> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.antlect.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Working with charts

> Five chart types, switchable in place, with your choice of data field.

Chart blocks in reports are live visualisations, not images. You control how each chart displays its data directly from the block itself.

## Chart types

Every chart block supports five display types:

| Type             | Best for                                                  |
| ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| Bar (horizontal) | Ranked comparisons with long labels: institutions, people |
| Bar (vertical)   | Compact category comparisons                              |
| Line             | Trends over time                                          |
| Area             | Trends where cumulative volume matters                    |
| Pie              | Share-of-total breakdowns with few categories             |

## Switching chart type

1. Hover over a chart block. A grip handle appears at its left edge.
2. Click the handle to open the chart options popover.
3. Pick a chart type: the block re-renders instantly in place.

The switch is purely presentational: the underlying data is untouched, so you can flip between types freely while deciding what reads best.

## Choosing the data field

When a dataset has more than one numeric field, the popover also shows a **data field selector**. Pick which field the chart plots: for example, switching a funding chart between *total awarded* and *grant count*. With a single numeric field, the selector stays out of the way.

## Charts in exports

Charts render into the PDF export exactly as configured in the editor: the type and data field you chose are what readers see.

<Tip>
  Horizontal bars are the safest default for entity rankings: names stay readable at full length instead of being rotated or truncated under a vertical axis.
</Tip>