCharts is a JavaScript charting library that enables you to create interactive charts, gauges, maps and dashboards in JavaScript. In this page, we'll see how to render charts using FusionCharts and react-fusionCharts plugin. We'll start with simple examples of creating a chart , followed by a gauge and a map .

Before going through this article, please install the react-fusioncharts plugin, if you haven’t installed it already.

Create your first chart

In this section, we will create a chart using react-fusioncharts. We will create a Column 2D chart, which has the column2d chart alias in FusionCharts. We have 95+ chart types with their respective aliases for you to explore. Find the complete list of chart types here .

Let's start with a simple example of "Countries With Most Oil Reserves" chart, which we will plot in a Column 2D chart as shown below:

FusionCharts will load here..

The data for this chart is represented in the table below:

Country No. of Oil Reserves
Venezuela 290
Saudi 260
Canada 180
Iran 140
Russia 115
UAE 100
US 30
China 30

Convert tabular data into JSON format

Now that you have the tabular data ready, it's time to convert it into JSON format, as FusionCharts accepts data in JSON or XML format. For React, we recommend JSON format.

There are different JSON formats for different groups of charts in FusionCharts - e.g., single-series , multi-series , combination , etc.

The converted format will look as shown below:

{
    // Chart Configuration
    "chart": {
        "caption": "Countries With Most Oil Reserves [2017-18]",
        "subCaption": "In MMbbl = One Million barrels",
        "xAxisName": "Country",
        "yAxisName": "Reserves (MMbbl)",
        "numberSuffix": "K",
        "theme": "fusion",
    },
    // Chart Data
    "data": [{
        "label": "Venezuela",
        "value": "290"
    }, {
        "label": "Saudi",
        "value": "260"
    }, {
        "label": "Canada",
        "value": "180"
    }, {
        "label": "Iran",
        "value": "140"
    }, {
        "label": "Russia",
        "value": "115"
    }, {
        "label": "UAE",
        "value": "100"
    }, {
        "label": "US",
        "value": "30"
    }, {
        "label": "China",
        "value": "30"
    }]
}

In the above JSON, we have:

  • Created the chart object to define the elements of the chart.

  • Then, each row of the tabular data is present within the data array to specify the labels and their corresponding values.

Both the chart object and the data array contain a set of key-value pairs known as attributes. These attributes are used to set the functional and cosmetic properties of the chart as defined below:

Functional Attributes

Functional attributes let you control a variety of functional elements on the chart. For example, you can opt to show/hide data labels or data values. You can also set chart limits and extended properties. The functional attributes used in the above JSON are:

  • caption sets the caption of the chart.

  • subcaption sets the sub-caption of the chart.

  • xAxisName sets the name of the x-axis, whereas yAxisName sets the name of the y-axis.

  • numberPrefix adds a prefix to all the numbers visible on the chart.

  • Please note, we have used the theme attribute in the chart's JSON data and provided fusion theme as its value. Using themes, you can centralize cosmetic and functional properties across various charts in your web application.

Cosmetic Attributes

Cosmetic attributes let you configure chart cosmetics like color, transparency, font size, etc. Since we are using the fusion theme to customize the chart's look and feel, no cosmetic attributes are used in this sample. For a detailed list of cosmetic attributes click here .

Render the Chart

In this step, we will set the chart type as column2d, set the width and height (in pixels or %), and finally specify the JSON data for the chart as a string.

First, store the configurations as a JSON object in a variable as below:

<script type="text/javascript">
    var chartConfigs = {
        type: 'column2d', // The chart type
        width: '700', // Width of the chart
        height: '400', // Height of the chart
        dataFormat: 'json', // Data type
        dataSource: {
            // Chart Configuration
            "chart": {
                "caption": "Countries With Most Oil Reserves [2017-18]",
                "subCaption": "In MMbbl = One Million barrels",
                "xAxisName": "Country",
                "yAxisName": "Reserves (MMbbl)",
                "numberSuffix": "K",
                "theme": "fusion",
            },
            // Chart Data
            "data": [{
                "label": "Venezuela",
                "value": "290"
            }, {
                "label": "Saudi",
                "value": "260"
            }, {
                "label": "Canada",
                "value": "180"
            }, {
                "label": "Iran",
                "value": "140"
            }, {
                "label": "Russia",
                "value": "115"
            }, {
                "label": "UAE",
                "value": "100"
            }, {
                "label": "US",
                "value": "30"
            }, {
                "label": "China",
                "value": "30"
            }]
        }
    };
</script>

To render the chart, the react-fusioncharts component can be:

  • Passed directly to the ReactDOM.render() method

OR

  • Passed as part of another ReactJS component

Passed directly to the ReactDOM.render() method:

To add js code within the <script> tag in HTML page, add type="text/jsx".

