How to plot a boxplot with correctly spaced continuous x-axis values in ggplot2











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I am attempting to plot a boxplot where my x-axis is a continuous time-scale which is growing degree days i.e. 0 to 2500. I would like to get a boxplot with x-axis values correctly spaced on a continuous time-scale rather than a discrete one. Normally if it were a regular time/date, I could have used a 'scale_x_date' with ggplot2 in R. However, since the numbers are outside date/time scale I am not sure how can we correctly space the x-axis values. Here is the dummy example:



library(ggplot2)
set.seed(1234)
#get data
df <- data.frame(y=abs(rnorm(8)),
x=as.factor(rep(c(0,100,200,500),times=2)))
ggplot(aes(y=y,x=x), data=df) +
geom_boxplot()


This gives me the plot



enter image description here



where my x-axis is not spaced based on its numeric values. Instead, I would like to get a boxplot where the spacing between 200 to 500 should be three times more than 100-200. My actual data has x-axis values ranging 0-2500 growing days. I am looking for ggplot2 specific solution preferably.










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    up vote
    1
    down vote

    favorite












    I am attempting to plot a boxplot where my x-axis is a continuous time-scale which is growing degree days i.e. 0 to 2500. I would like to get a boxplot with x-axis values correctly spaced on a continuous time-scale rather than a discrete one. Normally if it were a regular time/date, I could have used a 'scale_x_date' with ggplot2 in R. However, since the numbers are outside date/time scale I am not sure how can we correctly space the x-axis values. Here is the dummy example:



    library(ggplot2)
    set.seed(1234)
    #get data
    df <- data.frame(y=abs(rnorm(8)),
    x=as.factor(rep(c(0,100,200,500),times=2)))
    ggplot(aes(y=y,x=x), data=df) +
    geom_boxplot()


    This gives me the plot



    enter image description here



    where my x-axis is not spaced based on its numeric values. Instead, I would like to get a boxplot where the spacing between 200 to 500 should be three times more than 100-200. My actual data has x-axis values ranging 0-2500 growing days. I am looking for ggplot2 specific solution preferably.










    share|improve this question


























      up vote
      1
      down vote

      favorite









      up vote
      1
      down vote

      favorite











      I am attempting to plot a boxplot where my x-axis is a continuous time-scale which is growing degree days i.e. 0 to 2500. I would like to get a boxplot with x-axis values correctly spaced on a continuous time-scale rather than a discrete one. Normally if it were a regular time/date, I could have used a 'scale_x_date' with ggplot2 in R. However, since the numbers are outside date/time scale I am not sure how can we correctly space the x-axis values. Here is the dummy example:



      library(ggplot2)
      set.seed(1234)
      #get data
      df <- data.frame(y=abs(rnorm(8)),
      x=as.factor(rep(c(0,100,200,500),times=2)))
      ggplot(aes(y=y,x=x), data=df) +
      geom_boxplot()


      This gives me the plot



      enter image description here



      where my x-axis is not spaced based on its numeric values. Instead, I would like to get a boxplot where the spacing between 200 to 500 should be three times more than 100-200. My actual data has x-axis values ranging 0-2500 growing days. I am looking for ggplot2 specific solution preferably.










      share|improve this question















      I am attempting to plot a boxplot where my x-axis is a continuous time-scale which is growing degree days i.e. 0 to 2500. I would like to get a boxplot with x-axis values correctly spaced on a continuous time-scale rather than a discrete one. Normally if it were a regular time/date, I could have used a 'scale_x_date' with ggplot2 in R. However, since the numbers are outside date/time scale I am not sure how can we correctly space the x-axis values. Here is the dummy example:



      library(ggplot2)
      set.seed(1234)
      #get data
      df <- data.frame(y=abs(rnorm(8)),
      x=as.factor(rep(c(0,100,200,500),times=2)))
      ggplot(aes(y=y,x=x), data=df) +
      geom_boxplot()


      This gives me the plot



      enter image description here



      where my x-axis is not spaced based on its numeric values. Instead, I would like to get a boxplot where the spacing between 200 to 500 should be three times more than 100-200. My actual data has x-axis values ranging 0-2500 growing days. I am looking for ggplot2 specific solution preferably.







