Chart.js

Website

chartjs.org

$ Details

Categories

#Charting Libraries #Data Visualization #Data Dashboard #Javascript UI Libraries

Underscore.js

Website

underscorejs.org

$ Details

Categories

#Development Tools #Javascript UI Libraries #JavaScript Framework #UI

Chart.js features and specs

• Open Source
  Chart.js is open source and free to use, which makes it accessible for both personal and commercial projects without any licensing costs.
• Ease of Use
  Chart.js is known for its simple and easy-to-use API. Developers can quickly create charts by just including the library and writing minimal JavaScript.
• Lightweight
  The library is relatively lightweight compared to other charting libraries, which helps in maintaining the performance of web applications.
• Responsive Design
  Charts created with Chart.js are responsive by default, ensuring that they look good on all devices, including desktops, tablets, and mobile phones.
• Variety of Chart Types
  Chart.js supports a variety of chart types including line, bar, radar, pie, doughnut, and polar area charts, providing flexibility for different data visualization needs.
• Customization
  Developers can customize the appearance of charts extensively through Chart.js options such as colors, labels, and tooltips.
• Active Community
  Chart.js has an active community and a strong support base, which means that developers can easily find help, tutorials, and plugins to enhance functionality.

Possible disadvantages of Chart.js

• Limited Advanced Features
  While Chart.js is good for basic and intermediate charting needs, it may lack some advanced features and customizations offered by more complex charting libraries like D3.js.
• Performance Issues with Large Datasets
  Chart.js can struggle with performance when dealing with very large datasets or complex visualizations, which can result in slower rendering times.
• Learning Curve for Customization
  Although the basic usage is straightforward, achieving deeper customizations can involve a steeper learning curve as it requires understanding the underlying JavaScript and options.
• Limited Interactivity
  Interactivity options with Chart.js are somewhat limited compared to other libraries that offer more advanced interactive features.
• Dependency on Canvas
  Charts are rendered using the HTML5 canvas element, which may not be as flexible as SVG-based rendering used by some other libraries.

Underscore.js features and specs

• Utility Functions
  Underscore.js provides a wealth of utility functions for common tasks such as map, reduce, filter, and more, making it easier to perform operations on arrays, objects, and collections.
• Consistency
  The library offers a consistent API, which can make your code more readable and maintainable by providing a standard way to perform common programming tasks.
• Lightweight
  Underscore.js is lightweight compared to full-featured libraries like Lodash, which can be a benefit if you're looking to minimize your application's footprint.
• Browser Compatibility
  It supports a wide range of JavaScript environments, making it a good choice for projects that need to work across different browsers and Node.js.
• Quick to Learn
  Easy to pick up for developers with even a basic understanding of JavaScript, due to its straightforward documentation and familiar function names.

Possible disadvantages of Underscore.js

• Performance
  Underscore.js may not offer the same level of performance optimizations as more modern utility libraries like Lodash, potentially leading to slower execution for some tasks.
• Limited Functionality
  While it covers many basic utility functions, its feature set is not as extensive as Lodash or other similar libraries, which provide a broader range of capabilities.
• Outdated
  With the advent of ECMAScript 5 and later versions, many of the functions provided by Underscore.js are now natively available in JavaScript, reducing its necessity.
• No Modularization
  Underscore does not support modular builds in the same way Lodash does, meaning you might end up including the entire library even if you only need a few functions.
• Community and Maintenance
  While still maintained, Underscore.js has seen less active development and contributions compared to newer libraries, which could impact its long-term viability and support.

1.3: Graphing with Chart.js - Working With Data & APIs in JavaScript

More videos:

Introduction to Underscore.JS