yFiles documentation

Everything in one place

Comprehensive centralized search for swift retrieval.

Each member of the yFiles product family includes comprehensive documentation that bundles together three essential resources: the Developer’s Guide, the API documentation, and the Knowledge Base. A centralized search lets you immediately find the answer to your questions.
The documentation is part of the yFiles product package, and there’s also an online version available.

Developer’s Guide

The Developer’s Guide describes the library’s concepts and explains how the classes and interfaces provide functionality.
You’ll also learn about the graph layout algorithms and their options and settings.

API documentation

The detailed API documentation for the classes and interfaces of the diagramming library provides clear help for working with yFiles. It is available as HTML pages, and can also be directly integrated into many IDEs.

Knowledge Base

The yWorks Knowledge Base contains short, product-specific technical articles written by our core engineers answering frequently asked questions.

WEB
PLATFORM

For more information about yFiles on the web platform, check out our variant specific details.

JAVA
PLATFORM

For more information about yFiles on the Java platform, check out our variant specific details.

yFiles for JavaFX

Open documentation

yFiles for Java (Swing) 3.x

Open documentation

yFiles for Java (Swing) 2.x

Open documentation

Further documentation for yFiles for Java (Swing) 2.x and its extensions is available here.

.NET
PLATFORM

For more information about yFiles on the .NET platform, check out our variant specific details.

yFiles.NET (WinForms)

Open documentation

yFiles WPF

Open documentation

FLEX, AJAX,
SILVERLIGHT

Software changes over time, and so does yFiles. We develop the diagramming SDK for new technologies as these become established. And although we support outdated yFiles versions for a very long time, we have to say goodbye at some point.

Outdated technologies

Looking for even more helpful resources?

Check out our support hub to find video tutorials, source code demos and more.

Support hub

Diagramming articles

A Custom Network Editor

Learn to build a custom network and graph editor with a professional diagramming library.

Analyzing Network Data

Graph analysis algorithms help investigating network structures and identifying prominent characteristics of the data. This article presents a showcase application for well-known graph analysis algorithms like, e.g., shortest paths and centrality measures.

Angular Diagram Component

Integrate the yFiles for HTML diagramming library in an Angular web application.

Angular Graph Component

Integrate the yFiles for HTML graph visualization component in an Angular web application. Learn how to add a graph visualization component to your Angular application.

Automatic Drawing of Links in Graphs and Networks

Calculating the routes for the links of a diagram while keeping the positions of the nodes fixed can be challenging and requires the help of a professional diagramming library such as yFiles, which offers extensive and sophisticated routing algorithms.

Automatic Graph Drawing

Automatic graph drawing is a challenging task that requires the help of a professional diagramming library such as yFiles, which offers extensive and sophisticated graph layout algorithms for many different use cases.

Automatic Label Placement in Diagrams

Labels provide additional insight into the data of a diagram. Automatic label placement finds optimal positions that make clear to which element a label belongs to and avoids overlaps with other elements.

Circular Graph Layout

Automatic circular layout arranges the elements of the diagram on circles and can be used in many application domains.

Clustering Graphs and Networks

Detecting similar entities in connected data is very important in many application domains. Clustering algorithms help to find such similarities. Being able to apply clustering algorithms and simultaneously visualize the result is one of the major advantages of the yFiles diagramming library.

Collapsing Groups in Diagrams

Large diagrams of hierarchically organized data become more readable by expanding and collapsing sub-graphs organized in groups. Collapsed groups can help to keep complex hierarchically organized diagrams clear and straightforward by showing only parts of the entire structure.

Collapsing Subtrees in Diagrams

Interactively expanding or collapsing sub-trees can improve the readability of large trees and tree-like diagrams. Automatically arranging the elements in a consistent layout avoids disturbing the viewer's mental map when expanding or collapsing.

Compacting a Diagram

After user interactions it is often beneficial or required to make a diagram more compact to avoid space being wasted. The compaction should be fast and the exisint overall picture should not be destroyed. Learn how it can be done using the yFiles diagramming library.

Creating Beautiful Visio^® Diagrams in JavaScript

Learn how to create Visio diagrams in Javascript using powerful layout algorithms. The yFiles diagramming library provides all the means to create diagrams and is also capable of exporting them to Visio's VSDX files.

