Bar/Column Chart

A bar/column chart is the most common type of data visualization used to represent the data value with the rectangular bars. The length of the bar chart corresponds to the data value. The different lengths for each dimension value makes it easy to compare different dimensions labels.

Bar/Column chart are an ideal option when you want to do the comparison of a measure value against dimension values or across different categories. The best example for when to use a bar/column chart is especially when you wish to compare the sales figures across different departments. Bar/Column chart can also be used when showcasing the trend over time over discrete data points like the quarterly price change. Additionally, bar/column charts can illustrate the part-to-whole relationships using stacked bars to show contributions of each category to a total and can also visualize frequency distributions. You can also use the bar/column charts to show case the stacked percentage contribution.

Note

• A bar or column chart can be used to showcase comparisons between different categories or groups, showcase trends over time, part-to-whole relationships, and visualize frequency distributions.
• Example Bar or column charts can easily showcase the comparison on sales figures across different product groups or countries.

Bar Chart

Column Chart

Note

• Use bar/column charts to compare values between different categories or groups.
• Use clear and concise labels for the x-axis (categories or groups) and y-axis (values) to ensure the chart is easy to understand.
• Use different colors or patterns to differentiate between bars or columns, when comparing multiple categories or groups.
• Use a bar/column chart when you have categorical data (data that can be divided into distinct categories).
• Use a bar/column chart when you want to compare values between different categories or groups.
• Use a bar/column chart when you have discrete data points (e.g., months, product categories).

Dont's

• Do not use a bar or column chart for continuous data (use a line chart instead).
• Do not overcrowd the chart with too many bars or columns.

Basic Configuration

Add and configure the bar/column chart in Infoveave with the simple drag-and-drop option. Select the Datasource, the associated measure and the dimensions required. Below are the simple steps on how to configure a bar/column chart in Infoveave.

1. Drag the bar/column chart and drop it onto the designer workspace, from the chart library.
2. Click on the bar/column chart in the designer to select it.
3. With the bar/column chart selected, go to the Widget Configuration tab located in the Customize panel.
4. Under the Configuration tab, select the Basic Configuration option to access the essential settings for the bar/column chart.
5. Select the Datasource from Source which the chart will pull the data from the option.
6. Choose the Measure(s) that represents the numerical values you want to display on the bar/column chart.
7. Choose the Dimension(s) that represents the categorical values you want to display on the bar/column chart.
8. Choose the Dimension values you want to group by on the bar/column chart.
9. Use the Date (optional) to include a date dimension in your chart, useful for showing trends over time.
10. Enable Hide Zero Values option (optional) to hide bars that have a value of zero.

Chart Customization

Customizing the bar/column chart allows you to tailor the widget appearance to meet your theme. With improved customization you can enhance the clarity on the data points, the chart aesthetics and set interactivity filters making your dashboard visually appealing also effectively communicating your data insights.

With the bar/column chart selected, go to the Widget Customization tab located in the Customize panel.

The basic customizations available for the bar/column chart are as below

• General Modify the chart’s general appearance, including the background color, borders, shadows, and drill-out choices.
• Title Enable and customize the chart title’s text, font, color, and alignment.
• Sorting Choose the order in which data points are shown in the chart.
• Grid Customize the visibility and style of grid lines and margins in the chart.
• Categorical Axis Set up the categorical axis, including labels, intervals, and range sliders.
• Numerical Axis Configure the numerical axis with labels, scaling, grid lines, and range sliders.
• Legend Adjust the legend’s visibility, position, text, and orientation, as well as heatmap settings.
• Series Customize the look and behavior of the data series, such as labels, colors, and backdrop.
• Tooltip Customize the tooltip settings to improve the information shown when you hover over data points.
• Others Additional options for stacking data series and displaying them as percentages.

Note

• Group must be added under the chart configuration, to enable the stack option.
• When enabling the Stack as Percentage option, the measure format under Value must be set to %.