# Error in updating histogram using Textbox in GLMakie

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-updating-histogram-using-textbox-in-glmakie/132891>\
**Category:** Visualization\
**Tags:** plotting, makie\
**Created:** [October 5, 2025, 4:20pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-updating-histogram-using-textbox-in-glmakie/132891 "2025-10-05T16:20:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GSavvidis](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/gsavvidis/32/207145_2.png) [@GSavvidis](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/GSavvidis)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2025, 4:20pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-updating-histogram-using-textbox-in-glmakie/132891/1 "2025-10-05T16:20:15Z")

</div>

Hello,

I am trying to use the Textbox option with GLMakie for histograms and in particular to change the binning of the data. Here’s the code I’m using:

```julia-auto
using GLMakie
using FHist

fig = Figure()

tb = Textbox(fig, placeholder = "Enter binedges",
     tellwidth = false)     

fig[1,1] = vgrid!(
    Label(fig, "Binedges", width=nothing),
    tb;
    tellheight=false
)

X = randn(1000)
binedges_obs = Observable(-10:1:10)
h = @lift(Hist1D(X, binedges=$binedges_obs))
hist(fig[1,2], h)

# input binedges
on(tb.stored_string) do s
    # convert binedges from string into StepRange
    prs = parse.(Int, split(s,":"))
    start = prs[1]
    step = prs[2]
    stop = prs[3]
    binedges_obs[] = StepRange(start, step, stop)
end

fig