Creating Diagrams From Structured Data

Structured data from many sources like JSON, Excel, XML, CSV, etc. can be easily transformed into concise diagrams. Visually exploring them helps to gain a better understanding of its connectivity or hierarchy.

Data Binding for Diagramming Applications

Creating a diagram visualization that shows custom data in rich item visualizations is easy using templating and data binding.

Diagram Visualization With JavaScript

Creating sophisticated diagram visualizations helps to understand the anatomy of data and their relationships. Building web applications that support beautiful visualizations is challenging and requires the help of a professional diagramming library such as yFiles.

Diagram Visualization With TypeScript

TypeScript's static type checking increases the code quality in software applications. The yFiles diagramming library provides full TypeScript support and seamless integration.

Drawing Business Process Diagrams

Learn to visualize and design interactive business process diagrams (BPMN) in your application.

Drawing Family Trees With JavaScript

A family tree is a diagram representing family relationships. The yFiles diagramming library provides all the means for creating and visualizing a family tree diagram.

Drawing Orthogonal Diagrams

In orthogonal graph drawings, the edges have only horizontal and vertical line segments. The professional diagramming library yFiles offers sophisticated implementations for arranging data in an orthogonal layout.

Drawing Radial Diagrams

A radial graph drawing algorithm arranges the elements of a diagrams on concentric circles. The professional diagramming library yFiles offers sophisticated implementations for arranging data in a radial layout.

Drawing Smooth Curved Links in Diagrams and Networks

Smooth curves are a great way for visualizing the links in all kinds of diagrams - they look good and are easy to follow. Calculating good curves that do not cross other elements is far from trivial, but easy with the help of the professional diagramming library yFiles.

Drawing Trees and Tree-like Networks

Trees and tree-like structures are commonly used in many application domains, and their automatic creation requires the help of a professional diagramming library. yFiles offers sophisticated implementations for arranging data in trees.

Embedding D3.js Charts in a Diagram

D3.js charts embedded in a diagram provide supplemental information about the underlying data and bring it to life.

Exploring Relations in a Diagram

Connected items in a diagram can either be highlighted or displayed in a separate filtered view to quickly identify the neighborhood of an element.

Finding the Right Event in yFiles

Finding the right event dispatched by the yFiles diagramming library during user input gestures is easy with the Event Logging Applications.

Force-Directed Graph Layout

Organic/force-directed graph layouts are commonly used in many application domains, and their automatic creation requires the help of a professional diagramming library such as yFiles, which offers sophisticated implementations for arranging data in an organic and aesthetically pleasing way.

Fraud Detection through Visualization

Visualizations enhance the quick identification of fraud schemes, their verification, and the auditors' response to them. The yFiles diagramming library provides all the means for creating such visualizations along with graph analysis algorithms that help in the detection of fraud schemes.

Freeing-up Space in a Diagram

Making space in a diagram is commonly required in interactive scenarios and doing so without destroying the existing overall picture is difficult. Learn how to solve this problem using the professional diagramming library yFiles.

Incremental Diagram Layout

Incremental diagram layout: adding new items to an existing diagram without changing the overall picture.

Interactive Decision Tree Diagrams

Decision trees are commonly used for demonstrating decisions or strategies along with their consequences. Interactively exploring a decision tree is crucial for keeping a clear view of the decision process, especially in the case of larger diagrams.

Interactive Diagram Visualization

An interactive diagram visualization helps users to explore complex correlations and facilitates the generation of new knowledge and deeper insights.

Interactive Filtering of Large Diagrams

Filter techniques increase the readability of large and complex diagrams by hiding less important parts. This can be used to create powerful drill-down applications.

Interactive Sankey Diagram Visualization

Sankey diagrams are commonly used for visualizing the flow between the nodes of a network. Generating such diagrams automatically is a challenging task that requires the help of a professional diagramming library such as yFiles.

Interactive Showcase of Graph Layouts

Automatically and sensibly arranging a network is one of the hardest challenges in diagram visualization. Professional libraries such as yFiles provide many algorithms for the automatic arrangement of networks. An algorithm explorer helps to pick the right one.

Isometric Graph Drawing

Automatically drawing diagrams in an isometric view is a fundamental task for those who need to communicate the dimensions of their designs even to people with no technical experience.

