Chart generators

Use vertical bar charts for 5–15 discrete items. For long labels or more than 15 items, use horizontal bars or lollipops. Use slope charts to compare rank shifts between two fixed dates.

Use line charts for continuous series with more than 5 periods. Use step charts for discrete rate adjustments and area charts when cumulative magnitude over time matters.

Use pie or donut charts only when segment shares are distinct and total ≤5. For multi-level nested hierarchies, choose treemaps, sunbursts, or icicle plots.

Use histograms to inspect continuous frequency shapes. Use box plots or violin plots when comparing central tendency and quartiles across multiple groups simultaneously.

Use scatter plots to reveal bivariate correlations and clusters. For high-dimensional data, use scatter matrices, parallel coordinates, or heatmaps.

Use waterfall charts to reconcile sequential budget variances from start to finish. Use diverging bars to highlight positive vs. negative sentiment or metrics around a baseline.

Use Sankey diagrams to visualize many-to-many directed volume transfers. Use chord diagrams or arc diagrams for reciprocal inter-category relationships.

Use indented trees or tidy trees when node names and parentage are primary. Use circle-packing or nested treemaps when relative size dominates.

Use choropleth maps when geographic patterns correlate with regional administrative boundaries; use bubble maps or dot density when geographic area distorts underlying counts.