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Parcats

Overview

The parcats trace type is used to create parallel categories diagrams, which are useful for visualizing categorical data across multiple dimensions. It allows you to see how data flows through different categories and compare the distribution of values across them.

You can customize the colors, line widths, and category order to represent your data and patterns effectively.

Common Uses

  • Categorical Data Visualization: Visualizing relationships between different categorical variables.
  • Flow Analysis: Showing how data is distributed across multiple dimensions and comparing those paths.
  • Segmentation: Visualizing how different segments of data flow through categories.

Check out the Attributes for the full set of configuration options

Examples

Common Configurations

Here's a simple parcats plot showing how data flows across two categorical variables:

You can copy this code below to create this chart in your project:

models:
  - name: parcats-data
    args:
      - echo
      - |
        category_1,category_2,value
        A,X,30
        A,Y,20
        B,X,25
        B,Y,25
traces:
  - name: Simple Parcats Plot
    model: ${ref(parcats-data)}
    props:
      type: parcats
      dimensions:
        - label: "Category 1"
          values: ?{category_1}
        - label: "Category 2"
          values: ?{category_2}
      line:
        color: ?{value}
        colorscale: "Viridis"
charts:
  - name: Simple Parcats Chart
    traces:
      - ${ref(Simple Parcats Plot)}
    layout:
      title:
        text: Simple Parcats Chart<br><sub>Parallel Categories Diagram</sub>

This example demonstrates a parcats plot with multiple categorical dimensions, showing how data flows across three categories:

Here's the code:

models:
  - name: parcats-data-multi
    args:
      - echo
      - |
        category_1,category_2,category_3,value
        A,X,Alpha,30
        A,Y,Beta,20
        B,X,Alpha,25
        B,Y,Gamma,25
traces:
  - name: Parcats Plot with Multiple Dimensions
    model: ${ref(parcats-data-multi)}
    props:
      type: parcats
      dimensions:
        - label: "Category 1"
          values: ?{category_1}
        - label: "Category 2"
          values: ?{category_2}
        - label: "Category 3"
          values: ?{category_3}
      line:
        color: ?{value}
        colorscale: "Blues"
charts:
  - name: Parcats Chart with Multiple Dimensions
    traces:
      - ${ref(Parcats Plot with Multiple Dimensions)}
    layout:
      title:
        text: Parcats Chart with Multiple Dimensions<br><sub>Flow Across Three Categories</sub>

This example shows a parcats plot with custom line widths based on a value, allowing for the thickness of the lines to represent the volume of data:

Here's the code:

models:
  - name: parcats-data-linewidth
    args:
      - echo
      - |
        category_1,category_2,value
        A,X,50
        A,Y,30
        B,X,40
        B,Y,20
traces:
  - name: Parcats Plot with Custom Line Widths
    model: ${ref(parcats-data-linewidth)}
    props:
      type: parcats
      dimensions:
        - label: "Category 1"
          values: ?{category_1}
        - label: "Category 2"
          values: ?{category_2}
      line:
        color: ?{value}
        width: ?{value}
        colorscale: "Jet"
charts:
  - name: Parcats Chart with Custom Line Widths
    traces:
      - ${ref(Parcats Plot with Custom Line Widths)}
    layout:
      title:
        text: Parcats Chart with Custom Line Widths<br><sub>Custom Line Width Based on Values</sub>

A schema to validate plotly trace properties

Attributes

These attributes apply to traces where trace.props.type is set to parcats. You would configure these attributes on the trace with the trace.props object. 

