plotly

Plotly

Python graphing library for creating interactive, publication-quality visualizations with 40+ chart types.

When to Use

• You need interactive charts with hover, zoom, pan, or web embedding.
• You are building dashboards, exploratory analysis notebooks, or presentations that benefit from rich interaction.
• You want to choose between Plotly Express and Graph Objects for the same visualization task.

Quick Start

Install Plotly:

uv pip install plotly

Basic usage with Plotly Express (high-level API):

import plotly.express as px
import pandas as pd

df = pd.DataFrame({
    'x': [1, 2, 3, 4],
    'y': [10, 11, 12, 13]
})

fig = px.scatter(df, x='x', y='y', title='My First Plot')
fig.show()

Choosing Between APIs

Use Plotly Express (px)

For quick, standard visualizations with sensible defaults:

• Working with pandas DataFrames
• Creating common chart types (scatter, line, bar, histogram, etc.)
• Need automatic color encoding and legends
• Want minimal code (1-5 lines)

See reference/plotly-express.md for complete guide.

Use Graph Objects (go)

For fine-grained control and custom visualizations:

• Chart types not in Plotly Express (3D mesh, isosurface, complex financial charts)
• Building complex multi-trace figures from scratch
• Need precise control over individual components
• Creating specialized visualizations with custom s