<script type="text/jsx">
ReactDOM.render(
    <ReactFC {...chartConfigs} />,
    document.getElementById('chart-container')
);
</script>

Passed as a part of another ReactJS component:

class App extends React.Component {
    render() {
        return (
            / **FusionCharts Component** /
            <ReactFC {...chartConfigs} />
            /** Other ReactJS component(s) **/
            <..... />
            <..... />
        )
    }
}

In the above code:

  • We have created an instance of the Column 2D chart. Each chart type in FusionCharts Suite XT has a unique alias, which you can use to create an instance of that chart. In this case, we are creating an instance of a Column 2D chart with dimensions of 700x400 pixels using width and height.

  • To specify the data format as JSON, we have set the dataFormat parameter to json. You can also provide the data in XML format .

  • The JSON data is embedded as the value of the dataSource parameter.

That's it! When you run this HTML page now, you should see a chart representing your data.

See the complete list of all possible attributes (the keys in the dataSource object) for a Column 2D chart.

Now, go on and explore other 95+ chart types that we've in FusionCharts or explore the configuration attribute for the charts.

Create your first gauge

Gauges are powerful tools that can showcase information using a radial scale to display data, while a dial is used to indicate the value. In this section, we will create an Angular Gauge.

To start with, we'll build a simple gauge showcasing Nordstorm's Customer Satisfaction Score as shown below:

FusionCharts will load here..

The thresholds for the above sample have been defined using the following range.

Range Color Hex Code
0-50 Red #F2726F
50-75 Yellow #FFC533
75-100 Green #62B58F

So, any score less than 50 is bad and is red. Any score between 50 and 75 is average and is yellow. Any score above 75 means good and are green.

Convert tabular data into JSON format

Now that you have the tabular data ready, it's time to convert it into JSON format, as FusionCharts accepts data in JSON or XML format. For React, we recommend JSON format. The converted format will look as shown below:

{
    // Chart Configuration
    "chart": {
        "caption": "Nordstorm's Customer Satisfaction Score for 2017",
        "lowerLimit": "0",
        "upperLimit": "100",
        "showValue": "1",
        "numberSuffix": "%",
        "theme": "fusion",
        "showToolTip": "0"
    },
    // Chart Data
    "colorRange": {
        "color": [{
            "minValue": "0",
            "maxValue": "50",
            "code": "#F2726F"
        }, {
            "minValue": "50",
            "maxValue": "75",
            "code": "#FFC533"
        }, {
            "minValue": "75",
            "maxValue": "100",
            "code": "#62B58F"
        }]
    },
    "dials": {
        "dial": [{
            "value": "81"
        }]
    }
}

Render the Gauge

In this step, we will set the chart type as angulargauge, set the width and height (in pixels or %), and finally specify the JSON data for the chart as a string.

<script type="text/javascript">
    var chartConfigs = {
        type: 'angulargauge', // The chart type
        width: '450', // Width of the chart
        height: '250', // Height of the chart
        dataFormat: 'json', // Data type
        dataSource: {
            // Chart Configuration
            "chart": {
                "caption": "Nordstorm's Customer Satisfaction Score for 2017",
                "lowerLimit": "0",
                "upperLimit": "100",
                "showValue": "1",
                "numberSuffix": "%",
                "theme": "fusion",
                "showToolTip": "0"
            },
            // Chart Data
            "colorRange": {
                "color": [{
                    "minValue": "0",
                    "maxValue": "50",
                    "code": "#F2726F"
                }, {
                    "minValue": "50",
                    "maxValue": "75",
                    "code": "#FFC533"
                }, {
                    "minValue": "75",
                    "maxValue": "100",
                    "code": "#62B58F"
                }]
            },
            "dials": {
                "dial": [{
                    "value": "81"
                }]
            }
        }
    };
</script>

To render the chart, the react-fusioncharts component can be:

  • Passed directly to the ReactDOM.render() method

OR

  • Passed as part of another ReactJS component

Passed directly to the ReactDOM.render() method:

To add js code within the <script> tag in HTML page, add type="text/jsx".

<script type="text/jsx">
ReactDOM.render(
    <ReactFC {...chartConfigs} />,
    document.getElementById('chart-container')
);
</script>

See the complete list of all possible attributes for an angular gauge.

Create your first map

In this section, we will create a visualization using the World Map. Take a look at the map shown below:

FusionCharts will load here..

The data for this chart is represented in the table below:

State Entity Name Value
North America NA 82
South America SA 2.04
Asia AS 1.78
Europe EU 40
Africa AF 2.58
Australia AU 1.30

In the above table, the column Entity Name represents the geographical entities represented in the map, whose full names are given in the State column.

However, when you convert the data into a format supported by FusionCharts, the entities are denoted by the id key in the data object (see the code snippet of the next section).

For any map visualization, it is important to provide the correct value for the id keys. For example, if you want to denote Africa, the value for the corresponding id must be AF and not AFR.

