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AnnotationRules

is an option that allows specification of annotations to objects and items in objects.

Details
Details and Options Details and Options
Examples  
Basic Examples  
Scope  
Graphs & Networks  
Graph annotations  
Vertex annotations  
Edge annotations  
Applications  
See Also
Related Guides
History
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AnnotationRules

AnnotationRules

is an option that allows specification of annotations to objects and items in objects.

Details

  • Typically used to specify annotations to objects and items in objects.
  • Possible objects with items that can be annotated:
  • Audiotime points and time intervals
    BoundaryMeshRegionmesh cells
    CSGRegiongeometric regions
    Graphvertices and edges
    MeshRegionmesh cells
  • AnnotationRules is always converted to an optimized standard form with structure.
  • The AnnotationRules option can be used to specify inheritance of annotations in constructs such as Subgraph, EdgeAdd and GraphUnion.
  • Typical settings for inheritance of annotations include:
  • Inheritedinherit all annotations
    Automaticuse automatic inheritance of annotations
    Noneset no inheritance

Examples

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Basic Examples  (2)

Specify a cell annotation in mesh:

Wolfram Language code: mr = MengerMesh[1, AnnotationRules -> {{2, 1} -> {"marker" -> 1}}];

Retrieve the custom annotation:

Wolfram Language code: AnnotationValue[{mr, {2, 1}}, "marker"]

Inherit all annotations of the graph:

Wolfram Language code: graph = [image];
Wolfram Language code: Subgraph[graph, {28, 38, 48, 27, 37, 47, 26, 36, 46}, AnnotationRules -> Inherited]

Use automatic inheritance of annotations:

Wolfram Language code: Subgraph[graph, {28, 38, 48, 27, 37, 47, 26, 36, 46}, AnnotationRules -> Automatic]

Set no inheritance:

Wolfram Language code: Subgraph[graph, {28, 38, 48, 27, 37, 47, 26, 36, 46}, AnnotationRules -> None]

Scope  (12)

Graphs & Networks  (12)

Graph annotations  (8)

Set annotations for vertices:

Wolfram Language code: Graph[{12, 23, 31}, AnnotationRules -> {1 -> {VertexLabels -> "hello"}}]

And edges:

Wolfram Language code: Graph[{12, 23, 31}, AnnotationRules -> {12 -> {EdgeLabels -> "hello"}}]

Set annotations for the graph itself:

Wolfram Language code: Graph[{12, 23, 31}, AnnotationRules -> {"GraphProperties" -> {"Message" -> "hello"}}]
Wolfram Language code: AnnotationValue[%, "Message"]

Set default annotations for vertices:

Wolfram Language code: Graph[{12, 23, 31}, AnnotationRules -> {"DefaultVertexProperties" -> {VertexStyle -> Red}}, VertexSize -> Small]

And edges:

Wolfram Language code: Graph[{12, 23, 31}, AnnotationRules -> {"DefaultEdgeProperties" -> {EdgeStyle -> Dashed}}]

AnnotationRules works with undirected graphs:

Wolfram Language code: Graph[{1, 2, 3}, {12, 23, 31}, AnnotationRules -> {12 -> {EdgeStyle -> Brown}}]

Directed graphs:

Wolfram Language code: Graph[{1, 2, 3}, {12, 23, 31}, AnnotationRules -> {12 -> {EdgeStyle -> Dashed}}, EdgeStyle -> Arrowheads[Small]]

Multigraphs graphs:

Wolfram Language code: Graph[{1, 2, 3}, {12, 23, 23, 23, 31}, AnnotationRules -> {12 -> {EdgeStyle -> Brown}}]

Mixed graphs:

Wolfram Language code: Graph[{1, 2, 3}, {12, 23, 31}, AnnotationRules -> {12 -> {EdgeStyle -> Dashed}}, EdgeStyle -> Arrowheads[0.08]]

Weighted graphs:

Wolfram Language code: Graph[{1, 2, 3}, {12, 23, 31}, EdgeWeight -> {0.5, 1, 1}, AnnotationRules -> {12 -> {EdgeStyle -> Dashed}}]

Vertex annotations  (2)

Standard vertex annotations include VertexStyle:

