Learning D3.js 5 Mapping - Second Edition

Canvas and D3

D3 offers unmatched functionality for producing data visualizations on the web. You might be aware of this, reading this very book. One important part of what D3 offers is its model for how data-infused elements evolve on the screen. It has a certain way of thinking about the life cycle of each element.

In practice, you inject data into a yet non-existent DOM, and D3 creates new elements of your choice as per the data you inject, usually one element per data point. If you want to inject new data into the DOM you can do so and D3 identifies which elements have to be newly created, which elements are allowed to stay, and which elements should pack up and leave the screen. This way you can represent three distinct states of a common ...