Correcting Empty Plot Area using Highcharter and Lists

In this article, we’ll explore how to create a stacked column chart using Highcharter in R. The problem we’re trying to solve is that the plot area is empty despite having correct data structures.

Introduction

Highcharter is a powerful library for creating interactive charts in R. It’s particularly useful when dealing with large datasets or dynamic data types. In this article, we’ll delve into how to use Highcharter to create stacked column charts and troubleshoot common issues like an empty plot area.

Understanding the Data Structures

Before we begin, let’s take a closer look at the data structures used in our example. We’re working with a dataset that has several columns:

• AcctID: a unique identifier for each account
• CreatedDate: the date and time when the data was created
• ExpireDate: the expiration date for each account
• Cheese: the type of cheese being tracked

We’re also using some custom functions to manipulate this data, such as floor_date to group dates by day.

Creating a Stacked Column Chart with Highcharter

Now that we’ve understood our data structures, let’s create a stacked column chart using Highcharter. We’ll use the following steps:

Step 1: Prepare the Data

First, we need to prepare our data for plotting. This involves grouping by Day and summing up the number of cheese wheels for each day.

cheeseData %>% 
  group_by(Day) %>% 
  summarise(CheeseWheels = n())

This will give us a dataframe with two columns: Day and CheeseWheels.

Step 2: Create the Highcharter Chart

Next, we’ll create our Highcharter chart using the following code:

highchart() %>% 
  hc_xAxis(categories = cheeseData$Day) %>% 
  hc_add_series_list(byCheese.list)

In this code, we’re creating a new Highcharter chart and specifying the x-axis categories as cheeseData$Day. We’re then adding our series list to the chart using hc_add_series_list(byCheese.list).

Troubleshooting Common Issues

However, in our example, the plot area is still empty. Let’s take a closer look at what might be going wrong:

Issue 1: Incorrect Data Structure

One potential issue with our code is that we’re not using the group_by function correctly. In R, when working with grouped data, it’s essential to use the dplyr package and specify the group columns correctly.

cheeseData %>% 
  group_by(Cheese) %>% 
  summarise(CheeseWheels = n())

In this corrected version, we’re grouping by Cheese instead of Day. This will ensure that our data is grouped correctly and our plot appears as expected.

Issue 2: Missing Plot Options

Another potential issue with our code is that we’re not specifying the plot options correctly. In Highcharter, when creating a stacked column chart, it’s essential to specify the stacking option using hc_plotOptions(series = list(stacking = 'normal')).

highchart() %>% 
  hc_xAxis(categories = cheeseData$Day) %>% 
  hc_add_series_list(byCheese.list) %>% 
  hc_plotOptions(series = list(stacking = 'normal'))

In this corrected version, we’re adding a new line of code to specify the plot options for our series. This will ensure that our plot appears as expected.

Conclusion

In conclusion, creating a stacked column chart using Highcharter in R can be achieved by following these steps:

1. Prepare your data by grouping by Day and summing up the number of cheese wheels.
2. Create a new Highcharter chart and specify the x-axis categories as cheeseData$Day.
3. Add your series list to the chart using hc_add_series_list(byCheese.list).
4. Specify the plot options correctly by adding hc_plotOptions(series = list(stacking = 'normal')).

By following these steps, you should be able to create a beautiful stacked column chart with Highcharter in R.

Last modified on 2024-12-05