Different sets of data are particularly suited to a certain chart type. The following is an overview of the main chart types and their most common uses.
Bar
Most bar charts (also known as a column chart) display or compare several sets of data. Two useful bar charts are the Side-by-Side bar chart and the Stacked bar chart.
Side-by-Side bar chart
A Side-by-Side bar chart displays data as a series of vertical bars. This type of chart is best suited for showing data for several sets over a period of time (for example, last year's sales figures for AZ, CA, OR, and WA).
Stacked bar chart
A Stacked bar chart displays data as a series of vertical bars. This type of chart is best suited for representing three series of data, each series represented by a color stacked in a single bar (for example, sales for 1997, 1998, and 1999).
Line
A line chart displays data as a series of points connected by a line. This type of chart is best suited for showing data for a large number of groups (for example, total sales over the past several years).
Area
An area chart displays data as areas filled with color or patterns. This type of chart is best suited for showing data for a limited number of groups (for example, percentage of total sales for AZ, CA, OR, and WA).
Pie
A pie chart displays data as a pie, split and filled with color or patterns. Pie charts are typically used for one group of data (for example, the percentage of sales for the entire inventory); however, you have the option to choose multiple pie charts for multiple groups of data.
Doughnut
A doughnut chart is similar to a pie chart, displaying data as sections of a circle or doughnut. If, for example, you charted sales by region on a particular report, you would see the total number of sales (the figure) in the center of the doughnut and the regions as colored sections of the doughnut. As with the pie chart, you have the option to choose multiple doughnut charts for multiple groups of data.
3-D Riser
A 3-D Riser chart displays data in a series of 3-dimensional objects, lined up side-by-side, in a 3-dimensional plane. The 3-D Riser chart shows the extremes in your report data. For example, the differences between sales by customer by country are visually dynamic when presented in this chart.
3-D Surface
3-D Surface charts present a topographic view of multiple sets of data. If, for example, you need a chart to show the number of sales by customer by country, in a visually dynamic and relational format, you might consider using the 3-D Surface chart.
XY Scatter
An XY Scatter chart is a collective of plotted points that represent specific data in a pool of information. The XY Scatter chart allows the user to consider a larger scope of data for the purpose of determining trends. For example, if you input customer information, including sales, products, countries, months, and years, you would have a collective of plotted points that represents the pool of customer information. Viewing all of this data on an XY Scatter chart would allow you to speculate as to why certain products were selling better than others or why certain regions were purchasing more than others.
Radar
A radar chart positions group data, such as countries or customers, at the perimeter of the radar. The radar chart then places numeric values, increasing in value, from the center of the radar to the perimeter. In this way, the user can determine, at a glance, how specific group data relates to the whole of the group data.
Bubble
A bubble chart (an extension of the XY Scatter chart type) displays data as a series of bubbles, where the size of the bubble is proportional to the amount of data. A bubble chart would be very effective with the number of products sold in a certain region; the larger the bubble, the greater the number of products sold in that region.
Numeric Axis
A numeric axis chart is a bar, line, or area chart that uses a numeric field or a date/time field as its "On change of" field. Numeric axis charts provide a way of scaling your X-axis values, thus creating a true numeric X-axis or a true date/time X-axis.
Gauge
A gauge chart presents values graphically as points on a gauge. Gauge charts, like pie charts, are typically used for one group of data (for example, the percentage of sales for the entire inventory).
Gantt
A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart often used to provide a graphical illustration of a schedule. The horizontal axis shows a time span, while the vertical axis shows a series of tasks or events. Horizontal bars on the chart represent event sequences and time spans for each item on the vertical axis. You should use only date fields when creating a Gantt chart. The field you choose for the data axis should be set to "For Each Record," and the start and end-date fields should be added to the "Data Fields" area of the chart.
Funnel
Funnel charts are often used to represent stages in a sales process. For example, the amount of potential revenue shown for each stage. This type of chart can also be useful in identifying potential problem areas in an organization's sales processes. A funnel chart is similar to a stacked bar chart in that it represents 100% of the summary values for the groups included in the chart.
Histogram
A histogram is a type of bar chart used to depict how measurements vary from the mean value. It can help to identify the cause of problems in a process by the shape of the distribution as well as the width (deviation) of the distribution. In a histogram, the frequency is represented by the area of a bar rather than the height of the bar.