Wolfram Language code: Graph[{12, 23, 31}, AnnotationRules -> {1 -> {VertexStyle -> Red}}]

VertexLabels:

Wolfram Language code: Graph[{12, 23, 31}, AnnotationRules -> {1 -> {VertexLabels -> "hello"}}]

VertexSize:

Wolfram Language code: Graph[{12, 23, 31}, AnnotationRules -> {1 -> {VertexSize -> Small}}]

VertexShape:

Wolfram Language code: Graph[{12, 23, 31}, VertexSize -> Medium, AnnotationRules -> {1 -> {VertexShape -> [image]}}]

Specify a custom annotation:

Wolfram Language code: Graph[{12, 23, 31}, AnnotationRules -> {1 -> {"Material" -> "Wood"}}]
Wolfram Language code: AnnotationValue[{%, 1}, "Material"]

Edge annotations  (2)

Standard edge annotations include EdgeStyle:

Wolfram Language code: Graph[{12, 23, 31}, AnnotationRules -> {12 -> {EdgeStyle -> Brown}}]

EdgeLabels:

Wolfram Language code: Graph[{12, 23, 31}, AnnotationRules -> {12 -> {EdgeLabels -> "hello"}}]

EdgeShapeFunction:

Wolfram Language code: Graph[{12, 23, 31}, AnnotationRules -> {12 -> {EdgeShapeFunction -> "DashedLine"}}]

Specify a custom annotation:

Wolfram Language code: Graph[{12, 23, 31}, AnnotationRules -> {12 -> {"Resistance" -> 50.}}]
Wolfram Language code: AnnotationValue[{%, 12}, "Resistance"]

Applications  (4)

A simple electric circuit:

Wolfram Language code: Graph[{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}, {41, 12, 23, 25, 36, 45, 56}, AnnotationRules -> {41 -> {EdgeLabels -> "Voltage source"}, 12 -> {EdgeLabels -> "Resistance"}, 23 -> {EdgeLabels -> "Inductance"}, 25 -> {EdgeLabels -> "Capactitance"}, 36 -> {EdgeLabels -> "Bulb"}, 45 -> {EdgeLabels -> "Wire"}, 56 -> {EdgeLabels -> "Wire"}}, GraphLayout -> "SpringEmbedding", VertexSize -> 0, ImagePadding -> {{30, 10}, {5, 5}}]

Create a graph with various annotations associated with the vertices:

Wolfram Language code: g = Graph[{Annotation[1, {VertexWeight -> 42, VertexLabels -> "hello"}], Annotation[2, {"Material" -> "Wood", VertexStyle -> Green}], Annotation[3, VertexSize -> Medium]}, {12, 23, Annotation[31, EdgeStyle -> Dashed]}]

Options uses AnnotationRules to handle some of the annotations:

Wolfram Language code: Options[g]

Generate an input form of the graph:

Wolfram Language code: Graph@@@HoldForm[Evaluate[{VertexList[g], EdgeList[g], Options[g]}]]

Check the result:

Wolfram Language code: ReleaseHold[%]
Wolfram Language code: % == g

Use Table to set similar annotations for many items:

Wolfram Language code: CycleGraph[15, AnnotationRules -> Table[v -> {VertexSize -> 0.2 + 0.2Mod[v, 5], VertexStyle -> Hue[(v/15), 1, 1]}, {v, 15}]]

Use Thread when annotation values are available in lists:

Wolfram Language code: values = {{Small, Green}, {Small, White}, {Small, Green}, {Medium, Red}, {Medium, Green}, {Medium, White}};
Wolfram Language code: CycleGraph[6, AnnotationRules -> Table[v -> Thread[{VertexSize, VertexStyle} -> values[[v]]], {v, 6}]]
Wolfram Research (2019), AnnotationRules, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AnnotationRules.html (updated 2025).

Text

Wolfram Research (2019), AnnotationRules, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AnnotationRules.html (updated 2025).

CMS

Wolfram Language. 2019. "AnnotationRules." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2025. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AnnotationRules.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (2019). AnnotationRules. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AnnotationRules.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_annotationrules, author="Wolfram Research", title="{AnnotationRules}", year="2025", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AnnotationRules.html}", note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_annotationrules, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={AnnotationRules}, year={2025}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AnnotationRules.html}, note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}