A JavaScript library for interactive reaction graphs
Ben Ripkens
Abstract
Currently no library is available for client side visualization of reaction networks. As a result a JavaScript library for interactive reaction graphs is to be designed and developed. Besides presentation the framework should provide functionality for scrolling, dragging, zooming, modification and export to JPEG, PNG, SVG and PDF.
Additional Information
Many applications nowadays are web applications, e.g. the web based IDE Orion, because of several advantages. One of them being that nothing needs to be installed on the client side to use the applications - except a web browser.
The availability of fast JavaScript engines allows to create more complex web applications like office suites, visualizations and games.
The proposed idea aims to provide a JavaScript library for the visualization and modification of graph structures. The proposal is based on this idea.
- Based on an SVG abstraction layer, e.g. Raphael, for cross browser compatibility
- interactive, event-like system allowing for simple modification of network elements
- nodes and edges represented as SVG elements
- scrolling, dragging, panning, zooming and modification support
- HTML elements will be used as placeholder for the SVG elements while dragging to improve performance
- animation (interpolation) for small changes in the network (like adding/deleting a node)
- Export diagram to JPEG, PNG, PDF and SVG
