Change R visual to Custom visual with Tooltip

To use tooltips API, the developer will need to:

1. Transition from standard R-script visual to HTML R Custom visual, that may be very easy or very complicated, depending on packages used.
2. Add to every relevant entity in the R HTML widget an “on-hover” behavior invoking tool-tips API (this can and should be done using plotly’s commands in the R script)
3. Connect the specific details to be shown in the tooltip to the call in “b.” – this may be difficult for certain visualizations.

Pros:

1. Same look and feel as other PBI visuals
2. Can display tooltips outside of visual’s iframe boundaries.

Cons:

1. Requires some TS coding
2. Depending on specific implementation, may be difficult to implement.

To use plotly’s built-in tool tips, the developer will still need step “1.” above (static images won’t generate tooltips, he must generate a functioning HTML widget…)

Pros:

1. Only R coding, (aside from transition to R HTML widget)
2. Data automatically available for tooltip.

Cons:

1. Tooltips limited to visual’s plot R area.
2. Look and feel inconsistent with PBI’s

You might also take a look at https://github.com/Microsoft/powerbi-visuals-funnel as an example.

Ignat Vilesov,

Software Engineer

Microsoft Power BI Custom Visuals

[email protected]