> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.macrovisonomics.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Chart & Indicator Guide
> Which charts work with single vs multiple indicators
# Chart & Indicator Guide
This guide explains which charts work with single indicators versus multiple indicators, helping you choose the best visualization for your economic data analysis.
## Overview
Charts in MACROVISONOMICS are categorized by how many indicators they can display:
| Category | Description | Use When |
| -------------------- | ----------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Single Indicator** | Shows one economic metric at a time | Analyzing trends, distributions, or geographic patterns for a specific metric |
| **Multi-Indicator** | Shows 2+ metrics together | Comparing or correlating different metrics |
## Single Indicator Charts
These charts display **one indicator** at a time for clarity and focused analysis. If you have multiple indicators selected, only the first will be shown.
### Time-Series Charts
Show data over time.
| Chart | Description | Best For |
| ---------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Line** | Connected points showing trends over time | GDP growth trends, inflation patterns, population changes |
| **Area** | Filled area under line showing cumulative values | Visualizing total magnitude over time |
| **Bar** | Vertical bars comparing values across time/categories | Comparing GDP between countries, yearly comparisons |
| **Stream** | Flowing layers showing composition over time | Visualizing how components change over time |
| **Bump** | Tracks ranking changes over time | Seeing how countries' positions shift year to year |
### Snapshot Charts
Show single-year data.
| Chart | Description | Best For |
| -------------- | ---------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Pie** | Proportional slices of a whole | Market share, regional breakdown, composition analysis |
| **Treemap** | Nested rectangles sized by value | Hierarchical data, comparing relative sizes (GDP by region) |
| **Choropleth** | World map colored by value | Geographic patterns, global comparisons |
| **Heatmap** | Grid with color intensity by value | Patterns across two dimensions (countries x years) |
### Distribution & Comparison Charts
| Chart | Description | Best For |
| --------------- | -------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| **Scatter** | Points plotted showing distribution | Finding outliers, understanding data spread |
| **Box-Plot** | Statistical distribution (median, quartiles) | Understanding data range and central tendency |
| **Bullet** | Actual value vs target with ranges | Performance against benchmarks |
| **Waterfall** | Incremental changes adding up | Understanding sequential changes (budget flows) |
| **Candlestick** | Open-high-low-close values | Economic volatility, range visualization |
### Flow Charts
| Chart | Description | Best For |
| ---------- | ------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| **Sankey** | Flows between nodes | Trade flows, migration patterns, resource allocation |
## Multi-Indicator Charts
These charts are designed to **compare or correlate 2+ indicators**. They require at least 2 indicators to work effectively.
| Chart | Indicators | Description | Best For |
| ------------------------- | ---------- | --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Bubble** | 2-3 | X-axis, Y-axis, and optional size | Correlating GDP vs inflation, adding population as size |
| **Radar** | 3+ | Multi-axis spider web | Economic profiles across multiple dimensions |
| **Parallel** | 3+ | Parallel vertical axes | Multi-dimensional analysis, finding patterns |
| **Dumbbell** | 2 | Two points connected by line | Before/after comparisons (2020 vs 2023) |
| **Small Multiples** | 2+ | Grid of mini-charts | Comparing trends across indicators |
| **Stacked Bar with Line** | 2+ | Bars with trend overlay | Composition with trend comparison |
## How the System Works
### Automatic Indicator Trimming
When you select a **single-indicator chart** after having multiple indicators selected:
1. The system keeps only the first indicator
2. A notification appears explaining why other indicators were removed
3. You can switch to a multi-indicator chart to compare them again
### Visual Indicators in Chart Selector
The chart type picker shows:
* **Badge "1"**: Single indicator charts
* **Badge "2+"**: Multi-indicator charts
* **Tooltip**: Shows indicator requirement when you hover
### Changing Indicators
* **Single-indicator charts**: "Add Indicator" button becomes "Change Indicator"
* **Multi-indicator charts**: Full indicator list with "Clear all" option
## Quick Reference Table
| Chart Type | Category | Min Indicators | Max Indicators | Data Type |
| ------------------ | -------- | -------------- | -------------- | ------------ |
| Line | Single | 1 | 1 | Time-series |
| Area | Single | 1 | 1 | Time-series |
| Bar | Single | 1 | 1 | Time-series |
| Pie | Single | 1 | 1 | Snapshot |
| Scatter | Single | 1 | 1 | Distribution |
| Choropleth | Single | 1 | 1 | Geographic |
| Treemap | Single | 1 | 1 | Hierarchical |
| Heatmap | Single | 1 | 1 | Matrix |
| Waterfall | Single | 1 | 1 | Sequential |
| Bullet | Single | 1 | 1 | Target-based |
| Candlestick | Single | 1 | 1 | OHLC |
| Stream | Single | 1 | 1 | Composition |
| Bump | Single | 1 | 1 | Ranking |
| Box-Plot | Single | 1 | 1 | Distribution |
| Sankey | Single | 1 | 1 | Flow |
| Bubble | Multi | 2 | 3 | Correlation |
| Radar | Multi | 3 | 10 | Profile |
| Parallel | Multi | 3 | 10 | Multi-dim |
| Dumbbell | Multi | 2 | 2 | Comparison |
| Small Multiples | Multi | 2 | 6 | Grid |
| Stacked Bar + Line | Multi | 2 | 5 | Composite |
## Example Use Cases
### Single Indicator Analysis
* **Chart**: Line chart
* **Indicator**: GDP (current US\$)
* **Why**: Time-series trend analysis of one metric
* **Chart**: Choropleth or Treemap
* **Indicator**: CO2 emissions per capita
* **Why**: Geographic or size-based comparison of one metric
### Multi-Indicator Analysis
* **Chart**: Bubble chart
* **Indicators**: GDP (X), Life expectancy (Y), Population (size)
* **Why**: Correlating multiple metrics
* **Chart**: Radar chart
* **Indicators**: GDP, Inflation, Trade balance, Unemployment, FDI
* **Why**: Multi-dimensional country profile
## Tips for Choosing Charts
Use single-indicator charts for initial exploration
Switch to multi-indicator when you want to correlate metrics
Simpler charts are easier to understand
Let your analysis goal guide your chart choice
### Question to Chart Mapping
* **"How much?"** → Bar, Treemap
* **"How has it changed?"** → Line, Area
* **"Where?"** → Choropleth
* **"What's the relationship?"** → Bubble, Scatter
* **"How do they compare across dimensions?"** → Radar, Parallel