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Springy: A force-directed graph layout algorithm in JavaScript

37 points by cfontes 12y ago

dang 12y ago
Url changed from https://github.com/dhotson/springy https://github.com/dhotson/springy since the website links to the source code and is more informative (at least in the short run).
mkesper 12y ago
I'd find a comparison against other libs interesting. There's a lot out there already: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7034/graph-visualization-code-in-javascript http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7034/graph-visualization-...
- simulate 12y ago
  That's a good list on SO from Johann Strathaus. Thanks for the link. It's unfortunate that after being open for 5 years, having hundreds of up-votes, and 30 answers with several good responses, the question was recently closed on StackOverflow as being off-topic.
  - pathikrit 12y ago
    More here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9490003/web-based-large-scale-graph-drawing-library http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9490003/web-based-large-s...
polskibus 12y ago
How is it different from D3's force layout + DOM manipulation? Looks very, very similar to me.
- verroq 12y ago
  It's an inferior subset of D3, however HN will upvote anything with JS in the title.
  - zo1 12y ago
    Like I just upvoted your comment? Because it had JS in the body... Just kidding, I agree completely with you. It's currently very "in vogue" to promote anything remotely related to JS or Node. I always say, right tool for the job, and if that happens to be JS/Node, great. However, sometimes it feels like these JS pushers have JS as their proverbial hammer, and every single problem they encounter is a nail to be hammered (with JS).
- jschulenklopper 12y ago
  Indeed. See http://bl.ocks.org/mbostock/4062045 http://bl.ocks.org/mbostock/4062045 for Mike Bostock's example of a simple force-directed graph including the D3.js code. (BTW, see http://bl.ocks.org/mbostock http://bl.ocks.org/mbostock for an impressive collection of visualizations made with D3.js. Impressive both in terms of size of the collection, quality of the code and clarity of the visualizations.)
- akx 12y ago
  Well, it (slightly) predates D3, for what it's worth: https://github.com/dhotson/springy/commits/master?page=4 https://github.com/dhotson/springy/commits/master?page=4 https://github.com/mbostock/d3/commits/master?page=91 https://github.com/mbostock/d3/commits/master?page=91 If all you need is spring layout without the rest of D3, Springy might be a better fit.
cfontes 12y ago
I am not the author. Just found it interesting.
- phy6 12y ago
  Fair enough. Sometimes it's nice to see other people's implementation of the same thing, just for comparison. It's similar to learning how to say things with other words.
Windwaker 12y ago
Interesting. I did notice that every once and a while some of the text comes to rest outside or partially outside the canvas.
PeterSmit 12y ago
This has been around for a while. I remember using it in a project 3 years ago.
dhotson 12y ago
Hey guys, original author here. Thanks for taking a look. Questions welcome. :)

37 points by cfontes 12y ago

dang 12y ago

Url changed from https://github.com/dhotson/springy https://github.com/dhotson/springy since the website links to the source code and is more informative (at least in the short run).

mkesper 12y ago

I'd find a comparison against other libs interesting. There's a lot out there already: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7034/graph-visualization-code-in-javascript http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7034/graph-visualization-...

simulate 12y ago
That's a good list on SO from Johann Strathaus. Thanks for the link. It's unfortunate that after being open for 5 years, having hundreds of up-votes, and 30 answers with several good responses, the question was recently closed on StackOverflow as being off-topic.
- pathikrit 12y ago
  More here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9490003/web-based-large-scale-graph-drawing-library http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9490003/web-based-large-s...

polskibus 12y ago

How is it different from D3's force layout + DOM manipulation? Looks very, very similar to me.

verroq 12y ago
It's an inferior subset of D3, however HN will upvote anything with JS in the title.
- zo1 12y ago
  Like I just upvoted your comment? Because it had JS in the body... Just kidding, I agree completely with you. It's currently very "in vogue" to promote anything remotely related to JS or Node. I always say, right tool for the job, and if that happens to be JS/Node, great. However, sometimes it feels like these JS pushers have JS as their proverbial hammer, and every single problem they encounter is a nail to be hammered (with JS).
jschulenklopper 12y ago
Indeed. See http://bl.ocks.org/mbostock/4062045 http://bl.ocks.org/mbostock/4062045 for Mike Bostock's example of a simple force-directed graph including the D3.js code. (BTW, see http://bl.ocks.org/mbostock http://bl.ocks.org/mbostock for an impressive collection of visualizations made with D3.js. Impressive both in terms of size of the collection, quality of the code and clarity of the visualizations.)
akx 12y ago
Well, it (slightly) predates D3, for what it's worth: https://github.com/dhotson/springy/commits/master?page=4 https://github.com/dhotson/springy/commits/master?page=4 https://github.com/mbostock/d3/commits/master?page=91 https://github.com/mbostock/d3/commits/master?page=91 If all you need is spring layout without the rest of D3, Springy might be a better fit.

cfontes 12y ago

I am not the author. Just found it interesting.

phy6 12y ago
Fair enough. Sometimes it's nice to see other people's implementation of the same thing, just for comparison. It's similar to learning how to say things with other words.

Windwaker 12y ago

Interesting. I did notice that every once and a while some of the text comes to rest outside or partially outside the canvas.

PeterSmit 12y ago

This has been around for a while. I remember using it in a project 3 years ago.

dhotson 12y ago

Hey guys, original author here. Thanks for taking a look. Questions welcome. :)