Chart view

Chart view allows you to create bar charts and line charts to compare data visually. At the simplest level, you can chart a series of numeric data (including Duration values and Money values). You can also chart totals for groups of entries and even distinguish between two levels of grouping. Finally, you can chart numeric trends including changes in data over time.

The chart view is only available when the Table view has at least one numeric columns and/or some type of grouping.

You can create a bar chart comparing individual entries if you add a column containing Number values, Duration values, Money values or Formulas.

Note: if you chart money values, and your data includes more than one currency, Dabble will dynamically convert the values to a single currency (using the current exchange rate) before charting them.

If you group similar entries, you can chart comparisons between groups. By default, the chart will show a count of the entries in each group.

• If the entries are grouped together by a non-numeric value, Dabble will produce a bar chart showing a comparison between each group.

• If the entries are grouped together by a numeric value, Dabble will produce a line chart. This shows the trend of the relationship between the vertical axis (the count of the entries in each group) and the horizontal axis (the number that associates each group). You may also choose a bar chart instead if you prefer a comparative chart. Use the drop-down menu that shows the type of chart (above the chart itself) to select a different type.

• If the entries are grouped together by a date or time, the line chart shows the trend over time.

For charting, it is often useful to group entries broadly. For instance, with dates you may wish to group by month, quarter or year. For other numeric data, you may wish to cluster entries with values within ten, one hundred or one thousand. The group command submenu shows these options whenever appropriate.

If you have groups and at least one column of numeric values, activate subtotals to be able to chart the numeric total — either the sum or average — for each group instead of the count of entries. For each column with subtotals, you can generate a different chart. Use the drop-down menu above the chart (next to “Show:”) to select what you want to chart.

If you have two levels of grouping, you can create a multi-line or multi-bar charts. The outer-most group remains the x-axis while each unique inner group will be plotted as a color-coded line or bar.

Such charts are generally only useful if the inner groups are repeated in each outer group. An example of this might be where the inner groups divide each outer group by the month or year of a date value.

Multi-line and multi-bar charts include a legend to show which color applies to which inner group. You cannot chart more than two levels of groups.

The chart view button and controls for selecting the chart and chart type

Certain charts are only suitable for certain types of data. If your data is grouped by numbers or dates, you can use the drop-down select box at the top to select whether you want a bar chart or line chart. If your data is grouped by some other variable, or isn’t grouped at all, only the bar chart is available.

Similarly, if there are any numeric columns, you can choose to chart one of those instead of the count of entries.