Charts in Splink

Interactive charts are a key tool when linking data with Splink. To see the available charts, visit the Splink Charts Gallery.

How do charts work in Splink?

Splink charts are Vega-Lite specifications. A SplinkChart combines a packaged template with records and exposes the completed specification through chart.chart_dict.

Basic chart display and HTML export do not require Altair. When Altair is installed, use chart.altair_chart to customise a Splink chart with Altair or use Altair's advanced export formats.

For a given chart, there is usually:

• A template chart definition, such as match_weights_waterfall.json.
• A function that prepares its dataset, such as records_to_waterfall_data.
• A SplinkChart subclass that adds its records and applies chart-specific changes to the specification.

The Vega-Lite Editor

Use chart.chart_dict as the input to the Vega-Lite editor to inspect and edit a Splink-produced chart specification.

Editing existing charts

Start with the chart_dict of the Splink chart you want to edit. Copy the dictionary into the Vega-Lite editor, make the change, and move the resulting specification change into the chart template or its SplinkChart subclass.

Altair can still be useful for prototyping in the documentation environment. That is separate from Splink's chart contract: a Splink chart is a Vega-Lite specification first, and Altair conversion is explicit and optional.