Application Programming Interface or API is a software mediator that enables two applications to have a communication or connection. In other words, it is when you use an application to access varying types of services for your convenience.
For example, you want to book a flight from an airline, and you prefer not to use the airline’s website directly. Instead, you go through third-party entities or sites like Agoda to do it for you. In that case, the application you have used will link to the airline’s API. The service application will gather information from the airline’s database to determine available offerings. After that, the API will get the airline’s feedback and provide the most relevant information back to you.
But how does that all look like? From the merged ideas of Python libraries Matplotlib, NetworkX, and seaborn come GraVE a graph visualization package. This is made to “create a network drawing API that covers the most utilized cases with plain design configuration and sensible default”. It is currently supporting drawing graphs developed by NetworkX.
What it does
GraVE provides comprehensive graph presentations that are created by using a programming language. Adding to that, it helps you create, navigate, and examine different functions and technicalities of complex networks. It brings an object-oriented API to insert plots into applications.
To have your copy of the project, you have to go to GraVE’s Github and clone the project to your local computer. After that, you can now develop your contribution by pulling the current changes from upstream, creating a branch for an attribute that you want to develop, and executing locally as you work on your progression.
Moreover, there is also a review process wherein other developers will inspect your Pull Request so that they may be able to help you improve its features and designs. GraVE’s community is also very interactive since each project made by developers will have its code reviewed. The reviewers are willing to encourage developers to keep on contributing, which is why they study every project to improve its quality.
GraVE has its documentation available which has details such as updating the code, making a patch, and moving from patching to development. This will help guide developers as well on how to manipulate the system by making codes just by following the instructions.
A dead-simple network
GraVE is a fascinating interface that provides the simplest way to plot a graph. The interesting part is that it looks aesthetically appealing, which also makes it more comprehensible. If you think that the default layouts are not in line with your preference, then you do not have to worry. GraVE can help you operate custom layouts.
GraVE offers all the things you need to develop your project. You just have to use it with your creativity. Present and implement your work in the simplest, cleanest, and most comprehensible way possible.
Photo credit: The feature image has been taken by Jefferson Santos. All other images are provided by GraVE for press usage.
