Dashboard Usage¶

The interactive dashboard lets you explore emoji usage patterns through visualizations and filters.

Launching the Dashboard¶

Single Database¶

View data from one source:

emoji-explore data/emojis.sql

Multiple Databases¶

Combine and compare data from multiple sources:

emoji-explore data/signal.sql data/whatsapp.sql

When multiple databases are provided, chat names are automatically suffixed with the database filename to distinguish sources:

• John Doe (signal)
• Alice (whatsapp)

Options¶

Accessing the Dashboard¶

After launching, open your browser to:

http://127.0.0.1:8050

Or use the custom port:

emoji-explore data/emojis.sql --port 3000
# Open http://127.0.0.1:3000

Chart Types¶

Bar Chart¶

Shows the total count for each emoji.

• Each bar represents one emoji
• Height indicates frequency
• Colors distinguish different emojis
• Hover to see exact counts

Best for: Comparing popularity of different emojis

Pie Chart¶

Shows the proportional distribution of emoji usage.

• Each slice represents one emoji
• Size shows relative frequency
• Labels show emoji, count, and percentage
• Hover for detailed information

Best for: Understanding emoji distribution and proportions

Time Series¶

Shows cumulative emoji usage over time.

• X-axis: Time (message timestamps)
• Y-axis: Cumulative count
• One line per emoji
• Bold black line shows total across all emojis
• Legend sorted by final cumulative count

Best for: Tracking emoji usage growth and trends

Filters¶

User Filter¶

Select a specific user or view everyone's emojis.

• Default: "Everyone"
• Updates chart to show only that user's emojis
• When changed, chat filter updates to show only chats where that user has messages

Tip: If "You" is in the list, it appears at the top for quick access.

Chat Filter¶

Select a specific chat or view all chats.

• Default: "All Chats"
• Updates chart to show only emojis from that chat
• When changed, user filter updates to show only users in that chat

Dynamic Filtering¶

Filters update dynamically based on each other:

1. Select a user → Chat dropdown shows only chats where that user participated
2. Select a chat → User dropdown shows only users in that chat
3. Select "Everyone" or "All Chats" to reset

This makes it easy to drill down into specific conversations or users.

Interactive Controls¶

Show All / Hide All Buttons¶

Toggle visibility of all emojis at once:

• Show All: Make all emoji traces visible
• Hide All: Hide all emoji traces (legendonly mode)

Available on bar charts and time series.

Note: Due to a Plotly limitation, these buttons don't work correctly for pie charts.

Legend Interactions¶

Click on legend entries to:

• Single click: Toggle that emoji's visibility
• Works on all chart types
• Hidden emojis are grayed out in the legend

Hover Information¶

Hover over any data point to see:

• Bar/Pie: Emoji, count, and percentage
• Time series: Date, emoji, and cumulative count

Tips and Tricks¶

Comparing Platforms¶

Use multiple databases to compare Signal vs WhatsApp usage:

emoji-explore data/signal.sql data/whatsapp.sql

Chat names will be suffixed (e.g., "Alice (signal)", "Alice (whatsapp)") to distinguish between platforms.

Finding Active Periods¶

Use the time series chart to identify:

• Periods of high emoji usage
• When specific emojis became popular
• Overall message activity trends

User Analysis¶

1. Select "Time Series" chart type
2. Choose a specific user from the user filter
3. See that user's emoji usage evolution

Chat Comparison¶

1. Select "Bar Chart" or "Pie Chart"
2. Choose "Everyone" for users
3. Switch between different chats to compare emoji preferences