See also TimeMap

What

Some Previous Research

Added since the earlier 2011 research, here are more ideas and possible libraries. But it seems that H5P for elaborate timelines and Tiki native solutions for simple ones may be the way to go, for horizontal timelines anyway.

Desired features:

• Click/touch and drag parallax-movement time scales (year, month, day, etc.) like Simile's.

• jQuery.timeline - https://github.com/ka215/jquery.timeline
  "You can easily create the horizontal timeline with two types by using this jQuery plugin". The two types are bar type (events are independent) and point type (events are points connected by lines to show relationship). MIT license.
• https://github.com/ilkeryilmaz/timelinejs
  Has vertical option. MIT license.
• Timeline - http://timeline.knightlab.com Git page
  "TimelineJS is an open-source tool that enables anyone to build visually rich, interactive timelines. TimelineJS 3 is a rewrite of the popular Timeline JS software." (Maybe disqualified by Mozilla Public License (MPL), version 2.0.)

• Timeliner https://github.com/technotarek/timeliner

• jQuery-Timelinr http://www.csslab.cl/2011/08/18/jquery-timelinr/ MIT license.
• Albe timeline https://github.com/Albejr/jquery-albe-timeline Unlicense license.

Some Initial Research (jb feb 2011)

It looks to me like the only real choice is the SIMILE Widgets one, the only other one that i've found from random searching and the links below, is the Google one which uses Flash and doesn't seem to offer as much.

My main reservation about the SIMILE one is that it seems to have jQuery 1.2.6 embedded in it (seemingly in the middle of what looks like a required file) and also has it's own, fairly bulky, AJAX library - which is surely duplication of the one in jQuery. Maybe this is optional - more research needed.

It says in one of the source files: "this JS code was written before some recent JS support libraries became widely used or available" and it all doesn't seem to have been worked on for several years. Having said that, the code does look like it's written to a very high standard, as you'd expect from MIT 😉

However, as this does seem to be the only option, let's see how far we get...

Timeline layouts

Horizontal Timelines

H5P

H5P is integrated in Tiki since v. 17 an the timeline is added in 5 minutes maximum.
After the first import you can create arbitrary timelines and include everywhere in Tiki via a tiny WikiPlugin {h5p fileID="XYZ"} see also: (doc:(H5P)) (including a quick HowTo and (doc:(PluginH5P)).
There is no interaction with Trackers to fetch data implemented yet, but coders have said this would be likely to coming midterm.
H5P timeline implements Timeline.js (link listed below).
Midterm this will be the future solution when comes to a Tracker based timeline, once we make it able to handle tracker records, etc.. Easy to setup and to use right away already from first versions of Tiki 17 +.

Plugin List

It is possible to use the plugin List to create a timeline using some CSS but no additional JavaScript.

Horizontal Timeline demo

(For technical details, see the source of Horizontal timeLine using plugin List demo and timeline_list_inner_tpl.)

Vertical Timelines

New: Simple vertical timeline

A demo of and documentation for a https://doc.tiki.org/Simple-vertical-timeline was added that uses some new CSS and a tracker along with default Bootstrap and Tiki CSS, etc. No JavaScript is used for this simple timeline (so no eye candy such as animations).

(This information was formerly at Vertical Timelines but is now consolidated here because of similar content.)
May be something like : https://webdesign.tutsplus.com/tutorials/building-a-vertical-timeline-with-css-and-a-touch-of-javascript--cms-26528

Ideal case

• Minimal CSS (function only, no styling)
  It's best if it isn't necessary to override a library's CSS, to reinstate a theme's styling.
• Can be both vertical and horizontal
  This is probably too much to hope for, but it'd be cool if the same code could be used for horizontal and vertical timelines, maybe with just a switch or class difference.
• Amenable to use with tracker wiki templates and list templates
  Of course the timeline needs to be able to display data from trackers via the list plugin or pretty tracker type of method, as well as with "static" wiki syntax if desired.
• Time-period headings inserted automatically
  I think what makes something a timeline and not just a list of paragraphs or panels containing info is prominent time information. This might be year headings, or months or whatever is appropriate. A smart script would be able to check the creation time of the information and add appropriate time-period headings. I'm not sure if this exists or not. If not, then a way to have headings is provided via the plugin or docs. (Maybe use the plugin once per time period, following a heading.)
• Responsive, etc.
• Compatible license of course

Types

• "Bootstrap" timelines (no additional libs needed)
  • https://bootsnipp.com/snippets/featured/timeline-21-with-images-and-responsive
  • https://bootsnipp.com/snippets/xGGpM
  • https://codepen.io/bsngr/pen/Ifvbi/

• CSS only
• CSS and JavaScript
  • http://www.jqueryscript.net/other/Responsive-Timeline-Plugin-With-jQuery-Bootstrap-eeyellow-Timeline.html (This one is a good prospect.)
  • http://ryanfitzgerald.github.io/vertical-timeline/index.html (Basic; time info in entries but not as headings.)
  • https://webdesign.tutsplus.com/tutorials/building-a-vertical-timeline-with-css-and-a-touch-of-javascript--cms-26528 (Has fancy fade-in motion.)

Other details

Some timelines use alternating classes on panels that display to the left and right of the timeline axis. To work (easily) with dynamic data, we'd need to use an n+1 pseudo element to apply the alternating properties, or some such arrangement.

One example

"Tik Tok is a simple, mobile-friendly, vertical timeline tool. With just a few lines of JavaScript and some interesting, timely data, Tik Tok creates simple, elegant timelines that can pull data from various spreadsheets and data sources, can include embedded media from sources like YouTube and SoundCloud, and can change styles to fit your design needs. Tik Tok is perfect if you have small, chronological narrative pieces and are working with a design that lends itself to vertical content, which is often the case for existing news sites."

From https://source.opennews.org/articles/beautiful-timelines-easy-way-tik-tok
http://datanews.github.io/tik-tok/examples/example-csv.html

Vertical timeline demo using List plugin and no additional JavaScript

Work under way

Related links

• https://codyhouse.co/demo/vertical-timeline/index.html
• http://www.jqueryrain.com/demo/jquery-timeline-plugin
• https://h5p.org/timeline (Recently added to Tiki 17 - is there a vertical possibility?)
• http://wiki.misgav.org.il/tiki-index.php (horizontal timeline - can it be adapted to vertical?)
• https://www.noupe.com/inspiration/showcases/15-code-snippets-for-timelines-91734.html

https://webdesign.tutsplus.com/tutorials/building-a-vertical-timeline-with-css-and-a-touch-of-javascript--cms-26528
http://freefrontend.com/css-timelines/

• http://okfnlabs.org/blog/2012/12/04/javascript-timeline-libaries-a-review.html
  • https://github.com/okfn/timeliner
• http://www.simile-widgets.org/ which has other goodies
• http://drupal.org/project/timeline
• http://www.computus.org/journal/?p=36
• Timeline viewer entry on wishlist
• Project Management
• http://doc.tiki.org/PluginTrackerTimeline
• http://timeline.verite.co/
• TimelineJS
• https://visjs.github.io/vis-timeline/examples/timeline/ 82 000 downloads per week! https://www.npmjs.com/package/vis-timeline