Create Waffle Chart Visualizations in R

Square pie charts (a.k.a. waffle charts) can be used to communicate parts of a whole for categorical quantities. To emulate the percentage view of a pie chart, a 10x10 grid should be used with each square representing 1% of the total. Modern uses of waffle charts do not necessarily adhere to this rule and can be created with a grid of any rectangular shape. Best practices suggest keeping the number of categories small, just as should be done when creating pie charts. Tools are provided to create waffle charts as well as stitch them together, and to use glyphs for making isotype pictograms.

waffle is a package to make waffle charts (square pie charts)

It uses ggplot2 and returns a ggplot2 object.

The following functions are implemented:

• waffle : make a waffle chart ggplot2 object
• iron : vertically stitch together multiple waffle plots, left-aligning edges (best if used with the waffle pad parameter)

install.packages("waffle")

Usage

library(waffle)
 
# current verison
packageVersion("waffle")
## [1] '0.7.0'
 
# basic example
parts <- c(80, 30, 20, 10)

waffle(parts, rows=8)

# slightly more complex example
parts <- c(`Un-breached\nUS Population`=(318-11-79), `Premera`=11, `Anthem`=79)

waffle(parts, rows=8, size=1, colors=c("#969696", "#1879bf", "#009bda"), legend_pos="bottom") 

Health records breaches as fraction of US Population

One square == 1m ppl

waffle(parts/10, rows=3, colors=c("#969696", "#1879bf", "#009bda")) 

Health records breaches as fraction of US Population

(One square == 10m ppl)

library(extrafont)
waffle(parts/10, rows=3, colors=c("#969696", "#1879bf", "#009bda"),
       use_glyph="medkit", size=8)

# replicating an old favourite
 
# http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/07/20/business/20debtgraphic.jpg
# http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/20/business/20debt.html
savings <- c(`Mortgage\n($84,911)`=84911, `Auto and\ntuition loans\n($14,414)`=14414, 
             `Home equity loans\n($10,062)`=10062, `Credit Cards\n($8,565)`=8565)

waffle(savings/392, rows=7, size=0.5, legend_pos="bottom",
       colors=c("#c7d4b6", "#a3aabd", "#a0d0de", "#97b5cf"))

Average Household Savings Each Year

(1 square == $392)

# similar to but not exact
 
# https://eagereyes.org/techniques/square-pie-charts
professional <- c(`Male`=44, `Female (56%)`=56)

waffle(professional, rows=10, size=0.5, colors=c("#af9139", "#544616"))

Keeps factor by default levels now

With:

iron(
  waffle(c(thing1=0, thing2=100), rows=5),  
  waffle(c(thing1=25, thing2=75), rows=5)
)

Without (you can disable this via keep parameter now):

iron(
  waffle(c(thing1=0, thing2=100), rows=5, keep=FALSE),  
  waffle(c(thing1=25, thing2=75), rows=5, keep=FALSE)
)

Professional Workforce Makeup

Iron example (left-align & padding for multiple plots)

pain.adult.1997 <- c(`YOY (406)`=406, `Adult (24)`=24)
 
A <- waffle(pain.adult.1997/2, rows=7, size=0.5, 
            colors=c("#c7d4b6", "#a3aabd"), 
            title="Paine Run Brook Trout Abundance (1997)", 
            xlab="1 square = 2 fish", pad=3)
 
pine.adult.1997 <- c(`YOY (221)`=221, `Adult (143)`=143)
 
B <- waffle(pine.adult.1997/2, rows=7, size=0.5, 
            colors=c("#c7d4b6", "#a3aabd"), 
            title="Piney River Brook Trout Abundance (1997)", 
            xlab="1 square = 2 fish", pad=8)
 
stan.adult.1997 <- c(`YOY (270)`=270, `Adult (197)`=197)
 
C <- waffle(stan.adult.1997/2, rows=7, size=0.5, 
            colors=c("#c7d4b6", "#a3aabd"), 
            title="Staunton River Trout Abundance (1997)", 
            xlab="1 square = 2 fish")
 
iron(A, B, C)

Test Results

library(waffle)
library(testthat)
 
date()
## [1] "Sat Jan  7 08:05:00 2017"
 
test_dir("tests/")
## testthat results ========================================================================================================
## OK: 1 SKIPPED: 0 FAILED: 0
## 
## DONE ===================================================================================================================