Apache ECharts 5 Upgrade Guide

This guide is for those who want to upgrade from echarts 4.x (hereafter v4) to echarts 5.x (hereafter v5). You can find out what new features v5 brings that are worth upgrading in New Features in ECharts 5. In most cases, developers won't need to do anything extra for this upgrade, as echarts has always tried to keep the API as stable and backward-compatible as possible. However, v5 still brings some breaking changes that require special attention. In addition, in some cases, v5 provides a better API to replace the previous one, and these superseded APIs will no longer be recommended (though we have tried to be as compatible as possible with these changes). We'll try to explain these changes in detail in this document.

Breaking Changes

Default Theme

First of all, the default theme has been changed. v5 has made a lot of changes and optimizations on the theme design. If you still want to keep the colors of the old version, you can manually declare the colors as follows.

chart.setOption({
  color: [
    '#c23531',
    '#2f4554',
    '#61a0a8',
    '#d48265',
    '#91c7ae',
    '#749f83',
    '#ca8622',
    '#bda29a',
    '#6e7074',
    '#546570',
    '#c4ccd3'
  ]
  // ...
});

Or, to make a simple v4 theme.

var themeEC4 = {
  color: [
    '#c23531',
    '#2f4554',
    '#61a0a8',
    '#d48265',
    '#91c7ae',
    '#749f83',
    '#ca8622',
    '#bda29a',
    '#6e7074',
    '#546570',
    '#c4ccd3'
  ]
};
var chart = echarts.init(dom, themeEC4);
chart.setOption(/* ... */);

Importing ECharts

Removing Support for Default Exports

Since v5, echarts only provides named exports.

So if you are importing echarts like this:

import echarts from 'echarts';
// Or import core module
import echarts from 'echarts/lib/echarts';

It will throw error in v5. You need to change the code as follows to import the entire module.

import * as echarts from 'echarts';
// Or
import * as echarts from 'echarts/lib/echarts';

Tree-shaking API

In 5.0.1, we introduced the new tree-shaking API

import * as echarts from 'echarts/core';
import { BarChart } from 'echarts/charts';
import { GridComponent } from 'echarts/components';
// Note that the Canvas renderer is no longer included by default and needs to be imported explictly, or import the SVGRenderer if you need to use the SVG rendering mode
import { CanvasRenderer } from 'echarts/renderers';

echarts.use([BarChart, GridComponent, CanvasRenderer]);

To make it easier for you to know which modules you need to import based on your option, our new example page adds a new feature to generate the three-shakable code, you can check the Full Code tab on the example page to see the modules you need to introduce and the related code.

In most cases, we recommend using the new tree-shaking interface whenever possible, as it maximizes the power of the packaging tool tree-shaking and effectively resolves namespace conflicts and prevents the exposure of internal structures. If you are still using the CommonJS method of writing modules, the previous approach is still supported:

const echarts = require('echarts/lib/echarts');
require('echarts/lib/chart/bar');
require('echarts/lib/component/grid');

Second, because our source code has been rewritten using TypeScript, v5 will no longer support importing files from echarts/src. You need to change it to import from echarts/lib.

Dependency Changes

Note: This section is only for developers who use tree-shaking interfaces to ensure a minimal bundle size, not for those who imports the whole package.

In order to keep the size of the bundle small enough, we remove some dependencies that would have been imported by default. For example, as mentioned above, when using the new on-demand interface, CanvasRenderer is no longer included by default, which ensures that unneeded Canvas rendering code is not imported when only SVG rendering mode is used, and in addition, the following dependencies are adjusted.

The right-angle coordinate system component is no longer introduced by default when using line charts and bar charts, so the following introduction method was used before

const echarts = require('echarts/lib/echarts');
require('echarts/lib/chart/bar');
require('echarts/lib/chart/line');

Need to introduce the grid component separately again

require('echarts/lib/component/grid');

Reference issues: #14080, #13764

aria components are no longer imported by default. You need import it manually if necessary.

import { AriaComponent } from 'echarts/components';
echarts.use(AriaComponent);

require('echarts/lib/component/aria');

Built-in GeoJSON Removed

v5 removes the built-in geoJSON (previously in the echarts/map folder). These geoJSON files were always sourced from third parties. If users still need them, they can go get them from the old version, or find more appropriate data and register it with ECharts via the registerMap interface.

Browser Compatibility

IE8 is no longer supported by v5. We no longer maintain and upgrade the previous VML renderer for IE8 compatibility. If developers have a strong need for a VML renderer, they are welcome to submit a pull request to upgrade the VML renderer or maintain a separate third-party VML renderer, as we support registration of standalone renderers starting with v5.0.1.

Configuration Item Adjustment

Axis-Line and Axis-Tick of Y-Axis (Value Axis) Are Hidden by Default

The axis line and axis ticks of the Y axis (value axis) has been hidden by default since v5. If you prefer the previous style, you will need to explicitly configure as follows,

yAxis: {
  type: 'value',
  // explicitly set `axisLine.show` & `axisTick.show` as `true`
  axisLine: {
    show: true
  },
  axisTick: {
    show: true
  }
}

Visual Style Settings Priority Changes

The priority of the visuals between visualMap component and itemStyle | lineStyle | areaStyle are reversed since v5.

That is, previously in v4, the visuals (i.e., color, symbol, symbolSize, ...) that generated by visualMap component has the highest priority, which will overwrite the same visuals settings in itemStyle | lineStyle | areaStyle. That brought troubles when needing to specify specific style to some certain data items while using visualMap component. Since v5, the visuals specified in itemStyle | lineStyle | areaStyle has the highest priority.