      r ggplot2






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      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question








      edited Nov 11 at 2:20

























      asked Nov 11 at 2:06









      SinghD

      154




      154
























          1 Answer
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          df <- data.frame(y=abs(rnorm(8)),
          x=rep(c(0,100,200,500),times=2))

          ggplot(df, aes(x, y, group=x)) +
          geom_boxplot()


          enter image description here



          This solution relies on two changes. First, to plot boxes positioned on a continuous x axis, we need to provide numeric rather than factor x values. However, this does not work by itself, because without x values being grouped by factor levels, ggplot no longer knows how to group the data into different boxes. So, we also need to provide an additional grouping variable.






          share|improve this answer























          • This works great. On a side note, my actual data has a longer timescale (0 to 2500), which on the full plot stretches the axis to an extent that it makes the boxplots almost look like thin lines. I have tried scaling my axis to '100 units by dividing x by 100. But it merges the closer points on x-axis into one point. Do you have any suggestion to remedy this issue?
            – SinghD
            Nov 11 at 2:54










          • you can use the width= argument to geom_boxplot. Set the width in x units
            – dww
            Nov 11 at 3:44










          • I think it might be worth to point out that the important step here was to change the x variable in the sample data from categorical to continuous .
            – Tjebo
            Nov 11 at 11:50










          • @Tjebotj - thanks, i added that info to the answer. Also that it requires an additional step beyond that.
            – dww
            Nov 11 at 16:00











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          1 Answer
          1






          active

          oldest

          votes








          1 Answer
          1






          active

          oldest

          votes









          active

          oldest

          votes






          active

          oldest

          votes








          up vote
          1
          down vote



          accepted










          df <- data.frame(y=abs(rnorm(8)),
          x=rep(c(0,100,200,500),times=2))

          ggplot(df, aes(x, y, group=x)) +
          geom_boxplot()


          enter image description here



          This solution relies on two changes. First, to plot boxes positioned on a continuous x axis, we need to provide numeric rather than factor x values. However, this does not work by itself, because without x values being grouped by factor levels, ggplot no longer knows how to group the data into different boxes. So, we also need to provide an additional grouping variable.






          share|improve this answer























          • This works great. On a side note, my actual data has a longer timescale (0 to 2500), which on the full plot stretches the axis to an extent that it makes the boxplots almost look like thin lines. I have tried scaling my axis to '100 units by dividing x by 100. But it merges the closer points on x-axis into one point. Do you have any suggestion to remedy this issue?
            – SinghD
            Nov 11 at 2:54










          • you can use the width= argument to geom_boxplot. Set the width in x units
            – dww
            Nov 11 at 3:44










          • I think it might be worth to point out that the important step here was to change the x variable in the sample data from categorical to continuous .
            – Tjebo
            Nov 11 at 11:50










          • @Tjebotj - thanks, i added that info to the answer. Also that it requires an additional step beyond that.
            – dww
            Nov 11 at 16:00















          up vote
          1
          down vote



          accepted










          df <- data.frame(y=abs(rnorm(8)),
          x=rep(c(0,100,200,500),times=2))

          ggplot(df, aes(x, y, group=x)) +
          geom_boxplot()


          enter image description here



          This solution relies on two changes. First, to plot boxes positioned on a continuous x axis, we need to provide numeric rather than factor x values. However, this does not work by itself, because without x values being grouped by factor levels, ggplot no longer knows how to group the data into different boxes. So, we also need to provide an additional grouping variable.






          share|improve this answer























          • This works great. On a side note, my actual data has a longer timescale (0 to 2500), which on the full plot stretches the axis to an extent that it makes the boxplots almost look like thin lines. I have tried scaling my axis to '100 units by dividing x by 100. But it merges the closer points on x-axis into one point. Do you have any suggestion to remedy this issue?
            – SinghD
            Nov 11 at 2:54










          • you can use the width= argument to geom_boxplot. Set the width in x units
            – dww
            Nov 11 at 3:44










          • I think it might be worth to point out that the important step here was to change the x variable in the sample data from categorical to continuous .
            – Tjebo
            Nov 11 at 11:50