Layered Graph Layout

Layered graph layouts are commonly used in many application domains, and their automatic creation requires the help of a professional diagramming library such as yFiles, which offers sophisticated implementations for arranging data in a layered/hierarchic fashion.

Level of Detail for Large Diagrams

Level of detail visualization is a technique that helps to improve both readability and performance of large diagrams. Reducing the detail level when a large number of objects is displayed improves the readability and improves rendering performance.

Logic Circuit Editor

Clear visualization of logic circuits make it easy for a viewer to recognize and understand the relationships between the logic gates. With a comprehensive editor, you can quickly and easily create and expand such diagrams interactively.

Metaball Visualization in Diagrams

Metaball visualizations in diagrams add another information layer and can be used to visually group diagram elements or to represent contextual information, e.g., workload or contamination.

Network Monitoring Visualization

Visualizations for network monitoring help administrators to control the status of their networks and quickly identify problematic devices, delays, or overloads. The yFiles diagramming library offers all the means for creating such visualizations that can be embedded in applications.

Network Monitoring Visualization in the Browser

Network Monitoring Visualization in WPF

Organization Chart Visualization

An organization chart is a specialized diagram that reveals the structure of an organization. Generating an organization chart that allows user interaction is a challenging task that requires the help of a professional diagramming library such as yFiles.

Organization Chart Visualization in JavaScript

An organization chart is a specialized diagram that reveals the structure of an organization. Generating an organization chart in a Web Browser that allows user interaction is a challenging task that requires the help of a professional diagramming library such as yFiles.

Organization Chart Visualization in WPF

An organization chart is a specialized diagram that reveals the structure of an organization. Generating an organization chart in WPF, which allows user interaction, is a challenging task that requires the help of a professional diagramming library such as yFiles.

React Diagram Component

Use the yFiles for HTML diagramming library with React and create an all-in-one diagram visualization component, easily.

React Graph Component

Use the yFiles for HTML graph visualization component in a React web application. Learn how to add graph visualization components to your React apps.

Reducing Complexity in Large Diagrams

Grouping and merging elements in a diagram drastically reduces complexity and improves the overall perception of the diagram.

Smooth Visualization of Big Data Structures

Performance optimization techniques increase the performance of large and complex diagrams, which is crucial when creating powerful exploration tools for large data sources.

Smooth Visualization of Large Diagrams in JavaScript

When visualizing large amounts of data in a diagram, one almost inevitably will face performance problems. It is, however, possible to make adjustments to improve the performance for large data sets.

Software Documentation With UML Diagrams

UML diagrams provide a standardized graphical representation to document software systems. They help to keep everyone on the same page in each phase of the software development process.

Visualizing a Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB

Visualizing a Microsoft Azure Cosmos graph database enables anyone to explore and edit the database and gain insight into the stored data.

Visualizing a Neo4j Graph Database

Visualizing a Neo4j graph database enables anyone to explore and edit the database and gain insight into the stored data.

Visualizing an OrientDB Graph Database

Visualizing an OrientDB graph database enables anyone to explore and edit the database and gain insight into the stored data.

Visualizing Database Relationships

Learn how interactive visualization can make data from a database accessible to users and increase its overall usefulness. The yFiles diagramming library makes creating such diagrams easy.

Visualizing First-party Bank Fraud

Visualizations enhance the quick identification of first-party bank fraud, their verification, and the auditors' response to them. The yFiles diagramming library provides all the means for creating such visualizations along with graph analysis algorithms that help in the detection of fraud schemes.

Visualizing Flowcharts with JavaScript

Flowcharts help to understand processes and workflows. Professional diagramming libraries, such as yFiles, vastly reduce the effort of creating flowchart applications.

Visualizing Geospatial Data

Geographical data can be visualized by combining an interactive map library with a flexible diagramming library such as yFiles.

Visualizing Graph Databases

Visualizing a graph database enables anyone to explore and edit the database and gain insight into the stored data. Learn how to create a database visualization with the help of the yFiles diagramming library.

Visualizing Insurance Fraud

Visualizations enhance the quick identification of insurance fraud, their verification, and the auditors' response to them. The yFiles diagramming library provides all the means for creating such visualizations along with graph analysis algorithms that help in the detection of fraud schemes.

Visualizing Mind Maps

Mind maps are very helpful in converting thoughts into a meaningful diagram. The yFiles diagramming library provides all the means for creating interactive mind map visualizations.