In most cases, users will probably not notice this change when migrating from v4 to v5. But users can still check that if visualMap component and itemStyle | lineStyle | areaStyle are both specified.

`padding` for Rich Text

v5 adjusts the rich.?.padding to make it more compliant with CSS specifications. In v4, for example rich. .padding: [11, 22, 33, 44] means that padding-top is 33 and padding-bottom is 11. The position of the top and bottom is adjusted in v5, rich. .padding: [11, 22, 33, 44] means that padding-top is 11 and padding-bottom is 33.

If the user is using rich.?.padding, this order needs to be adjusted.

Extensions

These extensions need to be upgraded to new version to support echarts v5:

Deprecated APIs

Some of the API and echarts options are deprecated since v5, but are still backward compatible. Users can keep using these deprecated API, with only some warning will be printed to console in dev mode. But if users have spare time, it is recommended to upgraded to new API for the consideration of long term maintenance.

The deprecated API and their corresponding new API are listed as follows:

Transform related props of a graphic element are changed:
- Changes:
  - position: [number, number] are changed to x: number/y: number.
  - scale: [number, number] are changed to scaleX: number/scaleY: number.
  - origin: [number, number] are changed to originX: number/originY: number.
- The position, scale and origin are still supported but deprecated.
- It effects these places:
  - In the graphic components: the declarations of each element.
  - In custom series: the declarations of each element in the return of renderItem.
  - Directly use zrender graphic elements.
Text related props on graphic elements are changed:
- Changes:
  - The declaration of attached text (or say, rect text) are changed.
    - Prop style.text are deprecated in elements except Text. Instead, Prop set textContent and textConfig are provided to support more powerful capabilities.
    - These related props at the left part below are deprecated. Use the right part below instead.
      - textPosition => textConfig.position
      - textOffset => textConfig.offset
      - textRotation => textConfig.rotation
      - textDistance => textConfig.distance
  - The props at the left part below are deprecated in style and style.rich.?. Use the props at the right part below instead.
    - textFill => fill
    - textStroke => stroke
    - textFont => font
    - textStrokeWidth => lineWidth
    - textAlign => align
    - textVerticalAlign => verticalAlign
    - textLineHeight => lineHeight
    - textWidth => width
    - textHeight => hight
    - textBackgroundColor => backgroundColor
    - textPadding => padding
    - textBorderColor => borderColor
    - textBorderWidth => borderWidth
    - textBorderRadius => borderRadius
    - textBoxShadowColor => shadowColor
    - textBoxShadowBlur => shadowBlur
    - textBoxShadowOffsetX => shadowOffsetX
    - textBoxShadowOffsetY => shadowOffsetY
  - Note: these props are not changed:
    - textShadowColor
    - textShadowBlur
    - textShadowOffsetX
    - textShadowOffsetY
- It effects these places:
  - In the graphic components: the declarations of each element. [compat, but not accurately the same in some complicated cases.]
  - In custom series: the declarations of each element in the return of renderItem. [compat, but not accurately the same in some complicated cases].
  - Directly use zrender API to create graphic elements. [No compat, breaking change].
API on chart instance:
- chart.one(...) is deprecated.
label:
- In props color, textBorderColor, backgroundColor and borderColor, the value 'auto' is deprecated. Use the value 'inherit' instead.
hoverAnimation:
- option series.hoverAnimation is deprecated. Use series.emphasis.scale instead.
line series:
- option series.clipOverflow is deprecated. Use series.clip instead.
custom series:
- In renderItem, the api.style(...) and api.styleEmphasis(...) are deprecated. Because it is not really necessary and hard to ensure backward compatibility. Users can fetch system designated visual by api.visual(...).
sunburst series:
- Action type highlight is deprecated. Use sunburstHighlight instead.
- Action type downplay is deprecated. Use sunburstUnhighlight instead.
- option series.downplay is deprecated. Use series.blur instead.
- option series.highlightPolicy is deprecated. Use series.emphasis.focus instead.
pie series:
- The action type at the left part below are deprecated. Use the right part instead:
  - pieToggleSelect => toggleSelect
  - pieSelect => select
  - pieUnSelect => unselect
- The event type at the left part below are deprecated. Use the right part instead:
  - pieselectchanged => selectchanged
  - pieselected => selected
  - pieunselected => unselected
- option series.label.margin is deprecated. Use series.label.edgeDistance instead.
- option series.clockWise is deprecated. Use series.clockwise instead.
- option series.hoverOffset is deprecated. Use series.emphasis.scaleSize instead.
map series:
- The action type at the left part below are deprecated. Use the right part instead:
  - mapToggleSelect => toggleSelect
  - mapSelect => select
  - mapUnSelect => unselect
- The event type at the left part below are deprecated. Use the right part instead:
  - mapselectchanged => selectchanged
  - mapselected => selected
  - mapunselected => unselected
- option series.mapType is deprecated. Use series.map instead.
- option series.mapLocation is deprecated.
graph series:
- option series.focusNodeAdjacency is deprecated. Use series.emphasis: { focus: 'adjacency'} instead.
gauge series:
- option series.clockWise is deprecated. Use series.clockwise instead.
- option series.hoverOffset is deprecated. Use series.emphasis.scaleSize instead.
dataZoom component:
- option dataZoom.handleIcon need prefix path:// if using SVGPath.
radar:
- option radar.name is deprecated. Use radar.axisName instead.
- option radar.nameGap is deprecated. Use radar.axisNameGap instead.
Parse and format:
- echarts.format.formatTime is deprecated. Use echarts.time.format instead.
- echarts.number.parseDate is deprecated. Use echarts.time.parse instead.
- echarts.format.getTextRect is deprecated.