We have a detailed Map Specification Sheets for all the maps that can be rendered using FusionCharts, where you can find the correct id of the maps you want to create.

Convert tabular data into JSON format

Now that you have the tabular data ready, it's time to convert it into JSON format, as FusionCharts accepts data in JSON or XML format. For React, we recommend JSON format. The converted format will look as shown below:

{
    // Map Configuration
    "chart": {
        "caption": "Average Annual Population Growth",
        "subcaption": " 1955-2015",
        "numbersuffix": "%",
        "includevalueinlabels": "1",
        "labelsepchar": ": ",
        "entityFillHoverColor": "#FFF9C4",
        "theme": "fusion"
    },
    // Aesthetics; ranges synced with the slider
    "colorrange": {
        "minvalue": "0",
        "code": "#FFE0B2",
        "gradient": "1",
        "color": [{
            "minvalue": "0.5",
            "maxvalue": "1.0",
            "color": "#FFD74D"
        }, {
            "minvalue": "1.0",
            "maxvalue": "2.0",
            "color": "#FB8C00"
        }, {
            "minvalue": "2.0",
            "maxvalue": "3.0",
            "color": "#E65100"
        }]
    },
    // Source data as JSON --> id represents countries of world.
    "data": [{
        "id": "NA",
        "value": ".82",
        "showLabel": "1"
    }, {
        "id": "SA",
        "value": "2.04",
        "showLabel": "1"
    }, {
        "id": "AS",
        "value": "1.78",
        "showLabel": "1"
    }, {
        "id": "EU",
        "value": ".40",
        "showLabel": "1"
    }, {
        "id": "AF",
        "value": "2.58",
        "showLabel": "1"
    }, {
        "id": "AU",
        "value": "1.30",
        "showLabel": "1"
    }]
}

Render a Map

In this step, we will set the map type as world, set the width and height (in pixels or %), and finally specify the JSON data for the chart as a string.

<script type="text/javascript">
    var chartConfigs = {
        type: 'world', // The chart type
        width: '800', // Width of the chart
        height: '550', // Height of the chart
        dataFormat: 'json', // Data type
        dataSource: {
            // Map Configuration
            "chart": {
                "caption": "Average Annual Population Growth",
                "subcaption": " 1955-2015",
                "numbersuffix": "%",
                "includevalueinlabels": "1",
                "labelsepchar": ": ",
                "entityFillHoverColor": "#FFF9C4",
                "theme": "fusion"
            },
            // Aesthetics; ranges synced with the slider
            "colorrange": {
                "minvalue": "0",
                "code": "#FFE0B2",
                "gradient": "1",
                "color": [{
                    "minvalue": "0.5",
                    "maxvalue": "1.0",
                    "color": "#FFD74D"
                }, {
                    "minvalue": "1.0",
                    "maxvalue": "2.0",
                    "color": "#FB8C00"
                }, {
                    "minvalue": "2.0",
                    "maxvalue": "3.0",
                    "color": "#E65100"
                }]
            },
            // Source data as JSON --> id represents countries of world.
            "data": [{
                "id": "NA",
                "value": ".82",
                "showLabel": "1"
            }, {
                "id": "SA",
                "value": "2.04",
                "showLabel": "1"
            }, {
                "id": "AS",
                "value": "1.78",
                "showLabel": "1"
            }, {
                "id": "EU",
                "value": ".40",
                "showLabel": "1"
            }, {
                "id": "AF",
                "value": "2.58",
                "showLabel": "1"
            }, {
                "id": "AU",
                "value": "1.30",
                "showLabel": "1"
            }]
        }
    };
</script>

To render the chart, the react-fusioncharts component can be:

  • Passed directly to the ReactDOM.render() method

OR

  • Passed as part of another ReactJS component

Passed directly to the ReactDOM.render() method:

To add js code within the <script> tag in HTML page, add type="text/jsx".

<script type="text/jsx">
ReactDOM.render(
    <ReactFC {...chartConfigs} />,
    document.getElementById('chart-container')
);
</script>

See the complete list of all possible attributes (the keys in the dataSource object) for the World Map. The respective id can be found here .

Problem rendering the chart?

In case there is an error, and you are unable to see the chart, check for the following:

  • If you don't see the chart getting rendered on the browser, it might be because some browsers does not allow JavaScript files to be loaded and run from the local filesystem. In such cases, either try a different browser, or create a local/remote server and provide the webpages containing the charts from the server.

  • If you are getting a JavaScript error on your page, check your browser console for the exact error and fix accordingly.

  • If the chart does not show up at all, but there are no JavaScript errors, check if the FusionCharts Suite XT JavaScript library has loaded correctly. You can use developer tools within your browser to see if fusioncharts.js was loaded. Check if the path to fusioncharts.js file is correct and whether the file exists in that location.

  • If you get a Loading Data or Error in loading data message, check whether your JSON data structure is correct, or there are conflicts related to quotation marks in your code.

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