Bar Chart

Bar charts are a simple and effective way to compare different categories of data using bars of varying lengths.

A Bar Chart is a highly effective visualization tool for comparing discrete categories or groups of data. It uses horizontal rectangular bars to represent values, with the length of each bar being proportional to the corresponding measure. This simple, clear design makes it easy for viewers to quickly compare different data points and identify which categories are larger or smaller.

Bar charts are especially useful when you have a large number of categories or when the category labels are long. Their horizontal orientation provides ample space for text, preventing clutter and making the chart easy to read. This makes them an excellent choice for rankings, surveys, and any scenario where you need to compare multiple items at a glance.

Best use cases:

• Comparing sales by region or product.

• Showing growth/decline across time periods.

• Highlighting the top N categories or contributors.

Variations:

• Clustered – Categories grouped side-by-side for comparison.

• Stacked – Values stacked to show the contribution of each category.

• Stack Percentage – Stacked bars normalized to percentages.

• Stack Overlaid – Bars stacked but partially overlaid for compact comparison.

Chart Properties

Access chart-specific properties by clicking the Chart Properties icon on the Design page.

General Settings

• Style – Choose how bars are displayed:

  • Cluster

  • Stack

  • Stack Percentage

  • Stack Overlaid

• Base Type – Defines the shape of the bars:

  • Plain

  • Rectangle

  • Chevron

• Order – Defines the sequence of displayed data:

  • None

  • Ascending

  • Descending

  • Manual Sort (manually adjust categories using arrow indicators).

• Order By – Select the dimension or measure to control ordering.

• Limit – Enter the maximum number of records to display.

• Exclude Global Filter – Exclude this chart from global filters in the report.

• Show Data Label – Display measure values directly on the bars.

• Enable Base Zero – Ensure the value axis starts at zero.

• Show Legend – Display a chart legend.

  • Legend Style – Fixed or Floating.

  • Legend Font Size – Adjust legend text size (Fixed only).

  • Legend Orientation – Vertical or Horizontal (Fixed only).

  • Legend Checkbox – Allow toggling categories on/off via checkboxes.

View Filter

• Filter – Apply a filter condition to limit chart data (e.g., show only a specific category or measure range).

Note: Filters applied here are reflected after adding the View to the report.

Category Axis

• Title – Add a title to the category axis (X or Y, depending on orientation).

• Axis Label – Enable/disable category labels.

Value Axis

• Title – Add a title for the value axis.

• Axis Label – Enable/disable value labels.

• Format Type – Choose formatting:

  • None, Auto, Percent, Thousand, Lacs, Crore, Million, Billion, Trillion, Quadrillion

• Currency Type – Select a currency symbol (Rupees, Euro, Pound, USD, Yen, Cent, or None).

• Precision – Set decimal precision (up to 5 digits after decimal).

Insights

• Text – Add annotation or insight text. Highlight values by wrapping them in asterisks (e.g., 70%, North Region).

• Font Size – Adjust text size.

• Font Color – Choose text color.

• Text Align – Left, Right, or Centre.

• Position – Place insight text at the Bottom or Right of the chart.

Notes & Best Practices

• Use Clustered style when comparing multiple categories side-by-side.

• Use Stack Percentage when the focus is on relative contribution rather than absolute values.

• Keep precision settings appropriate for the metric; avoid clutter by limiting to 1–2 decimals for financial data.

• Add Insights to highlight KPIs directly on the chart for executive audiences.