arrangement: any
bundlecolors: boolean
counts: array
countssrc: 'string' #(1)!
dimensions: array
domain:
  column: integer
  row: integer
  x: array
  y: array
hoverinfo: any
hoveron: any
hovertemplate: 'string' #(2)!
labelfont:
  color: any
  family: 'string' #(3)!
  lineposition: any
  shadow: 'string' #(4)!
  size: number
  style: any
  textcase: any
  variant: any
  weight: integer
legendgrouptitle:
  font:
    color: any
    family: 'string' #(5)!
    lineposition: any
    shadow: 'string' #(6)!
    size: number
    style: any
    textcase: any
    variant: any
    weight: integer
  text: 'string' #(7)!
legendwidth: number
line:
  autocolorscale: boolean
  cauto: boolean
  cmax: number
  cmid: number
  cmin: number
  color: array
  coloraxis: string
  colorbar:
    bgcolor: any
    bordercolor: any
    borderwidth: number
    exponentformat: any
    len: number
    lenmode: any
    minexponent: number
    nticks: integer
    orientation: any
    outlinecolor: any
    outlinewidth: number
    separatethousands: boolean
    showexponent: any
    showticklabels: boolean
    showtickprefix: any
    showticksuffix: any
    thickness: number
    thicknessmode: any
    tickangle: number
    tickcolor: any
    tickfont:
      color: any
      family: 'string' #(8)!
      lineposition: any
      shadow: 'string' #(9)!
      size: number
      style: any
      textcase: any
      variant: any
      weight: integer
    tickformat: 'string' #(10)!
    tickformatstops: array
    ticklabeloverflow: any
    ticklabelposition: any
    ticklabelstep: integer
    ticklen: number
    tickmode: any
    tickprefix: 'string' #(11)!
    ticks: any
    ticksuffix: 'string' #(12)!
    ticktext: array
    ticktextsrc: 'string' #(13)!
    tickvals: array
    tickvalssrc: 'string' #(14)!
    tickwidth: number
    title:
      font:
        color: any
        family: 'string' #(15)!
        lineposition: any
        shadow: 'string' #(16)!
        size: number
        style: any
        textcase: any
        variant: any
        weight: integer
      side: any
      text: 'string' #(17)!
    x: number
    xanchor: any
    xpad: number
    xref: any
    y: number
    yanchor: any
    ypad: number
    yref: any
  colorscale: any
  colorsrc: 'string' #(18)!
  hovertemplate: 'string' #(19)!
  reversescale: boolean
  shape: any
  showscale: boolean
metasrc: 'string' #(20)!
name: 'string' #(21)!
sortpaths: any
stream:
  maxpoints: number
  token: 'string' #(22)!
tickfont:
  color: any
  family: 'string' #(23)!
  lineposition: any
  shadow: 'string' #(24)!
  size: number
  style: any
  textcase: any
  variant: any
  weight: integer
type: parcats
uid: 'string' #(25)!
visible: any
  1. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for counts.
  2. Template string used for rendering the information that appear on hover box. Note that this will override hoverinfo. Variables are inserted using %{variable}, for example "y: %{y}" as well as %{xother}, {%xother}, {%_xother}, {%xother_}. When showing info for several points, xother will be added to those with different x positions from the first point. An underscore before or after (x|y)other will add a space on that side, only when this field is shown. Numbers are formatted using d3-format's syntax %{variable:d3-format}, for example "Price: %{y:$.2f}". https://github.com/d3/d3-format/tree/v1.4.5#d3-format for details on the formatting syntax. Dates are formatted using d3-time-format's syntax %{variable|d3-time-format}, for example "Day: %{2019-01-01|%A}". https://github.com/d3/d3-time-format/tree/v2.2.3#locale_format for details on the date formatting syntax. The variables available in hovertemplate are the ones emitted as event data described at this link https://plotly.com/javascript/plotlyjs-events/#event-data. Additionally, every attributes that can be specified per-point (the ones that are arrayOk: true) are available. This value here applies when hovering over dimensions. Note that *categorycount, colorcount and bandcolorcount are only available when hoveron contains the color flagFinally, the template string has access to variables count, probability, category, categorycount, colorcount and bandcolorcount. Anything contained in tag <extra> is displayed in the secondary box, for example "{fullData.name}". To hide the secondary box completely, use an empty tag <extra></extra>.
  3. HTML font family - the typeface that will be applied by the web browser. The web browser can only apply a font if it is available on the system where it runs. Provide multiple font families, separated by commas, to indicate the order in which to apply fonts if they aren't available.
  4. Sets the shape and color of the shadow behind text. auto places minimal shadow and applies contrast text font color. See https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/text-shadow for additional options.
