Learn about building and configuring grouped column and bar charts in Mappica.
Grouped column and bar charts enable side-by-side comparison of multiple data series across categories. Each category is represented by a cluster of vertical columns or horizontal bars, with each bar corresponding to a value from a different series. This layout shows how series compare within each category while maintaining the ability to compare overall trends across categories.
In the Setup section, under the Chart tab, you can assign the following properties:
Because the margin sets the space between the chart axes and the edge of the container, ensure you add enough margin for any axis ticks or labels. If needed, use options in the Axes section such as Limit Tick Width, Limit Tick Characters, and Rotate Ticks to constrain the size of tick and label text.
In the Dataset section, you can select the dataset for your chart. If you need to add a dataset, this can be done by selecting New Dataset in the Project tab.
If you are on the Pro plan, you can upload your own files (in csv format) to use as datasets, by clicking New Dataset and then Upload Dataset.
After you have selected a dataset, you can optionally enable the Prefilter Dataset switch, which lets you filter the data that is supplied to the chart. The filter is a "prefilter" because it is applied before the visualization is generated; end users are unable to adjust the filter dynamically.
Next, the Data Format is displayed. You can select either Wide Data or Long Data. The data format should reflect the structure of the selected dataset.
Finally, choose the Fields that should be used to construct the chart:
You can establish connections to filter elements under the Chart tab, in the Connections section, by making a selection under Filter.
A Filter element can be styled as a series of checkboxes, a dropdown menu, or a slider. Values from the specified Filter Field appear as individual checkboxes, dropdown menu items, or (for numeric filtering) slider values. A given chart can be connected to one or more filters, and the same filter can be connected to multiple charts or other elements.
When a filter element is connected to a chart, it dynamically controls the dataset records displayed in the chart based on the user's selections. Filters can also adjust the chart's axis range dynamically, provided one of the chart's axis fields is the same as the filter's Filter Field and the Minimum and Maximum Range values of that axis are set to auto.
Additionally, filter elements can inherit color formatting from a chart, provided that the chart is using Long Data format and the chart's Color Field is the same as the filter's Filter Field. For more information, see the Color Formatting section of the documentation for filter elements.
If your chart uses Wide Data format, use a Selector element instead of a filter to dynamically control the chart color series.
Typically, the Filter element you connect to will use the same Dataset as the chart element. However, this is not strictly necessary. If the filter and chart elements use different datasets, the filter will only affect the chart if the chart's dataset contains a field (column) with the same name as the Filter Field in the filter element. In this case, the values in these fields must at least partially align for the filter to take effect. Any non-matching values between the fields will be ignored during filtering.
If you are using Wide Data format, you can establish a connection to a selector element under the Chart tab, in the Connections section, by making a selection under Selector.
Selector elements control which series fields are displayed in connected elements that use a wide data format. Selectors can be displayed as checkboxes, dropdowns, or legends. While a chart can be connected to only one selector, a single selector can be connected to multiple charts and other elements that use series fields. Once connected, the selector element dynamically controls the dataset fields (columns) passed to the chart as series fields based on user selections.
You can choose how to sort the chart bars or columns under the Chart tab in the Sort section. Choose either to sort by the independent or dependent variable. In both cases, you can also choose to reverse the natural sort order.
The Axes section of the Chart tab is used to configure the Horizontal Axis and Vertical Axis. Whichever of these two axes is used for the independent variable is listed first in the user interface. The exact configuration options available depend on the chart type and several other factors.
If you choose to specify exact tick values, ensure that they don't overlap with one another on tablet and mobile viewports.
The following chart formatting option applies to both axes:
Color formatting is defined in the Colors section under the Chart tab.
If the chart uses Wide Data format, separate colors can be assigned to each of the selected bar series.
If the chart uses Long Data format, you can specify a Color Field, which can be a text field or numeric (number, currency, percent, or measurement) field from the selected dataset. If you select a text field, each unique value in that field will be treated as a category and can be assigned a color. For numeric fields, you can configure a Color Gradient, Domain Minimum and Maximum, and Color Scale. These features are explored in greater detail in our Colors page.
In the Annotations section under the Chart tab, you can toggle on Display Bar Totals, which displays the value of each bar directly on the chart. By default, annotations appear inside the bars, but you can select Total Outside Bars to place them outside. Use the Hidden Annotation Values setting to hide annotations for bars with values within a specified range (e.g., for small bars where space is insufficient for text).
Tooltips can be enabled by selecting the Chart tab, navigating to the Tooltip section, and selecting Display Tooltip. These are automatically configured to display the fields selected in the chart.