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Interface Overview

The chart builder interface is designed to facilitate the creation of various chart types for data visualization. Below is a breakdown of each element present in the interface:

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1. Select Variables to Analyze

  • Search Bar: Allows you to quickly find and select the variables you wish to analyze. You may type the name of the variable into the search field.
  • Add Button (+): This button, located on the right side above the chart options, allows you to add additional variables to the analysis.

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2. Choose a Chart Section

This section provides a gallery of chart types to choose from. Each chart option comes with a representative icon and is selectable to create that specific type of visualization.

Each chart comes with a set of more complete variants. To explore the different variants available for each chart type, simply hover your cursor over the specific chart’s card. Each variant is symbolized by a unique icon. For instance, when you hover over the ‘Bar Chart’, you’ll see variants like ‘Stacked Bar Chart’ or ‘Grouped Bar Chart’.

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Two ways of creating a chart

There are two different ways to creating a chart:

  • Guided: when you have identified the variables you wish to visualize, but haven’t decided on the specific chart type.
  • Off-road: when you have a specific chart type in mind, and the selection of variables to be used will be made subsequently.

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Guided way to create a chart

To begin, locate the input at the top and identify the variable(s) you wish to analyze. You can choose to focus on one or multiple variables, with the option to add more using the ‘Add Button’.

Upon introducing the variables, Graphext will automatically generate a chart recommendation. This is based on several factors such as the type of variables, cardinality, and distinct characteristics (for instance, whether the numbers are discrete or continuous, or if the categories have a predefined order).

These recommendations will be displayed immediately on the cards. The most suitable chart variant will be prominently displayed, while the variants incompatible with the selected variables will be disabled. Please note that you can determine why a specific chart is disabled by simply hovering over it.

Once users have selected their preferred chart, Graphext will proceed to compute the optimal mapping of variables to slots. This relies on a set of heuristics that evaluate all possible configurations. For instance, a simple heuristic might be: a variable of the ‘Date’ type will perform better on the X-axis than a categorical variable.

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Off road way to create a chart

Using the “Off-road” method is particularly useful when you are well-acquainted with the type of chart that best represents your data and the story you want to tell. This method can often be faster as it bypasses the variable selection step and goes straight to the chart creation, allowing you to shape your data visualization with more direct control from the outset.

It is very straightforward. You can select the chart type that best fits the visualization you have in mind for your data. Graphext will analyze the variables in the the dataset and select those that yield the most legible configuration of the chart. It tries to make a chart that’s easy to read and understand. You can then directly select the variables that are interesting for them in the proper mapping slot.

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