zeppelin/docs/development/writingzeppelinvisualization.md

---
layout: page
title: "Writing a new Visualization"
description: "Apache Zeppelin Visualization is a pluggable package that can be loaded/unloaded on runtime through Helium framework in Zeppelin. A Visualization is a javascript npm package and user can use them just like any other built-in visualization in a note."
group: development
---
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{% include JB/setup %}

# Writing a new Visualization

<div id="toc"></div>

## What is Apache Zeppelin Visualization

Apache Zeppelin Visualization is a pluggable package that can be loaded/unloaded on runtime through Helium framework in Zeppelin. A Visualization is a javascript npm package and user can use them just like any other built-in visualization in notebook.


## How it works


#### 1. Load Helium package files from registry

Zeppelin needs to know what Visualization packages are available. Zeppelin will read information of packages from both online and local registry.
Registries are configurable through `ZEPPELIN_HELIUM_LOCALREGISTRY_DEFAULT` env variable or `zeppelin.helium.localregistry.default` property.

#### 2. Enable packages
Once Zeppelin loads _Helium package files_ from registries, available packages are displayed in Helium menu.

Click 'enable' button.

<img class="img-responsive" style="width:70%" src="../assets/themes/zeppelin/img/docs-img/writing_visualization_helium_menu.png" />


#### 3. Create and load visualization bundle on the fly

Once a Visualization package is enabled, [HeliumBundleFactory](https://github.com/apache/zeppelin/blob/master/zeppelin-zengine/src/main/java/org/apache/zeppelin/helium/HeliumBundleFactory.java) creates a js bundle. The js bundle is served by `helium/bundle/load` rest api endpoint.

#### 4. Run visualization

Zeppelin shows additional button for loaded Visualizations.
User can use just like any other built-in visualizations.

<img class="img-responsive" style="width:70%" src="../assets/themes/zeppelin/img/docs-img/writing_visualization_example.png" />



## Write new Visualization

#### 1. Create a npm package

Create a [package.json](https://docs.npmjs.com/files/package.json) in your new Visualization directory. You can add any dependencies in package.json, but you **must include two dependencies: [zeppelin-vis](https://github.com/apache/zeppelin/tree/master/zeppelin-web/src/app/visualization) and [zeppelin-tabledata](https://github.com/apache/zeppelin/tree/master/zeppelin-web/src/app/tabledata).**

Here's an example

```json
{
  "name": "zeppelin_horizontalbar",
  "description" : "Horizontal Bar chart",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "main": "horizontalbar",
  "author": "",
  "license": "Apache-2.0",
  "dependencies": {
    "zeppelin-tabledata": "*",
    "zeppelin-vis": "*"
  }
}
```

#### 2. Create your own visualization

To create your own visualization, you need to create a js file and import [Visualization](https://github.com/apache/zeppelin/blob/master/zeppelin-web/src/app/visualization/visualization.js) class from [zeppelin-vis](https://github.com/apache/zeppelin/tree/master/zeppelin-web/src/app/visualization) package and extend the class. [zeppelin-tabledata](https://github.com/apache/zeppelin/tree/master/zeppelin-web/src/app/tabledata) package provides some useful transformations, like pivot, you can use in your visualization. (you can create your own transformation, too).

[Visualization](https://github.com/apache/zeppelin/blob/master/zeppelin-web/src/app/visualization/visualization.js) class, there're several methods that you need to override and implement. Here's simple visualization that just prints `Hello world`.

```js
import Visualization from 'zeppelin-vis'
import PassthroughTransformation from 'zeppelin-tabledata/passthrough'

export default class helloworld extends Visualization {
  constructor(targetEl, config) {
    super(targetEl, config)
    this.passthrough = new PassthroughTransformation(config);
  }

  render(tableData) {
    this.targetEl.html('Hello world!')
  }

  getTransformation() {
    return this.passthrough
  }
}
```

To learn more about `Visualization` class, check [visualization.js](https://github.com/apache/zeppelin/blob/master/zeppelin-web/src/app/visualization/visualization.js).

You can check complete visualization package example [here](https://github.com/apache/zeppelin/tree/master/zeppelin-examples/zeppelin-example-horizontalbar).

Zeppelin's built-in visualization uses the same API, so you can check [built-in visualizations](https://github.com/apache/zeppelin/tree/master/zeppelin-web/src/app/visualization/builtins) as additional examples.


#### 3. Create __Helium package file__ and locally deploy

__Helium Package file__ is a json file that provides information about the application.
Json file contains the following information

```json
{
  "type" : "VISUALIZATION",
  "name" : "zeppelin_horizontalbar",
  "description" : "Horizontal Bar chart (example)",
  "license" : "Apache-2.0",
  "artifact" : "./zeppelin-examples/zeppelin-example-horizontalbar",
  "icon" : "<i class='fa fa-bar-chart rotate90flipX'></i>"
}
```

Place this file in your local registry directory (default `./helium`).


##### type

When you're creating a visualization, 'type' should be 'VISUALIZATION'.
Check [application](./writingzeppelinapplication.html) type if you're interested in the other types of package.

##### name

Name of visualization. Should be unique. Allows `[A-Za-z90-9_]`.


##### description

A short description about visualization.

##### artifact

Location of the visualization npm package. Support npm package with version or local filesystem path.

e.g.

When artifact exists in npm repository

```json
"artifact": "my-visualiztion@1.0.0"
```


When artifact exists in local file system

```json
"artifact": "/path/to/my/visualization"
```

##### license

License information.

e.g.

```json
"license": "Apache-2.0"
```

##### icon

Icon to be used in visualization select button. String in this field will be rendered as a HTML tag.

e.g.

```json
"icon": "<i class='fa fa-coffee'></i>"
```


#### 4. Run in dev mode

Place your __Helium package file__ in local registry (ZEPPELIN_HOME/helium).
Run Zeppelin. And then run zeppelin-web in visualization dev mode.

```bash
cd zeppelin-web
yarn run dev:helium
```

You can browse localhost:9000. Everytime refresh your browser, Zeppelin will rebuild your visualization and reload changes.


#### 5. Publish your visualization

Once it's done, publish your visualization package using `npm publish`.
That's it. With in an hour, your visualization will be available in Zeppelin's helium menu.