Question

I also posted this question on the Google Group https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!topic/d3-js/DYiVeC544ws, but saw that it prefers that help questions are asked here. I’m just having trouble shifting the y-axis to the left of my graph to so that it does not get in the way of the first column. I provided an image on the google group so you can see what I’m talking about.

The code to create the axis is as follows:

   var MARGINS = {top: 20, right: 20, bottom: 20, left: 60}; // margins around the graph
var xRange = d3.scale.linear().range([MARGINS.left, width - MARGINS.right]), // x range function
    yRange = d3.scale.linear().range([height - MARGINS.top, MARGINS.bottom]), // y range function

    xAxis = d3.svg.axis().scale(xRange).tickSize(16).tickSubdivide(true), // x axis function
    yAxis = d3.svg.axis().scale(yRange).tickSize(10).orient("right").tickSubdivide(true); // y axis function


// create the visualization chart
var vis = d3.select("#chart")
   .append("svg")
    .attr("width", width)
    .attr("height", height + margin);


    // add in the x axis
  vis.append("svg:g") // container element
    .attr("class", "x axis") // so we can style it with CSS
    .attr("transform", "translate(0," + height + ")") // move into position
   // .call(xAxis); // add to the visualisation

  // add in the y axis
  vis.append("svg:g") // container element
    .attr("class", "y axis") // so we can style it with CSS
    .call(yAxis); // add to the visualisation

Answer 1

Use the transform attribute to shift the y-axis, just as you did for the x-axis. For example:

svg.append("g")
    .attr("class", "y axis")
    .attr("transform", "translate(" + width + ",0)")
    .call(yAxis);

This is only necessary when using right orientation. When the axis is oriented to the left, the default positioning is typically fine.

Also, I recommend using the following convention for margins:

• Set the origin of the SVG element to the top-left corner of the inner chart area.
• Define width and height as the inner width and height.

For example:

var margin = {top: 20, right: 10, bottom: 20, left: 10},
    width = 960 - margin.left - margin.right,
    height = 500 - margin.top - margin.bottom;

var x = d3.scale.linear()
    .range([0, width]);

var y = d3.scale.linear()
    .range([height, 0]);

var svg = d3.select("body").append("svg")
    .attr("width", width + margin.left + margin.right)
    .attr("height", height + margin.top + margin.bottom)
  .append("g")
    .attr("transform", "translate(" + margin.left + "," + margin.top + ")");

If you prefer, you could also store the inner and outer dimensions, e.g.,

var outerWidth = 960,
    outerHeight = 500,
    innerWidth = outerWidth - margin.left - margin.right,
    innerHeight = outerHeight - margin.top - margin.bottom;

Here’s a visual explanation of the convention:

• http://bl.ocks.org/3019563