Column Chart

A Column Chart (also called a Vertical Bar Chart) is used to compare values of individual data points across categories. Each category is represented by a vertical rectangle, with its height proportional to the value it represents.

Column charts are highly effective in highlighting highs and lows within a dataset, enabling easy comparison of performance across different categories or time intervals.

Best Situations to Use

Use a column chart when:

  • You need to compare categories or individuals directly.

  • The dataset contains positive and negative values (e.g., profit vs. loss).

  • You want to highlight best vs. worst performers in a given dimension.

  • You need to visualize trends over time using vertical orientation.

Examples:

  • Comparing department-wise performance in an organization.

  • Identifying best and worst sales regions in a given year.

  • Showing monthly profit/loss variations.

Variations

Column charts can be customized into multiple layouts:

  • Stacked Column Charts – Combine multiple categories stacked vertically to show cumulative totals.

  • Clustered Column Charts – Place columns side by side to compare values across multiple series.

  • Overlaid Column Charts – Overlay series to emphasize differences.

  • 100% Column Charts – Normalize stacked values to percentage contributions.

  • Styled Bases – Columns can be drawn with different base effects (Plain, Rectangle, Cylinder, Gradient 1–3).

Properties

General

  • Component Name – Auto-generated unique identifier.

  • Position (Left, Top) – Placement coordinates on the canvas.

  • Height / Width – Set chart size.

  • Initial Visibility – Toggle chart visibility on load.

  • Max Button – Enable maximize view.

  • Color From Drill – Inherit colors dynamically from drill-down.

  • Base Type – Choose base style (Rectangle, Cylinder, Plain, Gradient).

  • Chart Type – Choose layout (Stacked, Clustered, Overlaid, 100%).

  • Bar Size – Adjust column width and spacing.

Tooltip

  • Show/hide tooltips for additional insights.

  • Customize tooltip background, border, opacity, font size, precision, and width.

  • Enable highlighter mode to emphasize selected data points.

Background & Styling

  • Gradient rotation, opacity, and multiple color options.

  • Border color, width, and radius.

  • Shadows with configurable color and transparency.

Title & Subtitle

  • Show/hide title and subtitle.

  • Configure text (color, font size, style, weight, alignment, decoration).

  • Option to pull dynamic titles from dataset fields.

Axes

X-Axis

  • Show/hide axis line.

  • Customize font color, size, style, weight, and decorations.

  • Adjust label rotation or tilt for readability.

  • Add axis descriptions, category tick marks, and markers.

Y-Axis

  • Show/hide axis line.

  • Configure font properties (color, size, style, weight).

  • Add descriptions and dataset values.

  • Enable/disable dataset descriptions.

Legend

  • Show or hide legend.

  • Customize font (size, style, weight, decoration).

  • Option to hide on load.

Formatter

  • Configure unit (%, $, count).

  • Precision for decimal places.

  • Currency formatting.

  • Number formatter (Indian or International).

Axis Setup

  • Auto Axis Setup – Automatically scale axis based on data.

  • Base Zero – Ensure axis starts from zero.

  • Min/Max Values – Manually define axis range.

  • Marker Lines – Add horizontal, vertical, or zero marker lines.

  • Marker Colors & Opacity – Customize appearance of markers.

Export Options

  • Enable context menu for export.

  • Supported formats: Excel, CSV, JPEG, PNG, PPT, PDF, Print.

  • Customize export heading, subheading, and file name.

  • Set global export type (Screenshot or Tabular).

Dataset Series Properties

  • Change color for each series.

  • Enable Data Labels to show values directly on columns.

Variants

Column charts support multiple styling variants:

  • Clustered Charts – Plain, Rectangle, Cylinder, Gradient 1–3.

  • Stacked Charts – Rectangle, Cylinder, Plain, Gradient 1–3.

  • Overlaid Charts – Rectangle, Cylinder, Plain, Gradient 1–3.

  • 100% Charts – Rectangle, Cylinder, Plain, Gradient 1–3.

Example Use Cases

  • HR: Compare employee productivity scores across teams.

  • Finance: Display profit/loss per quarter with both positive and negative values.

  • Sales: Rank product categories by annual sales.

  • Operations: Track defect counts across multiple plants.

Sample Data Setup:

  • Category Field: Year (or another dimension such as Department or Region).

  • Series Fields: Numeric fields such as Revenue, Expense, or Profit.

8KB
Sample Data_Column chart.xlsx
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⚠️ Note:

  • Category fields can be string, numeric, or date.

  • Series fields must be numeric.

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