Histogram using JavaFX

Question

Hi all,
Kindly guide me how to create histogram in JavaFX ?
is it possible to do it using BarChart? how to label the bin edges (ticks)?
Thanks,
Gunjan

Answer 1

Download the JDK 8 samples.
Find and run the JavaFX 8 Ensemble application within the sample.
Try out the audio bar chart in the application.
See if the audio bar chart gives you the information you need to build your chart.
The source for all of the sample application in Ensemble is included with the Ensemble application (under BSD license).
Here is the replicated source of the main application for convenience.
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package ensemble.samples.charts.bar.audio; 
import javafx.application.Application;
import javafx.scene.Parent;
import javafx.scene.Scene;
import javafx.scene.chart.BarChart;
import javafx.scene.chart.CategoryAxis;
import javafx.scene.chart.NumberAxis;
import javafx.scene.chart.XYChart;
import javafx.scene.media.AudioSpectrumListener;
import javafx.scene.media.Media;
import javafx.scene.media.MediaPlayer;
import javafx.stage.Stage;
* Bar chart that shows audio spectrum of a music file being played.
public class AudioBarChartApp extends Application {
    private XYChart.Data<String, Number>[] series1Data;
    private AudioSpectrumListener audioSpectrumListener;
    private static final String AUDIO_URI = System.getProperty("demo.audio.url",
            "http://download.oracle.com/otndocs/products/javafx/oow2010-2.flv");
    private MediaPlayer audioMediaPlayer;
    private static final boolean PLAY_AUDIO = Boolean.parseBoolean(
            System.getProperty("demo.play.audio", "true"));
    public AudioBarChartApp() {
        audioSpectrumListener = (double timestamp, double duration, float[] magnitudes, float[] phases) -> {
            for (int i = 0; i < series1Data.length; i++) {
                series1Data[i].setYValue(magnitudes[i] + 60);
    public void play() {
        this.startAudio();
    @Override
    public void stop() {
        this.stopAudio();
    public Parent createContent() {
        final CategoryAxis xAxis = new CategoryAxis();
        final NumberAxis yAxis = new NumberAxis(0, 50, 10);
        final BarChart<String, Number> bc = new BarChart<>(xAxis, yAxis);
        bc.getStylesheets().add(AudioBarChartApp.class.getResource("AudioBarChart.css").toExternalForm());
        bc.setLegendVisible(false);
        bc.setAnimated(false);
        bc.setBarGap(0);
        bc.setCategoryGap(1);
        bc.setVerticalGridLinesVisible(false);
        // setup chart
        bc.setTitle("Live Audio Spectrum Data");
        xAxis.setLabel("Frequency Bands");
        yAxis.setLabel("Magnitudes");
        yAxis.setTickLabelFormatter(new NumberAxis.DefaultFormatter(yAxis, null, "dB"));
        // add starting data
        XYChart.Series<String, Number> series1 = new XYChart.Series<>();
        series1.setName("Data Series 1");
        //noinspection unchecked
        series1Data = new XYChart.Data[128];
        String[] categories = new String[128];
        for (int i = 0; i < series1Data.length; i++) {
            categories[i] = Integer.toString(i + 1);
            series1Data[i] = new XYChart.Data<String, Number>(categories[i], 50);
            series1.getData().add(series1Data[i]);
        bc.getData().add(series1);
        return bc;
    private void startAudio() {
        if (PLAY_AUDIO) {
            getAudioMediaPlayer()
                    .setAudioSpectrumListener(audioSpectrumListener);
            getAudioMediaPlayer().play();
    private void stopAudio() {
        if (getAudioMediaPlayer().getAudioSpectrumListener() == audioSpectrumListener) {
            getAudioMediaPlayer().pause();
    private MediaPlayer getAudioMediaPlayer() {
        if (audioMediaPlayer == null) {
            Media audioMedia = new Media(AUDIO_URI);
            audioMediaPlayer = new MediaPlayer(audioMedia);
            audioMediaPlayer.setCycleCount(MediaPlayer.INDEFINITE);
        return audioMediaPlayer;
    @Override
    public void start(Stage primaryStage) throws Exception {
        primaryStage.setScene(new Scene(createContent()));
        primaryStage.show();
        play();
     * Java main for when running without JavaFX launcher
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        launch(args);
AudioBarChart.css
.chart-bar { 
    -fx-background-color: #69de01;
    -fx-background-insets: 0;
    -fx-background-radius: 0;
.data0.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #69de01; }
.data1.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #69de01; }
.data2.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #69de01; }
.data3.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #69de01; }
.data4.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #69de01; }
.data5.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #69de01; }
.data6.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #69de01; }
.data7.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #69de01; }
.data8.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #75e101; }
.data9.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #75e101; }
.data10.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #75e101; }
.data11.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #75e101; }
.data12.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #75e101; }
.data13.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #75e101; }
.data14.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #75e101; }
.data15.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #75e101; }
.data16.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #86e701; }
.data17.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #86e701; }
.data18.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #86e701; }
.data19.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #86e701; }
.data20.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #86e701; }
.data21.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #86e701; }
.data22.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #86e701; }
.data23.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #86e701; }
.data24.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #9aee01; }
.data25.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #9aee01; }
.data26.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #9aee01; }
.data27.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #9aee01; }
.data28.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #9aee01; }
.data29.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #9aee01; }
.data30.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #9aee01; }
.data31.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #9aee01; }
.data32.chart-bar { -fx-background-color: #b0f000; }