Vue.js Diagram Component

Integrate the yFiles for HTML diagramming library in Vue.js and create an all-in-one graph visualization component.

Vue.js Graph Component

Integrate the yFiles for HTML graph visualization component in a Vue.js web application. Learn how to add a graph visualization component to your Vue.js application.

yFiles Layout Algorithms for React Flow

Integrate the powerful layout capabilities of yFiles for HTML into React Flow.

yFiles React Company Ownership Chart Component

Easily integrate a cutting-edge company ownership chart in a React application.

yFiles React Organization Chart Component

Integrate easily an organization chart in a React application.

yFiles React process mining component

Easily integrate a process mining diagram in a React application.

yFiles React Supply Chain Component

Integrate easily a supply chain in a React application.

Now that you’re here,
you might want to explore

Case Study: Airbus

Visualizing factory workflows

yFiles App Generator

Rapidly create #graph #visualization prototypes!

Free webinars

Learn all about graph drawing from the diagramming experts!

Case Study: Airbus

Visualizing factory workflows

yFiles App Generator

Rapidly create #graph #visualization prototypes!

Free webinars

Learn all about graph drawing from the diagramming experts!

Why, how, what? —
Just ask the diagramming experts!

Our team is happy to advise you – no strings attached. Let's talk about your project and find the perfect solution for your needs!

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yFiles documentation

Everything in one place

Developer’s Guide

API documentation

Knowledge Base

WEB PLATFORM

yFiles for HTML

VSDX Export

yFiles React Components

JAVAPLATFORM

yFiles for JavaFX

yFiles for Java (Swing) 3.x

yFiles for Java (Swing) 2.x

.NETPLATFORM

yFiles.NET (WinForms)

yFiles WPF

FLEX, AJAX,SILVERLIGHT

Looking for even more helpful resources?

Diagramming articles

A Custom Network Editor

Analyzing Network Data

Angular Diagram Component

Angular Graph Component

Automatic Drawing of Links in Graphs and Networks

Automatic Graph Drawing

Automatic Label Placement in Diagrams

Circular Graph Layout

Clustering Graphs and Networks

Collapsing Groups in Diagrams

Collapsing Subtrees in Diagrams

Compacting a Diagram

Creating Beautiful Visio® Diagrams in JavaScript

Creating Diagrams From Structured Data

Data Binding for Diagramming Applications

Diagram Visualization With JavaScript

Diagram Visualization With TypeScript

Drawing Business Process Diagrams

Drawing Family Trees With JavaScript

Drawing Orthogonal Diagrams

Drawing Radial Diagrams

Drawing Smooth Curved Links in Diagrams and Networks

Drawing Trees and Tree-like Networks

Embedding D3.js Charts in a Diagram

Exploring Relations in a Diagram

Finding the Right Event in yFiles

Force-Directed Graph Layout

Fraud Detection through Visualization

Freeing-up Space in a Diagram

Incremental Diagram Layout

Interactive Decision Tree Diagrams

Interactive Diagram Visualization

Interactive Filtering of Large Diagrams

Interactive Sankey Diagram Visualization

Interactive Showcase of Graph Layouts

Isometric Graph Drawing

Layered Graph Layout

Level of Detail for Large Diagrams

Logic Circuit Editor

Metaball Visualization in Diagrams

Network Monitoring Visualization

Network Monitoring Visualization in the Browser

Network Monitoring Visualization in WPF

Organization Chart Visualization

Organization Chart Visualization in JavaScript

Organization Chart Visualization in WPF

React Diagram Component

React Graph Component

Reducing Complexity in Large Diagrams

Smooth Visualization of Big Data Structures

Smooth Visualization of Large Diagrams in JavaScript

Software Documentation With UML Diagrams

Visualizing a Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB

Visualizing a Neo4j Graph Database

Visualizing an OrientDB Graph Database

Visualizing Database Relationships

Visualizing First-party Bank Fraud

Visualizing Flowcharts with JavaScript

Visualizing Geospatial Data

Visualizing Graph Databases

Visualizing Insurance Fraud

WEB
PLATFORM

JAVA
PLATFORM

.NET
PLATFORM

FLEX, AJAX,
SILVERLIGHT

Creating Beautiful Visio^® Diagrams in JavaScript

Why, how, what? —
Just ask the diagramming experts!