mkdocs-graph-view 0.2.0

A MkDocs plugin for creating interactive graph visualizations of page connections

MkDocs Graph View

A MkDocs plugin that creates interactive graph visualizations of page connections, inspired by Quartz. Visualize your documentation structure with beautiful, interactive network graphs powered by D3.js.

Features

• 🎯 Mini Graph View: Shows connected pages in the sidebar (or bottom on mobile)
• 🌐 Full Graph View: Expandable overlay showing the entire documentation graph
• 🎨 Material Theme Integration: Seamlessly integrates with Material for MkDocs
• 📱 Responsive Design: Automatically adapts to mobile and desktop layouts
• ⚙️ Highly Configurable: Customize physics simulation, visual appearance, and interactions
• 🏷️ Tag Support: Display tags as separate nodes in the graph (like Quartz)
• 🌓 Dark Mode: Full support for light and dark themes
• ⚡ Performance: Efficient BFS-based filtering for large documentation sites

Installation

Install the plugin using pip:

pip install mkdocs-graph-view

Quick Start

Add the plugin to your mkdocs.yml:

plugins:
  - search
  - graph-view

That's it! The plugin will automatically:

• Create a mini graph in the sidebar showing connected pages
• Add an expand button to view the full graph
• Highlight the current page in the graph

Configuration

Basic Configuration

plugins:
  - graph-view:
      enabled: true
      local_graph_depth: 1  # Show connections up to 1 level deep

Advanced Configuration

plugins:
  - graph-view:
      enabled: true

      # Graph depth
      local_graph_depth: 2              # Show 2 levels of connections in sidebar

      # Global graph
      global_graph: true                # Enable full-screen graph overlay

      # Physics simulation
      repel_force: 1.0                  # Node repulsion (higher = more spread)
      center_force: 0.2                 # Pull to center (lower = less centering)
      link_distance: 50                 # Distance between connected nodes

      # Visual settings
      scale: 1.1                        # Overall scale
      font_size: 10                     # Label font size
      show_tags: false                  # Show tags as separate nodes

      # Interaction
      enable_drag: true                 # Allow dragging nodes
      enable_zoom: true                 # Allow zoom and pan
      focus_on_hover: true              # Highlight connections on hover

Configuration Options

Option	Type	Default	Description
enabled	bool	true	Enable/disable the plugin
local_graph_depth	int	1	Number of connection levels to show in mini graph
global_graph	bool	true	Enable full-screen graph view
repel_force	float	1.0	Node repulsion strength (0.5-2.0 recommended)
center_force	float	0.2	Centering force strength (0.1-0.5 recommended)
link_distance	int	50	Pixel distance between connected nodes
scale	float	1.1	Overall graph scale
font_size	int	10	Font size for node labels
show_tags	bool	false	Display tags as separate nodes in graph view
enable_drag	bool	true	Allow dragging nodes
enable_zoom	bool	true	Allow zooming and panning
focus_on_hover	bool	true	Highlight connections on hover

Usage Examples

For Small Documentation Sites (< 50 pages)

plugins:
  - graph-view:
      local_graph_depth: 3              # Can afford deeper depth
      repel_force: 0.5
      link_distance: 30
      focus_on_hover: true

For Large Documentation Sites (> 100 pages)

plugins:
  - graph-view:
      local_graph_depth: 1              # Keep it fast
      repel_force: 0.8                  # More spread
      center_force: 0.2
      link_distance: 50
      font_size: 8                      # Smaller labels
      focus_on_hover: false             # Disable for performance

For Knowledge Base with Tags

plugins:
  - tags                                # Enable tags plugin first
  - graph-view:
      local_graph_depth: 2
      show_tags: true                   # Show tags as separate nodes
      font_size: 11                     # Larger for readability
      focus_on_hover: true

Mobile-Optimized

plugins:
  - graph-view:
      local_graph_depth: 1
      enable_drag: true                 # Touch drag works well
      enable_zoom: true                 # Pinch zoom
      font_size: 12                     # Larger for mobile
      focus_on_hover: false             # Better for touch

How It Works

The plugin:

1. Extracts Links: Scans all pages and extracts internal links
2. Builds Graph Data: Creates a network graph of page connections
3. Filters by Depth: Uses BFS (Breadth-First Search) to find pages within configured depth
4. Renders with D3.js: Creates interactive visualizations using force-directed layout
5. Adapts to Layout: Automatically positions graph in sidebar or content area based on viewport

Requirements

• Python 3.8+
• MkDocs 1.4.0+
• Works best with Material for MkDocs theme (but compatible with others)

License

GNU GPLv3 License - see LICENSE file for details

Credits

Inspired by Quartz graph view feature.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

Support

If you encounter any issues or have questions:

• Report a bug
• Request a feature
• View documentation