The latest articles on DEV Community by Fayis (@fayiskooni). https://dev.to/fayiskooni https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3876935%2F299bb525-1980-498b-be69-89754fbaa106.jpeg https://dev.to/fayiskooni en Fayis Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:29:03 +0000 https://dev.to/fayiskooni/how-i-built-a-dynamic-family-tree-generator-with-graph-visualization-4068 https://dev.to/fayiskooni/how-i-built-a-dynamic-family-tree-generator-with-graph-visualization-4068 <h1> How I Built a Dynamic Family Tree Generator with Graph Visualization </h1> <p>I’m Muhammed Fayis K (Fayis Kooni), also known as Fayis K, a Full Stack Developer from Kerala, India. I specialize in building scalable web applications and systems using React, Next.js, and Node.js.</p> <h2> The Idea </h2> <p>I wanted to build a system that could model and visualize complex family relationships in a clear and interactive way.</p> <p>A family tree isn’t just a simple parent-child relationship — a child belongs to a union of two people.</p> <h2> The Approach </h2> <p>Instead of directly linking <code>person_id → child_id</code>, I designed a relational structure using:</p> <ul> <li>Members</li> <li>Marriages</li> <li>Parent-child relationships</li> </ul> <p>I created a <code>parent_child</code> table that links <code>couple_id → child_id</code>, which made the model much more flexible and accurate.</p> <h2> Visualization </h2> <p>To render the family structure, I used:</p> <ul> <li>React Flow for interactive UI</li> <li>ELK.js for graph layout</li> </ul> <p>This allowed me to create a pannable and zoomable tree with clean structure.</p> <h2> Challenges </h2> <ul> <li>Modeling complex relationships correctly</li> <li>Ensuring accurate graph layout</li> <li>Keeping performance smooth for large trees</li> </ul> <h2> Tech Stack </h2> <p>React, Node.js, Express, PostgreSQL, React Flow, ELK.js</p> <h2> Live Project </h2> <p><a href="https://family-tree.fayiskooni.workers.dev" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://family-tree.fayiskooni.workers.dev</a></p> <h2> Conclusion </h2> <p>This project helped me understand graph-based data modeling and how to visualize relational data effectively.</p> <p>I’m Muhammed Fayis K (Fayis Kooni), a Full Stack Developer building systems like this.</p> <p>Learn more: <a href="https://fayiskooni.xyz/who-is-fayis" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://fayiskooni.xyz/who-is-fayis</a></p> react node postgres webdev