# Create a CSV file and from CSV to chart

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/create-a-csv-file-and-from-csv-to-chart/24027>\
**Category:** Dashboard\
**Created:** [1 April 2020 11:56 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/create-a-csv-file-and-from-csv-to-chart/24027 "2020-04-01T11:56:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ScheepersJohan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/scheepersjohan/32/39556_2.png) [@ScheepersJohan](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ScheepersJohan)\
**Post date:** [1 April 2020 11:56 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/create-a-csv-file-and-from-csv-to-chart/24027/1 "2020-04-01T11:56:15Z")

</div>

Hi,

In the top part I create a CSV file from a time stamp and random data (could be from a sensor as well, 4 data sets Time stamp, Temp Water, Temp Air and Light Level)

In the bottom part I want to read the CSV and create a chart from it.  
The chart needs to map the time stamp from the CSV against each of the data sets of the CSV (Temp Water, Temp Air and Light Level), lots missing here.

If there is a example of this somewhere I will appreciate it.

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/4/1/41a06caf629b3addcf8dba649917a5ca7fcc8f3c.png)

![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/e/1/e199761d7b1c2b3e7ac0bcc5aa73ecafdbc14e04.png)

```auto
[{"id":"9da0f9d0.11eb48","type":"tab","label":"Chart - Create CSV and Read","disabled":false,"info":""},{"id":"73e3db38.df58c4","type":"ui_chart","z":"9da0f9d0.11eb48","name":"","group":"f8c9ca84.797328","order":2,"width":0,"height":0,"label":"Light Level","chartType":"line","legend":"true","xformat":"HH:mm","interpolate":"step","nodata":"","dot":false,"ymin":"","ymax":"","removeOlder":"1","removeOlderPoints":"","removeOlderUnit":"3600","cutout":0,"useOneColor":false,"colors":["#1f77b4","#aec7e8","#ff7f0e","#2ca02c","#98df8a","#d62728","#ff9896","#9467bd","#c5b0d5"],"useOldStyle":false,"outputs":1,"x":690,"y":580,"wires":[[]]},{"id":"a5eb28ee.f1d8d8","type":"watch","z":"9da0f9d0.11eb48","name":"Test1.csv","files":"/home/pi/Documents/Data/Test1.csv","recursive":"","x":100,"y":460,"wires":[[]]},{"id":"447fe7ae.e75ca8","type":"debug","z":"9da0f9d0.11eb48","name":"","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","x":990,"y":180,"wires":[]},{"id":"3edc8923.107b76","type":"file","z":"9da0f9d0.11eb48","name":"Test1.csv","filename":"/home/pi/Documents/Data/Test1.csv","appendNewline":true,"createDir":false,"overwriteFile":"false","encoding":"utf8","x":720,"y":160,"wires":[["447fe7ae.e75ca8"]]},{"id":"970d173f.7712e8","type":"join","z":"9da0f9d0.11eb48","name":"","mode":"custom","build":"string","property":"payload","propertyType":"msg","key":"topic","joiner":",","joinerType":"str","accumulate":false,"timeout":"","count":"4","reduceRight":false,"reduceExp":"","reduceInit":"","reduceInitType":"","reduceFixup":"","x":550,"y":160,"wires":[["3edc8923.107b76"]]},{"id":"3f24e5f.939f31a","type":"inject","z":"9da0f9d0.11eb48","name":"","topic":"","payload":"","payloadType":"date","repeat":"30","crontab":"","once":true,"onceDelay":0.1,"x":150,"y":120,"wires":[["970d173f.7712e8","fc2277c6.fb6428","8b35e2fe.ba7f5","79c73f17.7b3ad"]]},{"id":"fc2277c6.fb6428","type":"random","z":"9da0f9d0.11eb48","name":"Temp Water","low":"-5","high":"45","inte":"true","property":"payload","x":330,"y":200,"wires":[["970d173f.7712e8"]]},{"id":"8b35e2fe.ba7f5","type":"random","z":"9da0f9d0.11eb48","name":"Temp Air","low":"-5","high":"45","inte":"true","property":"payload","x":300,"y":240,"wires":[["970d173f.7712e8"]]},{"id":"79c73f17.7b3ad","type":"random","z":"9da0f9d0.11eb48","name":"Liight Level","low":"0","high":"100","inte":"true","property":"payload","x":290,"y":300,"wires":[["970d173f.7712e8"]]},{"id":"655223a9.7377ac","type":"comment","z":"9da0f9d0.11eb48","name":"Creat Data","info":"","x":180,"y":80,"wires":[]},{"id":"1b3a42a4.b61d6d","type":"comment","z":"9da0f9d0.11eb48","name":"Creat CSV","info":"","x":700,"y":100,"wires":[]},{"id":"83399b3.ae38068","type":"comment","z":"9da0f9d0.11eb48","name":"Read file and create chart","info":"","x":290,"y":420,"wires":[]},{"id":"a9759e6e.0ce49","type":"ui_chart","z":"9da0f9d0.11eb48","name":"","group":"f8c9ca84.797328","order":2,"width":0,"height":0,"label":"Temp Air","chartType":"line","legend":"true","xformat":"HH:mm","interpolate":"step","nodata":"","dot":false,"ymin":"","ymax":"","removeOlder":"1","removeOlderPoints":"","removeOlderUnit":"3600","cutout":0,"useOneColor":false,"colors":["#1f77b4","#aec7e8","#ff7f0e","#2ca02c","#98df8a","#d62728","#ff9896","#9467bd","#c5b0d5"],"useOldStyle":false,"outputs":1,"x":700,"y":480,"wires":[[]]},{"id":"765a80d.47d948","type":"ui_chart","z":"9da0f9d0.11eb48","name":"","group":"f8c9ca84.797328","order":2,"width":0,"height":0,"label":"Temp Water","chartType":"line","legend":"true","xformat":"HH:mm","interpolate":"step","nodata":"","dot":false,"ymin":"","ymax":"","removeOlder":"1","removeOlderPoints":"","removeOlderUnit":"3600","cutout":0,"useOneColor":false,"colors":["#1f77b4","#aec7e8","#ff7f0e","#2ca02c","#98df8a","#d62728","#ff9896","#9467bd","#c5b0d5"],"useOldStyle":false,"outputs":1,"x":710,"y":520,"wires":[[]]},{"id":"f8c9ca84.797328","type":"ui_group","z":"","name":"Test1","tab":"ba411c2a.41819","order":2,"disp":true,"width":"6","collapse":false},{"id":"ba411c2a.41819","type":"ui_tab","z":"","name":"Test 1","icon":"dashboard","order":2,"disabled":false,"hidden":false}]

```

Resulting chart need to be something like this  
 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/2/a/2a4d1615ba4e9875790d2c8359b5b705e97b1b08.png)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [3 April 2020 11:59 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/create-a-csv-file-and-from-csv-to-chart/24027/2 "2020-04-03T11:59:38Z")

</div>

Do you need to be using a file watcher to populate charts? Do you even need to write data to CSV file?

You could simply populate the charts directly if not...

```auto
[{"id":"c8e4d550.f8f788","type":"debug","z":"d3a3e6ec.891ce8","name":"","active":false,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","x":850,"y":140,"wires":[]},{"id":"c2c39eab.211a6","type":"file","z":"d3a3e6ec.891ce8","name":"Test1.csv","filename":"Test1.csv","appendNewline":true,"createDir":false,"overwriteFile":"false","encoding":"utf8","x":700,"y":140,"wires":[["c8e4d550.f8f788"]]},{"id":"32f4ca72.741486","type":"join","z":"d3a3e6ec.891ce8","name":"","mode":"custom","build":"string","property":"payload","propertyType":"msg","key":"topic","joiner":",","joinerType":"str","accumulate":false,"timeout":"","count":"4","reduceRight":false,"reduceExp":"","reduceInit":"","reduceInitType":"","reduceFixup":"","x":550,"y":140,"wires":[["c2c39eab.211a6"]]},{"id":"6b5f6d37.652484","type":"inject","z":"d3a3e6ec.891ce8","name":"","topic":"","payload":"","payloadType":"date","repeat":"30","crontab":"","once":true,"onceDelay":0.1,"x":130,"y":140,"wires":[["32f4ca72.741486","eb500166.0bc5d","e6407ccc.b860c","728ba8ff.c51c18"]]},{"id":"eb500166.0bc5d","type":"random","z":"d3a3e6ec.891ce8","name":"Temp Water","low":"-5","high":"45","inte":"true","property":"payload","x":310,"y":200,"wires":[["32f4ca72.741486","77736558.b2ba6c"]]},{"id":"e6407ccc.b860c","type":"random","z":"d3a3e6ec.891ce8","name":"Temp Air","low":"-5","high":"45","inte":"true","property":"payload","x":300,"y":240,"wires":[["32f4ca72.741486","dc3749c5.0b4cc8"]]},{"id":"728ba8ff.c51c18","type":"random","z":"d3a3e6ec.891ce8","name":"Liight Level","low":"0","high":"100","inte":"true","property":"payload","x":310,"y":280,"wires":[["32f4ca72.741486","3fd2e425.46e2ec"]]},{"id":"c447faa1.5481d8","type":"comment","z":"d3a3e6ec.891ce8","name":"Creat Data","info":"","x":120,"y":100,"wires":[]},{"id":"3915c320.7a7e5c","type":"comment","z":"d3a3e6ec.891ce8","name":"Creat CSV","info":"","x":700,"y":100,"wires":[]},{"id":"77736558.b2ba6c","type":"ui_chart","z":"d3a3e6ec.891ce8","name":"","group":"c678f9c6.9694b8","order":2,"width":0,"height":0,"label":"Temp Water","chartType":"line","legend":"true","xformat":"HH:mm","interpolate":"step","nodata":"","dot":false,"ymin":"","ymax":"","removeOlder":"1","removeOlderPoints":"","removeOlderUnit":"3600","cutout":0,"useOneColor":false,"colors":["#1f77b4","#aec7e8","#ff7f0e","#2ca02c","#98df8a","#d62728","#ff9896","#9467bd","#c5b0d5"],"useOldStyle":false,"outputs":1,"x":570,"y":200,"wires":[[]]},{"id":"dc3749c5.0b4cc8","type":"ui_chart","z":"d3a3e6ec.891ce8","name":"","group":"c678f9c6.9694b8","order":2,"width":0,"height":0,"label":"Temp Air","chartType":"line","legend":"true","xformat":"HH:mm","interpolate":"step","nodata":"","dot":false,"ymin":"","ymax":"","removeOlder":"1","removeOlderPoints":"","removeOlderUnit":"3600","cutout":0,"useOneColor":false,"colors":["#1f77b4","#aec7e8","#ff7f0e","#2ca02c","#98df8a","#d62728","#ff9896","#9467bd","#c5b0d5"],"useOldStyle":false,"outputs":1,"x":560,"y":240,"wires":[[]]},{"id":"3fd2e425.46e2ec","type":"ui_chart","z":"d3a3e6ec.891ce8","name":"","group":"c678f9c6.9694b8","order":2,"width":0,"height":0,"label":"Light Level","chartType":"line","legend":"true","xformat":"HH:mm","interpolate":"step","nodata":"","dot":false,"ymin":"","ymax":"","removeOlder":"1","removeOlderPoints":"","removeOlderUnit":"3600","cutout":0,"useOneColor":false,"colors":["#1f77b4","#aec7e8","#ff7f0e","#2ca02c","#98df8a","#d62728","#ff9896","#9467bd","#c5b0d5"],"useOldStyle":false,"outputs":1,"x":570,"y":280,"wires":[[]]},{"id":"c678f9c6.9694b8","type":"ui_group","z":"","name":"Test1","tab":"ebe951fc.789ec","order":2,"disp":true,"width":"6","collapse":false},{"id":"ebe951fc.789ec","type":"ui_tab","z":"","name":"Test 1","icon":"dashboard","order":2,"disabled":false,"hidden":false}]

```

demo...

 ![yHRqMvhfKS](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/5/9/59b566394551b13493a2336c797a5c1cc26797bd.gif)

If you must use CSV and to populate the graphs, there are several considerations to make...

- you will need to feed the file data into a CSV node to convert it from CSV string to JS objects - then likely need to split it up & reformat it for the graphs
- what happens when the file gets too big and node-red / the browser cant handle all the data?

Food for thought.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ScheepersJohan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/scheepersjohan/32/39556_2.png) [@ScheepersJohan](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ScheepersJohan)\
**Post date:** [3 April 2020 13:51 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/create-a-csv-file-and-from-csv-to-chart/24027/3 "2020-04-03T13:51:48Z")

</div>

Thank for you assistance, but looks like I will need to install mysql and do it from a DB

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [3 May 2020 14:05 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/create-a-csv-file-and-from-csv-to-chart/24027/4 "2020-05-03T14:05:11Z")

</div>

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