Name: JavaScript Timeline Chart - DHTMLX Diagram
Rating: 4.8 (34 reviews)

This timeline diagram is built with the DHTMLX Diagram library.

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What Are Timeline Diagrams Used for and How To Create Them Using DHTMLX JavaScript Diagram Widget

Timeline diagrams provide a clear and straightforward visual representation of events, making it easy to understand the sequence and timing at a glance. They display events at specific intervals arranged chronologically along a line. These events can be historical, related to business development and marketing, or significant project stages.

A timeline chart features a vertical line representing the progression of time from top to bottom (or from left to right if the line is drawn horizontally), with marked events indicating when they should occur or have occurred. In project management, timelines are particularly useful for highlighting important milestones, deadlines, and other significant events over the project’s lifecycle.

DHTMLX Diagram library allows users to build clear and comprehensive timelines to get every project on the right foot. With DHTMLX, developers can create JavaScript timeline charts with a few lines of code and customize them using a robust API and CSS.

They can also integrate a customizable Diagram Editor to provide end-users with the full freedom of drawing timelines and export them to PNG/PDF. As a pure JavaScript library, DHTMLX Diagram is simple to integrate and use with any technical stack, including React, Angular, and Vue.js.

Key Features of DHTMLX Timeline Diagram

Flexible configuration of the Diagram editor

You can integrate the Diagram editor into your web app to significantly speed up the process of creating interactive JavaScript charts. The Diagram editor API is developer-friendly and allows you to adjust its look and feel with ease.

The editor's interface elements, including Toolbar, Shapebar, Editbar, and Grid area, are fully configurable. For example, you can tailor the Editbar controls for each timeline diagram element separately, thus allowing end-users to work with events, time interval shapes, and labels with greater flexibility.

Besides, you can apply built-in light, dark, and high-contrast themes and customize them according to your project requirements.

Customizable event shapes

The DHTMLX Diagram library provides you with a set of default shapes you can use to build your timeline diagram. However, you can configure the appearance of timeline chart shapes with the help of the Diagram API. You also have the option to enhance the visual appeal of your JavaScript timeline by setting up its elements via CSS. You can specify colors for the event backgrounds and borders, align event items and textual data, and much more.

Adding shape templates

By using the addShape() method of the diagram object, you can add new types of shapes and define templates for them. It’s also possible to track user interaction with custom shapes and add event handlers to HTML elements of the shape template.

Configurable shape toolbar

The JavaScript timeline widget allows adding a toolbar to edit diagram shapes by clicking on it. This element can display various controls so end-users can manipulate timeline events and time interval shapes with just a few clicks. Thus, for example, users can duplicate the selected event, delete it, or set connections between different events.

Styling lines and labels

Typically, users add lines and arrows to pinpoint special timeline events and details. With DHTMLX Diagram, you can change the look of connector lines by specifying their color and width, making them solid or dashed, etc.

It’s also a good practice to add connector text to your JavaScript timeline chart and allow end-users to edit it. Having clicked on a text, users can change the content, modify the text style, and select text alignment via the right Editbar panel.

Scrolling and zooming

By default, the timeline chart size is set automatically to fit the content. However, you can scale your diagram to fit your application. By implementing scrolling and zooming features, end-users can seamlessly zoom in or out of the timeline or move across the chart using horizontal and vertical inner scrolls.

Export to PDF/PNG

By default, the DHTMLX Diagram library supports an online export to JSON, PDF, and PNG formats. However, you can get a local export module and install it on your server.

Touch support

DHTMLX Diagram library provides built-in touch support so end-users can interact with their timeline charts intuitively on mobile devices. The support allows recognizing such touch gestures as Double Tap to edit the shape content, Drag to drag a shape, and a combination of Press, Hold, and Drag to select several diagram elements.

Localization

The Diagram editor interface is initially built for English-speaking users and can be adapted to different locales. Using the Diagram API, you can provide the appropriate labels to translate the interface of the JavaScript timeline chart builder according to your needs.

JavaScript Timeline Diagram Integrations

To integrate the DHTMLX JavaScript timeline widget into any web app, you can use code snippets and ready-made demos on GitHub. Here you can find information about using the DHTMLX Diagram library with Angular, Vue.js, and React, as well as TypeScript.

Live demo

Using DHTMLX timeline diagram with

Angular