Introduction

PlotlySupply.jl is a lightweight Julia module that wraps PlotlyBase.jl to supply high-level abstractions for 2D and 3D plot visualizations. It simplifies the creation of line plots, heatmaps, quiver plots, polar plots, and surface plots, with consistent options for customization and layout control. High-level constructors open independent desktop windows through ElectronCall.jl via PlotlySupply.SyncPlot.

Overview of Functions

2D Cartesian Plots

• plot_scatter(x, y; ...): Line or marker plot for 1D data.
• plot_scatter(y; ...): Uses index as x-axis.
• plot_stem(x, y; ...): Stem plot using markers and vertical lines.
• plot_stem(y; ...): Uses index as x-axis.
• plot_bar(x, y; ...) / plot_bar(y; ...): Bar plot.
• plot_histogram(x; ...): Histogram plot.
• plot_box(x, y; ...) / plot_box(y; ...): Box plot.
• plot_violin(x, y; ...) / plot_violin(y; ...): Violin plot.

2D Polar Plots

• plot_scatterpolar(theta, r; ...): Polar plot in angular-radial coordinates.

2D Heatmap and Vector Plots

• plot_heatmap(x, y, U; ...): Heatmap of matrix U over grid x, y.
• plot_heatmap(U; ...): Uses default x/y indices.
• plot_contour(x, y, U; ...): Contour plot of matrix U over grid x, y.
• plot_contour(U; ...): Uses default x/y indices.
• plot_quiver(x, y, u, v; ...): 2D quiver plot with arrows from vectors (u,v) at locations (x,y).

3D Plots

• plot_surface(X, Y, Z; ...): 3D surface plot with optional surface coloring.
• plot_surface(Z; ...): Uses index grids as X/Y.
• plot_scatter3d(x, y, z; ...): 3D scatter or line plot with multiple trace support.
• plot_quiver3d(x, y, z, u, v, w; ...): 3D vector field rendered with cones.

Utilities

• set_template!(fig, template): Apply Plotly template style to a figure.
• set_default_template!(template) / get_default_template(): Configure package-wide default template.
• set_legend!(fig; position=:topright, ...): Place legend with transparent box and symbolic positions (including :outside_right).
• set_default_legend_position!(...) / get_default_legend_position(): Configure package-wide default legend position.
• to_syncplot(fig): Convert a PlotlyBase.Plot into a desktop SyncPlot.
• plot(...): PlotlyJS-style constructor. Returns Plot by default; pass sync=true to get a SyncPlot.
• savefig(...): PlotlyJS-style export helper (requires PlotlyKaleido.jl to be installed).
• make_subplots(...), mgrid(...): PlotlyJS-style helper utilities.
• subplots(rows, cols; ...): High-level subplot canvas; pass sync=false for headless mode.
• subplot!(sf, row, col) / subplot!(sf, index): Select active subplot cell.
• subplot_legends!(fig; position=:topright, ...): Split legends by subplot and place them in-panel.
• xlabel!(sf, ...), ylabel!(sf, ...), xrange!(sf, ...), yrange!(sf, ...): Per-subplot axis helpers.

ElectronCall.jl and PlotlyKaleido.jl are loaded internally by PlotlySupply when needed, so you do not need using ElectronCall or using PlotlyKaleido.

Mutating APIs

• plot_*!(fig, ...): A set of mutating convenience functions (for example plot_scatter!, plot_stem!, plot_bar!, plot_histogram!, plot_box!, plot_violin!, plot_heatmap!, plot_contour!, plot_surface!, plot_scatter3d!, plot_quiver!, plot_quiver3d!) that append traces to an existing figure. These work with both PlotlyBase.Plot and PlotlySupply.SyncPlot.

Use the mutating APIs when you want MATLAB-style hold on behavior (append traces to an existing figure) instead of creating a new figure.

Return Type and Display Behavior

• All high-level constructor APIs (plot_scatter, plot_stem, plot_heatmap, plot_surface, etc.) return a PlotlyBase.Plot by default.
• In the REPL, typing plot_scatter(x, y) without assignment triggers Julia's display system, which automatically opens an Electron window.
• Assigning to a variable (fig = plot_scatter(x, y)) suppresses display — no window opens. Use display(fig) to open the window later.
• Pass show=true to open a window immediately: plot_scatter(x, y; show=true) returns a SyncPlot.
• SyncPlot forwards properties like fig.data and fig.layout.
• The wrapped PlotlyBase.Plot is available at fig.plot.

Examples

Please refer the API documentation for full functionality.

2D Line Plot

plot_scatter(0:0.1:2π, sin.(0:0.1:2π); xlabel="x", ylabel="sin(x)", title="Sine Wave")

PlotlyJS-Style API Compatibility

tr = scatter(x=1:10, y=rand(10), mode="lines+markers")
lay = Layout(title="Compatibility Mode")
fig = plot(tr, lay) # returns Plot; use display(fig) to open Electron window

MATLAB-Like Subplots

sf = subplots(2, 2; show=true, legend_position=:topright)
plot!(sf, 1:100, cumsum(randn(100)); legend="run A")
subplot!(sf, 1, 2)
plot_stem!(sf, 1:100, abs.(randn(100)); legend="run B")
subplot!(sf, 3)
plot_contour!(sf, rand(30, 30))
subplot!(sf, 2, 2)
plot_heatmap!(sf, rand(30, 30))
xlabel!(sf, "time")
ylabel!(sf, "value")
xrange!(sf, [0, 100])

2D Heatmap

x = -5:0.1:5
y = -5:0.1:5
U = [sin(sqrt(xi^2 + yj^2)) for yj in y, xi in x]
plot_heatmap(x, y, U; xlabel="x", ylabel="y", title="Radial Sine")

2D Contour

x = -5:0.1:5
y = -5:0.1:5
U = [sin(sqrt(xi^2 + yj^2)) for yj in y, xi in x]
plot_contour(x, y, U; xlabel="x", ylabel="y", title="Radial Sine Contour")

3D Surface

x = y = -2π:0.1:2π
Y, X = meshgrid(y, x) ## uses MeshGrid.jl
Z = sin.(sqrt.(X.^2 .+ Y.^2))
plot_surface(X, Y, Z; title="3D Surface", colorscale="Viridis")

Common Keyword Arguments

Most functions accept the following options:

Notes

• All plots use the :plotly_white template by default.
• Most functions support both scalar and vectorized input (e.g., multiple traces).

License

This package is distributed under the MIT License.

Author

Developed by Jake W. Liu. Contributions and issues are welcome.