```

When I execute the code, it works normally. However, as soon as I try a different binning in the textbox, I get the following error:

```julia-auto
julia> Error in callback:
DimensionMismatch: arrays could not be broadcast to a common size; got a dimension with lengths 10 and 20
Stacktrace:
  [1] _bcs1
    @ .\broadcast.jl:555 [inlined]
  [2] _bcs
    @ .\broadcast.jl:549 [inlined]
  [3] broadcast_shape
    @ .\broadcast.jl:543 [inlined]
  [4] combine_axes
    @ .\broadcast.jl:524 [inlined]
  [5] instantiate
    @ .\broadcast.jl:306 [inlined]
  [6] materialize
    @ .\broadcast.jl:903 [inlined]
  [7] compute_x_and_width(x::Vector{Float64}, width::Vector{Float64}, gap::Int64, dodge::Makie.Automatic, n_dodge::Makie.Automatic, dodge_gap::Float64)
    @ Makie C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\Makie\4JW9B\src\basic_recipes\barplot.jl:115
  [8] (::Makie.var"#calculate_bars#892"{Observable{Vector{ColorTypes.RGBA{Float32}}}, Observable{Vector{Vec{2, Float64}}}, Observable{Vector{Vec{2, Float64}}}, Observable{Vector{Tuple{Union{String, LaTeXStrings.LaTeXString}, Point{2, Float64}}}}})(xy::Vector{Point{2, Float64}}, fillto::Float64, offset::Float64, transformation::Tuple{typeof(identity), typeof(identity)}, width::Vector{Float64}, dodge::Makie.Automatic, n_dodge::Makie.Automatic, gap::Int64, dodge_gap::Float64, stack::Makie.Automatic, dir::Symbol, bar_labels::Nothing, flip_labels_at::Float64, label_color::Symbol, color_over_background::Makie.Automatic, color_over_bar::Makie.Automatic, label_formatter::typeof(Makie.bar_label_formatter), label_offset::Int64, label_rotation::Float64, label_align::Makie.Automatic, label_position::Symbol)  
    @ Makie C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\Makie\4JW9B\src\basic_recipes\barplot.jl:296
  [9] invokelatest(::Any, ::Any, ::Vararg{Any}; kwargs::@Kwargs{})
    @ Base .\essentials.jl:892
 [10] invokelatest(::Any, ::Any, ::Vararg{Any})
    @ Base .\essentials.jl:889
 [11] (::Observables.MapCallback)(value::Any)
    @ Observables C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\Observables\YdEbO\src\Observables.jl:436
 [12] #invokelatest#2
    @ .\essentials.jl:892 [inlined]
 [13] invokelatest
    @ .\essentials.jl:889 [inlined]
 [14] notify
    @ C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\Observables\YdEbO\src\Observables.jl:206 [inlined]
 [15] (::ComputePipeline.var"#37#38"{ComputePipeline.ComputeGraph})(changeset::Set{Symbol})
    @ ComputePipeline C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\ComputePipeline\03tW7\src\ComputePipeline.jl:351
 [16] #invokelatest#2
    @ .\essentials.jl:892 [inlined]
 [17] invokelatest
    @ .\essentials.jl:889 [inlined]
 [18] notify
    @ C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\Observables\YdEbO\src\Observables.jl:206 [inlined]
 [19] foreach(f::typeof(notify), itr::Vector{Observable})
    @ Base .\abstractarray.jl:3098
 [20] #39
    @ C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\ComputePipeline\03tW7\src\ComputePipeline.jl:501 [inlined]      
 [21] lock(f::ComputePipeline.var"#39#40"{ComputePipeline.ComputeGraph, Symbol, Hist1D{Float64}}, l::ReentrantLock)
    @ Base .\lock.jl:229
 [22] setproperty!
    @ C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\ComputePipeline\03tW7\src\ComputePipeline.jl:499 [inlined]      
 [23] (::ComputePipeline.var"#57#58"{ComputePipeline.ComputeGraph, Symbol})(new_val::Hist1D{Float64})
    @ ComputePipeline C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\ComputePipeline\03tW7\src\ComputePipeline.jl:783
 [24] #invokelatest#2
    @ .\essentials.jl:892 [inlined]
 [25] invokelatest
    @ .\essentials.jl:889 [inlined]
 [26] notify
    @ C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\Observables\YdEbO\src\Observables.jl:206 [inlined]
 [27] setindex!(observable::Observable, val::Any)
    @ Observables C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\Observables\YdEbO\src\Observables.jl:123
 [28] (::Observables.MapCallback)(value::Any)
    @ Observables C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\Observables\YdEbO\src\Observables.jl:436
 [29] #invokelatest#2
    @ .\essentials.jl:892 [inlined]
 [30] invokelatest
    @ .\essentials.jl:889 [inlined]
 [31] notify
    @ C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\Observables\YdEbO\src\Observables.jl:206 [inlined]
 [32] setindex!(observable::Observable, val::Any)
    @ Observables C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\Observables\YdEbO\src\Observables.jl:123
 [33] (::var"#17#18")(s::String)
    @ Main c:\Users\georg\OneDrive\Documents\NEWSG\SPCAnalysisTools\scripts\test.jl:27
 [34] #invokelatest#2
    @ .\essentials.jl:892 [inlined]
 [35] invokelatest
    @ .\essentials.jl:889 [inlined]
 [36] notify
    @ C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\Observables\YdEbO\src\Observables.jl:206 [inlined]
 [37] setindex!(observable::Observable, val::Any)
    @ Observables C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\Observables\YdEbO\src\Observables.jl:123
 [38] (::Makie.var"#2836#2863"{Textbox, Makie.var"#cursor_backward#2862"{Observable{Int64}}, Makie.var"#cursor_forward#2861"{Textbox, Observable{Int64}}, Makie.var"#removechar!#2858"{Textbox, Observable{Vector{Char}}, Observable{Int64}}, Makie.var"#insertchar!#2856"{Textbox, Observable{Vector{Char}}, Observable{Int64}}, Observable{Bool}, Observable{Int64}, Scene})(event::Makie.KeyEvent)
    @ Makie C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\Makie\4JW9B\src\makielayout\blocks\textbox.jl:293
 [39] #invokelatest#2
    @ .\essentials.jl:892 [inlined]
 [40] invokelatest
    @ .\essentials.jl:889 [inlined]
 [41] notify
    @ C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\Observables\YdEbO\src\Observables.jl:206 [inlined]
 [42] setindex!
    @ C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\Observables\YdEbO\src\Observables.jl:123 [inlined]
 [43] (::GLMakie.var"#keyoardbuttons#153"{Observable{Makie.KeyEvent}})(window::GLFW.Window, button::GLFW.Key, scancode::Int32, action::GLFW.Action, mods::Int32)
    @ GLMakie C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\GLMakie\6el3D\src\events.jl:118
 [44] _KeyCallbackWrapper(window::GLFW.Window, key::GLFW.Key, scancode::Int32, action::GLFW.Action, mods::Int32)
    @ GLFW C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\GLFW\Zwulj\src\callback.jl:46
 [45] macro expansion
    @ C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\GLFW\Zwulj\src\GLFW.jl:34 [inlined]
 [46] PollEvents
    @ C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\GLFW\Zwulj\src\glfw3.jl:753 [inlined]
 [47] pollevents(screen::GLMakie.Screen{GLFW.Window}, frame_state::Makie.TickState)
    @ GLMakie C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\GLMakie\6el3D\src\screen.jl:559
 [48] (::GLMakie.var"#96#97"{GLMakie.Screen{GLFW.Window}})()
    @ GLMakie C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\GLMakie\6el3D\src\screen.jl:1092
 [49] with_context(f::GLMakie.var"#96#97"{GLMakie.Screen{GLFW.Window}}, context::GLFW.Window)        
    @ GLMakie.GLAbstraction C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\GLMakie\6el3D\src\GLAbstraction\GLAbstraction.jl:59
 [50] on_demand_renderloop(screen::GLMakie.Screen{GLFW.Window})
    @ GLMakie C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\GLMakie\6el3D\src\screen.jl:1091
 [51] renderloop(screen::GLMakie.Screen{GLFW.Window})
    @ GLMakie C:\Users\georg\.julia\packages\GLMakie\6el3D\src\screen.jl:1119

