Basic R barplot customization



The barplot() function allows to build a barplot in base R. Learn how to customize the chart: color, bar width, orientation and more.

Barchart section Barplot tips

Start basic: the barplot() function


This is the most basic barplot you can build with R and the barplot() funtion. It was described in graph #208.

This post describes how to custom this basic barplot.

# create dummy data
data <- data.frame(
  name=letters[1:5],
  value=sample(seq(4,15),5)
)

# The most basic barplot you can do:
barplot(height=data$value, names=data$name)

Custom color


Here are 2 examples showing how to custom the barplot color:

# create dummy data
data <- data.frame(
  name=letters[1:5],
  value=sample(seq(4,15),5)
)

# Uniform color
barplot(height=data$value, names=data$name, col=rgb(0.2,0.4,0.6,0.6) )

# Specific color for each bar? Use a well known palette
library(RColorBrewer)
coul <- brewer.pal(5, "Set2") 
barplot(height=data$value, names=data$name, col=coul )

# Change border color
barplot(height=data$value, names=data$name, border="#69b3a2", col="white" )

Title, Axis label, Custom limits


Usual customizations with xlab, ylab, main and ylim.

# create dummy data
data <- data.frame(
  name=letters[1:5],
  value=sample(seq(4,15),5)
)

# Uniform color
barplot(height=data$value, names=data$name, 
        col=rgb(0.8,0.1,0.1,0.6),
        xlab="categories", 
        ylab="values", 
        main="My title", 
        ylim=c(0,40)
        )

Horizontal barplot


Usual customizations with xlab, ylab, main and ylim.

# create dummy data
data <- data.frame(
  name=letters[1:5],
  value=sample(seq(4,15),5)
)

# Uniform color
barplot(height=data$value, names=data$name, 
        col="#69b3a2",
        horiz=T, las=1
        )

Bar width & space between bars


It is possible to control the space between bars and the width of the bars using space and width.

Can be usefull to represent the number of value behind each bar.

# create dummy data
data <- data.frame(
  name=letters[1:5],
  value=sample(seq(4,15),5)
)

# Control space:
barplot(height=data$value, names=data$name, col=rgb(0.2,0.4,0.6,0.6), space=c(0.1,0.2,3,1.5,0.3) )
 
# Control width:
barplot(height=data$value, names=data$name, col=rgb(0.2,0.4,0.6,0.6), width=c(0.1,0.2,3,1.5,0.3) )

Barplot texture


Change bar texture with the density and angle arguments.

# create dummy data
data <- data.frame(
  name=letters[1:5],
  value=sample(seq(4,15),5)
)

# barplot
barplot( height=data$value, names=data$name , density=c(5,10,20,30,7) , angle=c(0,45,90,11,36) , col="brown"   )

Related chart types


Barplot
Spider / Radar
Wordcloud
Parallel
Lollipop
Circular Barplot



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