Bar and Column Charts

Bar and Column Charts display data in rectangular bars where the longer the bar, the larger the value. A Bar Chart plots the value horizontally and the fixed dimension (such as time) vertically. A Column Chart plots the value vertically and the fixed dimension horizontally.

Use Bar and Column Charts to summarize and compare values across categories and to provide a snapshot of data at specific points in time. The two are similar but suit different analyses: Bar Charts give more room for long or numerous labels on the Y-axis, making them suited to analyses where time is not a factor, while Column Charts usually show time along the X-axis, making them ideal for highlighting changes over time.

Examples of Bar and Column Charts displaying the same information.

Settings

To configure a Bar or Column Chart, open the Report containing the chart, click the ... icon in the top-right corner of the Visual, and select Configure. The left panel has five tabs: Settings, Series, Y-Axis, Legend, and Drilldown. To name the chart, enter a name at the top of the window next to Title.

The Configure Visual window.

• Group by: select a Field to use for the x-axis of the chart.
• Sort groups by: choose how to sort groups along the x-axis (Value, Group Ascending, or Group Descending).
• Number of groups to show: the maximum number of individual groups shown in the chart.
• Step: display all labels or step by increments. By default, the step is calculated automatically to avoid overlap; set it to 1 to prevent this.
• Label Rotation: sets the angle of the X-axis group labels. By default, labels auto-rotate so they all fit. Specific degree defaults to -45 degrees.
• Include other/remaining items: creates a separate group for records not displayed. This option allows renaming the column.
• Include empty/null items: creates a separate group for empty or null values, and allows renaming the null column. Available for the Group By and Split By columns.
• Split by field: choose a Field to split groups, displaying a second group inside the chart.
  • Sort Split by Field By: Value, Sub-Group Ascending, or Sub-Group Descending.
  • Number of sub-groups to show: the maximum number of sub-groups per group.
• Zoom: set the zoom on the x-axis, y-axis, or both.
• Stacking: changes how the group and split-by columns display. Stacking applies to bar and column chart types. With multiple series, only normal stacking is supported.
  • None: no stacking, good for comparing values within a single group.
  • Normal: stacks groups on top of each other, showing the total of split-by groups separated by color.
  • Percent: shows what percentage each sub-group makes up of its group.
• X-Axis title: creates a label for the x-axis.
• Polar Chart: changes the chart's display to a circular chart showing the same data. See Polar Charts.

Series

The Series tab lets you edit the displayed data or add additional series. Four icons at the bottom of the panel are Series, Color, Label, and Delete.

Series panel.

• Add aggregate: adds a new series (the + next to Series 1).
• Value Type: Per-group (aggregate per group), Overall (aggregate for the entire Dataset), or Literal (a horizontal line at a given value).
• Value Field: sets the type of aggregate value to calculate for the series.
• Missing Values: skips null or zero values in groupings, allowing a continuous line if the aggregate is zero or null.
• Series name: changes the name of the series in the legend.
• Series chart type: changes the type of chart being used.
• Y-Axis: choose which y-axis to use, or add a new one.

Color

The Color tab lets you change the display colors for the selected series.

Color tab.

• Auto: Informer chooses the best color strategy.
• Based on Value: matches colors associated with other charts and the same values.
• Rotate: rotates series color so it complements adjacent colors.
• Shades: select a color and Informer displays various shades of it.
• Exact: select an exact color for a value.

Labels

The Labels tab lets you change how the data is labeled and displayed.

Labels tab.

• Show labels in-line: adds labels to the data points in the chart.
• Label content: show the group label, value, and/or percent of each group.
• Decimal Places: how many digits after the decimal to show.
• Tooltip: formats the information shown when hovering over a group.

Y-Axis

The Y-Axis tab lets you set the label of the y-axis and how data displays based on type and scale.

Y-Axis tab.

• Y-Axis: a list of y-axes added to the Visual.
• Axis Title: adds a title to the axis.
• Type: Linear, Logarithmic, Datetime, or Category.
• Minimum and Maximum: sets a minimum and maximum value for an axis.
• Show on Right Side: displays the axis on the right side of the Visual.
• Add Axis: adds a new y-axis.

Legend

The Legend tab lets you set if and how a legend is displayed.

Legend panel.

• Show legend: displays the legend on the Visual.
• Float legend over chart: places the legend on top of the chart.
• Vertical Align: top, middle, or bottom.
• Horizontal Align: left, center, or right.
• Maximum Height: the maximum height of the legend in pixels.

Drilldown

The Drilldown tab lets you configure what data, if any, is available to drill down or pivot on from the Visual.

Drilldown tab.

• Enable view data: enables the View data and Pivot by options.
• Pivot by: enables the Pivot by option for the Visual.
• Chart Drilldown: enables the Drilldown by option to split data by a given Field.
  • All Fields: allows drilling down to all Fields in the Dataset.
  • Selected Fields: choose which Fields are available to drill down on.

Also available through the REST API

Everything on this page is built on Informer's public REST API, the same one the product uses, so your scripts and integrations can do it too. Developer reference: Reports.