Communityv1.0

References Graph

Visualize schema dependencies as an interactive force-directed graph. See which schemas reference others, identify orphans, and understand the impact radius of a breaking change — before it happens.

How it works

The References Graph scans all schemas in your registry and builds a dependency map from Avro references, JSON Schema $ref, and Protobuf imports. The result is an interactive SVG graph powered by d3-force.

Each node is a schema subject. Edges represent references — if schema A references schema B, an arrow points from A to B. Nodes are colored by namespace for quick domain identification.

Node design

Schema node

Each node shows the schema label, format badge (Avro/JSON), version count, and reference counts (outgoing and incoming). A colored left bar indicates the namespace.

Orphan nodes

Schemas with no references (neither outgoing nor incoming) are flagged as orphans. Use the Orphans filter to isolate them. Orphan count is shown in the sidebar stats.

Interactions

ClickSelect a node to highlight it and its direct neighbors. Click again to deselect.
DragDrag any node to reposition it. The force simulation adjusts in real-time.
ScrollScroll to zoom in/out. Click and drag the background to pan.
Reset ViewButton in the bottom-right corner recenters the graph and resets zoom.
SearchType in the sidebar search to find a subject. Click a result to select the node.

Filters

All

Show all schemas in the registry

Connected

Schemas with at least one reference (in or out)

Parents

Schemas referenced by others (depended upon)

Children

Schemas that reference others

Orphans

Schemas with no references at all

Sidebar

The left sidebar (300px) provides search, filters, stats overview (total schemas, edges, orphans), and a namespace legend with color indicators and counts.

When a node is selected, a detail panel appears showing the full subject name, format, version count, outgoing references, incoming dependents, and a link to open the schema in the Explorer.

Use cases

Impact analysis

Before modifying a shared schema (e.g. Address), click its node to see all dependents. Know exactly which schemas will be affected.

Find orphans

Filter to Orphans to find schemas that are not referenced by anything — potential candidates for cleanup or documentation.