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Trusty Toolbox 🔨

A dashboard consists of two fundamental components:

  • Framework for loading, storing, and running algorithms to analyze datasets
  • Framework for extracting and displaying valuable information from the data

Our toolbox contains the two perfect tools needed for these tasks...

Introducing TigerGraph

TigerGraph is a native parallel graph database that can load and analyze large amounts of data in real-time. In comparison to traditional relational databases, TigerGraph's architecture and accompanying graph query language (GSQL) allow for quick, efficient, and powerful analytics .

Goin' Graphs

The following blog post summarizes the importance of Graph Databses.

For a more comprehensive overview, feel free to check out the following four modules:

Module 1 - Introduction to Graph Database and Analytics

Module 2 - Managing Relationships - Relational, NoSQL, and Graph Database

Module 3 - Evolution of Graph Databases

Module 4 - Seven Key Data Science Capabilities of a Native Parallel Database

   

As summarized neatly by Oracle,

Oracle's 17 Use Cases for Graph Databases and Graph Analytics

Graph technologies have become a groundbreaking way for organizations everywhere to address uses that other methods simply can’t address in an efficient manner.

Now, how do we go about creating our own?

   

The Cloud Portal

TigerGraph graciously provides a free-tier cloud portal open to all. Creating an account is as simple as navigating to its website and clicking on the orange Login/Register button. We'll cover setting up one's first solution in the ensuing "Dashboarding 101" section.

For a brief introduction, feel free to check out the following video:

Getting Started with TigerGraph Cloud (2021)

NOTE: For a detailed overview of TigerGraph Cloud, make sure to check out: TG Cloud Docs

   

For now, we can move onto the second half of our toolbox...

   

Introducing Plotly

Plotly is an interactive graphing library used to visualize data.

It is quite powerful in terms of its features and is rather easy to learn and begin working with. Two Plotly modules we'll be using in our dashboard can be summarized below:

  • Plotly Express: a high-level wrapper for creating visualizations
  • Plotly Dash: a Python framework for easily building applications

Both of these modules will be covered in the "Dashboarding 101" section.

   

All Aboard the Plotly Express

For more information regarding Plotly Express, feel free to check out the following blog:

Introducing Plotly Express - By Plotly on Medium

Designing with Plotly Dash

For more information regarding Plotly Dash, feel free to check out the following video:

Getting Started with TigerGraph Cloud (2021)

   

Pretty exciting! TigerGraph + Plotly are both powerful, easy-to-use tools.

Let's learn how to harness their power to create dashboards...

While "Quick Start" contains a condensed, no-fluff guide to creating dashboards, "Adventure" weaves the same content around an immersive story. Feel free to explore either!