Chart types and data configuration
Learn the recommended data shape per chart type, when to use Simple mode vs. Query mode, and the basics of DRS injection.
You finished a widget end-to-end in the previous lesson. As you repeat that flow, the two decisions that most often trip analysts up are picking the chart type and configuring its data. This lesson lays both out on one page.
Chart type is decided by data shape
The widget library offers a wide range of charts, but each chart has a data shape it fits. The four below are the ones analysts run into most.
- Bar chart — One categorical column (string) × one numeric column. Goal: comparison.
- Line chart — Time (or ordinal) × one or two numeric columns. Goal: trend.
- Donut / Pie — Share by category. Recommended only when categories ≤ 7.
- Map — Two columns of latitude/longitude + a label. Goal: spatial distribution.
When a chart doesn't come out the way you intended, working backwards from "what shape does this chart expect?" is usually faster. The chart reference in the user docs lists the expected inputs per chart type in a table.
Simple mode vs. Query mode
The widget configuration panel offers two data modes:
- Simple mode — Drag dataset columns directly into X-axis, value, and filter slots. Best for getting a first view up quickly without writing code.
- Query mode — Write SQL or a transform expression directly. The natural choice when you need joins, aggregations, or derived columns.
The decision rule is simple:
| Situation | Mode |
|---|---|
| Mapping one or two columns is enough | Simple |
| You need to join another dataset | Query |
| The range condition has to be dynamic | Query |
| The analyst isn't fluent in SQL | Simple + AI Assistant (next lesson) |
When you switch to Query mode, the same chart types and the same widget options keep working. The only difference is how the data is fetched.
DRS — entry point for dynamic data
When multiple widgets on a single dashboard need to share the same range condition (period, region, department), you use DRS (Dashboard Range Selector). You add a range selector widget at the top, and each widget references the DRS values in its query or filter.
To start, learning just these two is enough:
- Add a DRS widget and set its option to a period (e.g. last 30 days).
- In the widget's data configuration, plug a DRS variable (something like
{{drs.startDate}}) into a time-column filter.
If the widgets below update together when you change the period at the top of the dashboard, DRS is wired up correctly.
Self-check
- Did you add one more chart type to the widget from the previous lesson?
- Did you try both Simple mode and Query mode against the same dataset?
- Did you add a DRS widget at the top of the dashboard?
Next lesson
The next lesson is about showing results to other people. It covers the permission model and sharing, plus how the AI Assistant lets you call all of the above more quickly.