Charts
The 16 chart types, from Number and Line to Funnel and Heatmap, and how to set up their data, display and number format in Orcabase.
Every saved query can have one chart. The chart is drawn from the query’s latest result, and it goes wherever the query goes: onto dashboards, into notebooks, and into public share links.
Add a chart to a query
Run the query
Charts are built from a result, so run the query first.
Open the Chart tab
Next to Data Preview, open Chart and pick a Chart type. Orcabase fills in sensible columns to start with: the first text or date column along the axis, the number columns as values.
Adjust and save
Change the settings on the right (below), watching the preview, then click Save chart.
On a dashboard, the sliders button on a chart opens the same settings in place. A query has one chart; to show the same data two ways, save the SQL as a second query.
Shape the result for the chart
Return one label or date column first, then one column per number, with readable names: month, revenue, orders. Most charts then need no setting up at all.
Chart types
| Type | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Number | One headline value, with an optional change and trend line |
| Progress | A value against a goal, as a bar |
| Gauge | A value against a goal, as a dial |
| Line | Change over time |
| Area | Volume over time |
| Column | Comparing categories, as vertical bars |
| Bar | Ranking categories, as horizontal bars. Good for long labels |
| Combo | Bars and lines on one axis, like revenue with an order count |
| Scatter | How two numbers relate |
| Pie | Shares of a whole, with a few slices |
| Donut | Shares of a whole, with the total in the middle |
| Funnel | Drop-off between stages, like visit → sign-up → purchase |
| Treemap | Shares of many categories |
| Radar | A profile across several dimensions |
| Heatmap | A number across two dimensions, like orders by weekday and hour |
| Table | Every column as it is |
Chart settings
Settings are grouped in three tabs. Each chart type shows only the settings that apply to it.
Data
- X axis and Y axis: which column runs along the bottom, and which columns are drawn. You can pick several value columns.
- Split by: one line or bar per distinct value of a column, like one line per plan.
- For a Number: the Value column, which row to Read from (first or last), Compare with previous row to show the change, and a Sparkline of the trend across all rows.
- For Progress and Gauge: a Goal, either from a column or a fixed number.
- For Combo: tick Draw as line for the columns that should be lines; the rest are bars.
- For Pie, Donut, Funnel and Treemap: the category and value columns, and a maximum number of slices or stages.
Display
Stacking (none, stacked or 100%), Line style (smooth, straight or step), Show points, Legend, Value labels, Gridlines, Sort (query order, largest first or smallest first) and axis titles.
Format
Number style: automatic, number (1,234.5), compact (1.2K), percent (25%) or currency ($1,234), plus the Currency, Decimals, a Prefix and a Suffix. Percent multiplies by 100, so a value of 0.25 shows as 25%.
Big results
To stay fast, charts draw a sample of very large results and say so under the chart, like “Sampled 400 of 5,000 points”:
| Chart | Draws at most |
|---|---|
| Line and area | 400 points per line, sampled so the shape is kept |
| Column | The first 100 bars |
| Bar | The first 30 bars |
| Scatter | 500 points |
| Heatmap | 60 columns by 40 rows |
| Table on a dashboard | 200 rows |
Series use eight colors chosen to stay distinguishable for people with color blindness. From the ninth series on, the rest are grouped as “Other”. If you’re hitting these limits, add up more in SQL, or use Sort and the top slices to focus on what matters. See also Limits.
Something unclear or missing? Troubleshooting covers the common errors, or message us.