```

In the particular case, I tried to change the binning by putting in the textbox -5:1:5.  
I observed though that if the new binning produces same number of bins, I don’t get an error but I don’t see any change in the histogram either.

Could you please help?

Thanks

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/41988e/32.png) [@jules](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/jules)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2025, 9:02am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-updating-histogram-using-textbox-in-glmakie/132891/2 "2025-10-06T09:02:17Z")

</div>

Is that on Makie 0.24 or older than that? Because updating to data of other shapes should in general be more reliable on 0.24.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GSavvidis](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/gsavvidis/32/207145_2.png) [@GSavvidis](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/GSavvidis)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2025, 9:58am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-updating-histogram-using-textbox-in-glmakie/132891/3 "2025-10-06T09:58:14Z")

</div>

It’s on Makie 0.24.6 and the GLMakie is 0.13.6

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/41988e/32.png) [@jules](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/jules)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2025, 10:08am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-updating-histogram-using-textbox-in-glmakie/132891/4 "2025-10-06T10:08:42Z")

</div>

Looks like `barplot` is not yet updated fully to the compute graph, your error appears in this `lift` statement [Makie.jl/Makie/src/basic\_recipes/barplot.jl at 10d65fd67bb269ea96c6748d754fd3544bb3051c · MakieOrg/Makie.jl · GitHub](https://github.com/MakieOrg/Makie.jl/blob/10d65fd67bb269ea96c6748d754fd3544bb3051c/Makie/src/basic_recipes/barplot.jl#L380-L384)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GSavvidis](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/gsavvidis/32/207145_2.png) [@GSavvidis](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/GSavvidis)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2025, 10:28am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-updating-histogram-using-textbox-in-glmakie/132891/5 "2025-10-06T10:28:37Z")

</div>

tracking it back, it looks like the problem happens in [Makie.jl/Makie/src/basic\_recipes/barplot.jl at 10d65fd67bb269ea96c6748d754fd3544bb3051c · MakieOrg/Makie.jl · GitHub](https://github.com/MakieOrg/Makie.jl/blob/10d65fd67bb269ea96c6748d754fd3544bb3051c/Makie/src/basic_recipes/barplot.jl#L144) and in particular during broadcasting in the ` return x .+ width .* shifts, width * dodge_width` statement.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/41988e/32.png) [@jules](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/jules)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2025, 10:31am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-updating-histogram-using-textbox-in-glmakie/132891/6 "2025-10-06T10:31:23Z")

</div>

yes because the `lift` runs once the first observable is updated, when it’s moved over to compute pipeline the update of all attributes should happen synchronously when the backend requests it.

You could try and see if changing to a compute graph update fixes things, you can look at other recipes in Makie to see how that works, for example here [Makie.jl/Makie/src/basic\_recipes/error\_and\_rangebars.jl at 10d65fd67bb269ea96c6748d754fd3544bb3051c · MakieOrg/Makie.jl · GitHub](https://github.com/MakieOrg/Makie.jl/blob/10d65fd67bb269ea96c6748d754fd3544bb3051c/Makie/src/basic_recipes/error_and_rangebars.jl#L162-L182)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GSavvidis](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/gsavvidis/32/207145_2.png) [@GSavvidis](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/GSavvidis)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2025, 8:04am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-updating-histogram-using-textbox-in-glmakie/132891/7 "2025-10-07T08:04:01Z")

</div>

I see. Ok I’ll try it  
Thanks