Using ggplot2, plotly, and ggvis

ggplot2, ggvis, and plotly have proven to be very useful graphical packages in the R universe. Each of them gained a respectful sum of popularity among R users, being recalled for the several graphical tasks each of them can handle in very elegant manners.

The purpose of this section is to give a brief introduction on the general framework of ggplot2 via some basic examples, and relate how to tackle similar quests using ggvis and plotly. Along the way, some pros and cons from each package will be highlighted.

Whenever you need to choose between some packages (and base R), it's important to balance the tasks each one were designed to handle, the amount of work it will require for you to achieve your goal (learning time included), and the time you actually have. It's also good to consider scale gains in future uses. For example, mastering ggplot2 may not seem a smart choice for a single time task but might pay-off if you're expecting lots of graphical challenges in the future.

Keep in mind that all the three packages are eligible for a large convoy of tasks. There are some jobs that a specific package is more suitable for and even some tasks that can be considered almost impracticable for others. This point will become clearer as the book goes on.