How to Create Charts on Your JavaScript Website using Data from a MySQL Database with EJS Front-end

Are you tired of staring at a sea of numbers and data on your JavaScript website? Do you want to make your data more visually appealing and easily digestible for your users? Look no further! In this article, we’ll take you through the step-by-step process of creating charts on your JavaScript website using data from a MySQL database with EJS front-end.

Prerequisites

Before we dive in, make sure you have the following:

• A JavaScript website with an EJS front-end (Embedded JavaScript templates)
• A MySQL database with data you want to display on your chart
• Basic knowledge of JavaScript, MySQL, and EJS
• A charting library of your choice (we’ll use Chart.js in this example)

Step 1: Connect to Your MySQL Database

First things first, we need to connect to our MySQL database using Node.js. We’ll use the `mysql` package to establish a connection. Install it using npm:

npm install mysql

Now, create a new JavaScript file (e.g., `db.js`) and add the following code:

const mysql = require('mysql');

const db = mysql.createConnection({
  host: 'your_host',
  user: 'your_username',
  password: 'your_password',
  database: 'your_database'
});

db.connect((err) => {
  if (err) {
    console.error('error connecting:', err);
    return;
  }
  console.log('connected as id ' + db.threadId);
});

Replace the placeholders with your actual MySQL database credentials.

Step 2: Retrieve Data from Your MySQL Database

Now that we’re connected to our database, let’s retrieve the data we want to display on our chart. Add the following code to your `db.js` file:

const query = 'SELECT * FROM your_table_name';
db.query(query, (err, rows) => {
  if (err) {
    console.error('error running query:', err);
    return;
  }
  console.log('results:', rows);
  // We'll use the 'rows' variable to populate our chart
});

Replace `your_table_name` with the actual name of the table you want to retrieve data from. The `rows` variable will hold the result of the query, which we’ll use to populate our chart.

Step 3: Create a Chart using Chart.js

Next, we’ll create a chart using Chart.js, a popular and easy-to-use charting library. Add the following code to a new JavaScript file (e.g., `chart.js`):

const ctx = document.getElementById('chart').getContext('2d');
const chart = new Chart(ctx, {
  type: 'line',
  data: {
    labels: [],
    datasets: [{
      label: 'Your Chart Label',
      data: [],
      backgroundColor: 'rgba(255, 99, 132, 0.2)',
      borderColor: 'rgba(255, 99, 132, 1)',
      borderWidth: 1
    }]
  },
  options: {
    scales: {
      y: {
        beginAtZero: true
      }
    }
  }
});

This code creates a basic line chart with a single dataset. We’ll populate the `labels` and `data` arrays with our MySQL data in the next step.

Step 4: Populate Your Chart with MySQL Data

Now, let’s populate our chart with the data we retrieved from our MySQL database. Add the following code to your `db.js` file:

const query = 'SELECT * FROM your_table_name';
db.query(query, (err, rows) => {
  if (err) {
    console.error('error running query:', err);
    return;
  }
  console.log('results:', rows);

  // Populate chart labels and data
  const labels = [];
  const data = [];
  rows.forEach((row) => {
    labels.push(row.your_column_name);
    data.push(row.your_column_name);
  });

  // Update chart data
  chart.data.labels = labels;
  chart.data.datasets[0].data = data;
  chart.update();
});

Replace `your_column_name` with the actual column name you want to display on your chart. The `labels` array will hold the x-axis labels, and the `data` array will hold the y-axis values. We then update the chart data and call the `update()` method to render the chart.

Step 5: Display Your Chart on Your EJS Template

Finally, let’s display our chart on our EJS template. Create a new EJS file (e.g., `chart.ejs`) and add the following code:

<% include header.ejs %>

<div class="chart-container">
  <canvas id="chart"></canvas>
</div>

<script src="chart.js"></script>

<% include footer.ejs %>

This code includes a basic HTML structure with a `canvas` element, which will render our chart. We also include the `chart.js` script to populate the chart.

Putting it All Together

That’s it! You’ve successfully created a chart on your JavaScript website using data from your MySQL database with EJS front-end. Here’s the complete code:

// db.js
const mysql = require('mysql');

const db = mysql.createConnection({
  host: 'your_host',
  user: 'your_username',
  password: 'your_password',
  database: 'your_database'
});

db.connect((err) => {
  if (err) {
    console.error('error connecting:', err);
    return;
  }
  console.log('connected as id ' + db.threadId);

  const query = 'SELECT * FROM your_table_name';
  db.query(query, (err, rows) => {
    if (err) {
      console.error('error running query:', err);
      return;
    }
    console.log('results:', rows);

    // Populate chart labels and data
    const labels = [];
    const data = [];
    rows.forEach((row) => {
      labels.push(row.your_column_name);
      data.push(row.your_column_name);
    });

    // Update chart data
    chart.data.labels = labels;
    chart.data.datasets[0].data = data;
    chart.update();
  });
});

// chart.js
const ctx = document.getElementById('chart').getContext('2d');
const chart = new Chart(ctx, {
  type: 'line',
  data: {
    labels: [],
    datasets: [{
      label: 'Your Chart Label',
      data: [],
      backgroundColor: 'rgba(255, 99, 132, 0.2)',
      borderColor: 'rgba(255, 99, 132, 1)',
      borderWidth: 1
    }]
  },
  options: {
    scales: {
      y: {
        beginAtZero: true
      }
    }
  }
});

// chart.ejs
<% include header.ejs %>

<div class="chart-container">
  <canvas id="chart"></canvas>
</div>

<script src="chart.js"></script>

<% include footer.ejs %>

Remember to replace the placeholders with your actual MySQL database credentials and column names. Happy charting!

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve covered the step-by-step process of creating charts on your JavaScript website using data from a MySQL database with EJS front-end. By following these instructions, you can easily create visually appealing charts to display your data in a more engaging and interactive way. Remember to explore other charting libraries and customize your charts to fit your specific needs.

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask in the comments.

Additional Resources

For more information on Chart.js, visit their official website: https://www.chartjs.org/

For more information on EJS, visit their official website: https://ejs.co/

For more information on MySQL, visit their official website: https://www.mysql.com/

FAQs

Q: What is Chart.js?

A: Chart.js is a popular JavaScript charting library that allows you to create responsive, interactive, and customizable charts.

Q: What is EJS?

A: EJS (Embedded JavaScript) is a templating engine that allows you to embed JavaScript code within your HTML templates.

Q: How

Frequently Asked Questions

Charting your way to success with MySQL data on an EJS front-end! Here are the top FAQs to get you started: