# Displaying rack diagrams in Pluto - or in general really

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/displaying-rack-diagrams-in-pluto-or-in-general-really/53775>\
**Category:** Visualization\
**Created:** [January 22, 2021, 10:41am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/displaying-rack-diagrams-in-pluto-or-in-general-really/53775 "2021-01-22T10:41:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![johnh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/johnh/32/3615_2.png) [@johnh](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/johnh)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 10:41am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/displaying-rack-diagrams-in-pluto-or-in-general-really/53775/1 "2021-01-22T10:41:19Z")

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If I have some data which I want to be displayed as rectangular boxes which contain a name, what is a good way of doing this?  
Specifically these are rack diagrams - which are normally displayed in Visio or indeed Excel as a set of rectangular boxes in rows - usually 42 rows for a normal rack heigh, but up to 48

My idea is to display these in a Pluto notebook and be able to reactively change the display as the servers and switches in the rack are changed.

Aha: this seems to be available in Python  
[http://blockdiag.com/en/nwdiag/rackdiag-examples.html](http://blockdiag.com/en/nwdiag/rackdiag-examples.html)

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**Author:** ![oxinabox](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/oxinabox/32/206603_2.png) [@oxinabox](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/oxinabox)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 11:28am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/displaying-rack-diagrams-in-pluto-or-in-general-really/53775/2 "2021-01-22T11:28:24Z")

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This kind of thing is not to hard with either Composte.jl or Luxor.  
Both of which should display fine in Pluto etc.

> **[GitHub - GiovineItalia/Compose.jl: Declarative vector graphics](https://github.com/GiovineItalia/Compose.jl)**
>
> Declarative vector graphics. Contribute to GiovineItalia/Compose.jl development by creating an account on GitHub.

> **[GitHub - JuliaGraphics/Luxor.jl: Simple drawings using vector graphics; Cairo...](https://github.com/JuliaGraphics/Luxor.jl)**
>
> Simple drawings using vector graphics; Cairo "for tourists!" - GitHub - JuliaGraphics/Luxor.jl: Simple drawings using vector graphics; Cairo "for tourists!"

Would be a neat little library to make.

Other cool way to do it would be to write a Plots.jl recipe.

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**Author:** ![johnh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/johnh/32/3615_2.png) [@johnh](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/johnh)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 12:21pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/displaying-rack-diagrams-in-pluto-or-in-general-really/53775/3 "2021-01-22T12:21:30Z")

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Thankyou @oxinabox I looked at the Plots recipes - that would seem the way to go.  
I will first look at the other packages, being a lazy so and so!