  5. HTML font family - the typeface that will be applied by the web browser. The web browser can only apply a font if it is available on the system where it runs. Provide multiple font families, separated by commas, to indicate the order in which to apply fonts if they aren't available.
  6. Sets the shape and color of the shadow behind text. auto places minimal shadow and applies contrast text font color. See https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/text-shadow for additional options.
  7. Sets the title of the legend group.
  8. HTML font family - the typeface that will be applied by the web browser. The web browser can only apply a font if it is available on the system where it runs. Provide multiple font families, separated by commas, to indicate the order in which to apply fonts if they aren't available.
  9. Sets the shape and color of the shadow behind text. auto places minimal shadow and applies contrast text font color. See https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/text-shadow for additional options.
  10. Sets the tick label formatting rule using d3 formatting mini-languages which are very similar to those in Python. For numbers, see: https://github.com/d3/d3-format/tree/v1.4.5#d3-format. And for dates see: https://github.com/d3/d3-time-format/tree/v2.2.3#locale_format. We add two items to d3's date formatter: %h for half of the year as a decimal number as well as %{n}f for fractional seconds with n digits. For example, 2016-10-13 09:15:23.456 with tickformat %H~%M~%S.%2f would display 09~15~23.46
  11. Sets a tick label prefix.
  12. Sets a tick label suffix.
  13. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for ticktext.
  14. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for tickvals.
  15. HTML font family - the typeface that will be applied by the web browser. The web browser can only apply a font if it is available on the system where it runs. Provide multiple font families, separated by commas, to indicate the order in which to apply fonts if they aren't available.
  16. Sets the shape and color of the shadow behind text. auto places minimal shadow and applies contrast text font color. See https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/text-shadow for additional options.
  17. Sets the title of the color bar.
  18. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for color.
  19. Template string used for rendering the information that appear on hover box. Note that this will override hoverinfo. Variables are inserted using %{variable}, for example "y: %{y}" as well as %{xother}, {%xother}, {%_xother}, {%xother_}. When showing info for several points, xother will be added to those with different x positions from the first point. An underscore before or after (x|y)other will add a space on that side, only when this field is shown. Numbers are formatted using d3-format's syntax %{variable:d3-format}, for example "Price: %{y:$.2f}". https://github.com/d3/d3-format/tree/v1.4.5#d3-format for details on the formatting syntax. Dates are formatted using d3-time-format's syntax %{variable|d3-time-format}, for example "Day: %{2019-01-01|%A}". https://github.com/d3/d3-time-format/tree/v2.2.3#locale_format for details on the date formatting syntax. The variables available in hovertemplate are the ones emitted as event data described at this link https://plotly.com/javascript/plotlyjs-events/#event-data. Additionally, every attributes that can be specified per-point (the ones that are arrayOk: true) are available. This value here applies when hovering over lines.Finally, the template string has access to variables count and probability. Anything contained in tag <extra> is displayed in the secondary box, for example "{fullData.name}". To hide the secondary box completely, use an empty tag <extra></extra>.
  20. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for meta.
  21. Sets the trace name. The trace name appears as the legend item and on hover.
  22. The stream id number links a data trace on a plot with a stream. See https://chart-studio.plotly.com/settings for more details.
  23. HTML font family - the typeface that will be applied by the web browser. The web browser can only apply a font if it is available on the system where it runs. Provide multiple font families, separated by commas, to indicate the order in which to apply fonts if they aren't available.
  24. Sets the shape and color of the shadow behind text. auto places minimal shadow and applies contrast text font color. See https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/text-shadow for additional options.
  25. Assign an id to this trace, Use this to provide object constancy between traces during animations and transitions.