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chartjs/chart.js

67,425JavaScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5MaintainedLicenseSetup · easy

TLDR

JavaScript library that turns data into interactive charts and graphs on web pages with a simple configuration interface.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Draw charts on web
      Handle canvas drawing
      Support many types
    Chart types
      Line and bar
      Pie and doughnut
      Radar and scatter
      Bubble charts
    Features
      Responsive design
      Hover tooltips
      Click events
      Animations
    Configuration
      JavaScript objects
      Dataset labels
      Colors and axes
      Legend placement
    Use cases
      Dashboards
      Analytics pages
      Reports
      Data apps
    Tech stack
      JavaScript
      HTML canvas
      npm or CDN

Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Build interactive dashboards that update when data changes.

USE CASE 2

Add charts to analytics pages and reports without writing canvas drawing code.

USE CASE 3

Create responsive visualizations that automatically resize on mobile and desktop.

USE CASE 4

Display scientific or financial data with multiple chart types and custom styling.

Tech stack

JavaScriptHTML Canvasnpm

Getting it running

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min
Use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as you keep the copyright notice.

In plain English

Chart.js is a JavaScript library for creating interactive, visually appealing charts and graphs directly in the browser. The problem it solves is that turning raw data into a visual chart on a web page requires significant work with low-level browser drawing APIs, but Chart.js handles all of that complexity behind a simple interface. The way it works is you provide your data and some configuration options in JavaScript, and Chart.js draws the chart onto an HTML canvas element, a rectangular area on the page that the browser uses for pixel-based drawing. The library supports a wide variety of chart types including line charts, bar charts, pie and doughnut charts, radar charts, scatter plots, and bubble charts. Charts are responsive by default, meaning they resize gracefully when the browser window changes size, and they include built-in interactivity such as hover tooltips and click events. Configuration is done through JavaScript objects where you describe your dataset labels, colors, axis settings, legend placement, animation behavior, and more. The library is flexible enough that designers can create polished, branded charts while developers can integrate data programmatically without needing to write any low-level drawing code. An active extension ecosystem adds additional chart types and integrations on top of the core library. You would use Chart.js whenever you need to display data visually on a website or web application, dashboards, analytics pages, reports, scientific visualizations, or any situation where a table of numbers would be clearer as a visual. It is one of the most popular charting libraries in the JavaScript ecosystem and is well-suited for projects ranging from simple blog posts to complex data applications. It installs via npm or can be loaded directly from a CDN. The library is written in JavaScript and runs in any modern browser.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Show me how to create a line chart with Chart.js that displays monthly sales data with hover tooltips.
Prompt 2
How do I make a responsive bar chart with Chart.js that updates when I fetch new data from an API?
Prompt 3
Create a pie chart using Chart.js with custom colors and a legend, then explain how to add click event handlers.
Prompt 4
I need a dashboard with multiple Chart.js charts (line, bar, pie). What's the best way to organize the configuration?
Prompt 5
How do I customize the animation speed and easing in Chart.js charts, and add a gradient background?
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Generated 2026-05-18 · Model: sonnet-4-6 · Verify against the repo before relying on details.