Cairo: R Graphics Device for Vector and Bitmap Output

Cairo is an R graphics device using the cairographics library to create high-quality output. It supports vector formats like PDF and SVG, bitmap formats like PNG and JPEG, and display rendering for X11 and Win32 systems. The device is authored by Simon Urbanek and provides WYSIWYG copying across formats due to a unified back-end.

Use Cases

• Generate publication-ready vector graphics for reports based on PDF and SVG support
• Create server-side visualizations for web applications based on PNG and JPEG output without X11
• Produce graphics with transparency effects based on alpha channel and anti-aliasing support
• Replace legacy R graphics devices based on enhanced capabilities like semi-transparent drawing

Strengths

• Supports multiple high-quality output formats including PDF, SVG, PNG, JPEG, TIFF, and PostScript
• Provides alpha channel support for semi-transparent drawing and anti-aliasing
• Enables WYSIWYG copying across formats using a single back-end
• Functions in server environments without dependence on X11 or external programs

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment

Provenance

Source

paperswithcode

Collection Method

Software package release for the R programming language.