          • @Tjebotj - thanks, i added that info to the answer. Also that it requires an additional step beyond that.
            – dww
            Nov 11 at 16:00













          up vote
          1
          down vote



          accepted







          up vote
          1
          down vote



          accepted






          df <- data.frame(y=abs(rnorm(8)),
          x=rep(c(0,100,200,500),times=2))

          ggplot(df, aes(x, y, group=x)) +
          geom_boxplot()


          enter image description here



          This solution relies on two changes. First, to plot boxes positioned on a continuous x axis, we need to provide numeric rather than factor x values. However, this does not work by itself, because without x values being grouped by factor levels, ggplot no longer knows how to group the data into different boxes. So, we also need to provide an additional grouping variable.






          share|improve this answer














          df <- data.frame(y=abs(rnorm(8)),
          x=rep(c(0,100,200,500),times=2))

          ggplot(df, aes(x, y, group=x)) +
          geom_boxplot()


          enter image description here



          This solution relies on two changes. First, to plot boxes positioned on a continuous x axis, we need to provide numeric rather than factor x values. However, this does not work by itself, because without x values being grouped by factor levels, ggplot no longer knows how to group the data into different boxes. So, we also need to provide an additional grouping variable.







          share|improve this answer














          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited Nov 11 at 15:58

























          answered Nov 11 at 2:21









          dww

          13.6k22551




          13.6k22551












          • This works great. On a side note, my actual data has a longer timescale (0 to 2500), which on the full plot stretches the axis to an extent that it makes the boxplots almost look like thin lines. I have tried scaling my axis to '100 units by dividing x by 100. But it merges the closer points on x-axis into one point. Do you have any suggestion to remedy this issue?
            – SinghD
            Nov 11 at 2:54










          • you can use the width= argument to geom_boxplot. Set the width in x units
            – dww
            Nov 11 at 3:44










          • I think it might be worth to point out that the important step here was to change the x variable in the sample data from categorical to continuous .
            – Tjebo
            Nov 11 at 11:50










          • @Tjebotj - thanks, i added that info to the answer. Also that it requires an additional step beyond that.
            – dww
            Nov 11 at 16:00


















          • This works great. On a side note, my actual data has a longer timescale (0 to 2500), which on the full plot stretches the axis to an extent that it makes the boxplots almost look like thin lines. I have tried scaling my axis to '100 units by dividing x by 100. But it merges the closer points on x-axis into one point. Do you have any suggestion to remedy this issue?
            – SinghD
            Nov 11 at 2:54










          • you can use the width= argument to geom_boxplot. Set the width in x units
            – dww
            Nov 11 at 3:44










          • I think it might be worth to point out that the important step here was to change the x variable in the sample data from categorical to continuous .
            – Tjebo
            Nov 11 at 11:50










          • @Tjebotj - thanks, i added that info to the answer. Also that it requires an additional step beyond that.
            – dww
            Nov 11 at 16:00
















          This works great. On a side note, my actual data has a longer timescale (0 to 2500), which on the full plot stretches the axis to an extent that it makes the boxplots almost look like thin lines. I have tried scaling my axis to '100 units by dividing x by 100. But it merges the closer points on x-axis into one point. Do you have any suggestion to remedy this issue?
          – SinghD
          Nov 11 at 2:54




          This works great. On a side note, my actual data has a longer timescale (0 to 2500), which on the full plot stretches the axis to an extent that it makes the boxplots almost look like thin lines. I have tried scaling my axis to '100 units by dividing x by 100. But it merges the closer points on x-axis into one point. Do you have any suggestion to remedy this issue?
          – SinghD
          Nov 11 at 2:54












          you can use the width= argument to geom_boxplot. Set the width in x units
          – dww
          Nov 11 at 3:44




          you can use the width= argument to geom_boxplot. Set the width in x units
          – dww
          Nov 11 at 3:44












          I think it might be worth to point out that the important step here was to change the x variable in the sample data from categorical to continuous .
          – Tjebo
          Nov 11 at 11:50




          I think it might be worth to point out that the important step here was to change the x variable in the sample data from categorical to continuous .
          – Tjebo
          Nov 11 at 11:50












          @Tjebotj - thanks, i added that info to the answer. Also that it requires an additional step beyond that.
          – dww
          Nov 11 at 16:00




          @Tjebotj - thanks, i added that info to the answer. Also that it requires an additional step beyond that.
          – dww
          Nov 11 at 16:00


















           

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