Visualization
This section explains how to visualize your data with deck.gl
In the previous key concepts sections, you've seen how CARTO connects to an external data warehouse; APIs are the only elements in the CARTO platform to access your data.
In order to visualize a geospatial dataset we need a client-side library to render the data inside your data warehouse. This library performs requests against the Maps API to fetch the data and visualize it in the browser using WebGL.
CARTO uses the open-source library deck.gl to visualize your data. In order to manage the integration between the CARTO platform and deck.gl, a submodule @deck.gl/carto is made available. You can learn how to visualize your data within the Quickstart section.
Using deck.gl with Javascript Frameworks
The @deck.gl/carto module can be used from any JavaScript application.
You're free to choose your favorite Javascript framework (such as Angular, Vue, React, etc.), you only need to install/use @deck.gl/carto as a dependency and start using it.
React
If you're a React user and you're building your application from scratch, we recommend using CARTO for React. It's an application template made to speed up development times with the CARTO platform and React.
In general, we don't recommend using 'CARTO for React' if you already have an existing application developed with React. CARTO for React is a template that defines the structure of your project and if you already have an app, you already have the structure.
Base Maps
deck.gl allows you to visualize the data in your warehouse, but it doesn't give to you a map with contextual information (like streets, roads, restaurants, cities, rivers, etc.).
CARTO is Base Maps agnostic and lets its customers decide which client technology to use. The following options are available:
CARTO Base Map. The default option, with no extra charge.
Mapbox.
All our examples include an example using the CARTO base map, so you will see how to use it within the Quickstart section. If you want to have more info about base maps, click here.
Typescript support
We recommend using Typescript when building your apps. You can find more info about this here.
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