The DataViz Graph Plotter is a statistical analysis and visualisation tool that lets you enter data, compute statistics, and view results as a line graph, bar chart, or pie chart — all in one place. This guide walks you through every feature step by step. Check out the graph plotter here
Getting Started
When you open the plotter, you will see three input modes at the top of the page:
- ⚡ Quick List — for entering a simple list of numbers
- ⊞ XY Table — for entering labelled X and Y data pairs
- ƒ(x) Function — for plotting a mathematical function
Click any tab to switch between modes. Each mode has its own input area below the tabs.
Mode 1: Quick List
This is the fastest way to analyse a set of numbers. Use it when you have a plain list like exam scores, temperatures, or any raw data.
Step 1 — Click the ⚡ Quick List tab if it is not already selected.
Step 2 — Type your numbers into the text box. You can separate them with commas, spaces, or new lines. All of the following formats work:
2, 8, 6, 1, 6
2 8 6 1 6
2
8
6
1
6
Step 3 — Or use a Sample. Below the text box are sample buttons such as "2, 8, 6, 1, 6" and "Class scores". Click any of them to load the data automatically.
Step 4 — Click ▶ Calculate & Plot. The tool will instantly display two things:
- A Statistical Analysis panel showing all computed values
- Three chart tabs — Line Graph, Bar Chart, and Pie Chart
Step 5 — To clear the input, click the Clear button and start fresh.
Mode 2: XY Table
Use this mode when your data has labels or two columns, such as months and sales figures, student names and scores, or X and Y coordinates.
Step 1 — Click the ⊞ XY Table tab.
Step 2 — Fill in the rows. Each row has two fields:
- Label / X — the category name or X value (e.g. "January", "Student A", or "1")
- Value / Y — the numerical value for that entry (e.g. "4500", "78", or "12.5")
You do not need to fill in both columns. If you leave the Label column empty, the tool will number the rows automatically.
Step 3 — Add more rows by clicking the + Add Row button at the bottom. You can add as many rows as you need.
Step 4 — Remove a row by clicking the × button on the right side of that row. Note that the table must always have at least two rows.
Step 5 — Click ▶ Plot & Analyse. The charts and statistics will appear below.
Step 6 — Switch between X and Y statistics. At the top right of the Statistics panel, you will see an X Values / Y Values toggle. Click it to compute mean, median, mode, and other statistics for whichever column you choose.
Step 7 — Click Clear to reset the table to its default six empty rows.
Mode 3: Function Mode
Use this mode to plot any mathematical function where y is defined in terms of x.
Step 1 — Click the ƒ(x) Function tab.
Step 2 — Type your function in the input box after the "f(x) =" prefix. Write it using standard JavaScript math syntax:
| What you want | What to type |
|---|---|
| x squared | x*x |
| x cubed | x*x*x |
| Sine of x | Math.sin(x) |
| Cosine of x | Math.cos(x) |
| Natural log | Math.log(Math.abs(x)) |
| Square root | Math.sqrt(Math.abs(x)) |
| e to the x | Math.exp(x) |
| Straight line | 2*x + 3 |
| Quadratic | x*x - 4*x + 4 |
Step 3 — Or click a Preset chip such as x², sin(x), or cos(x) to fill the formula automatically and plot it immediately.
Step 4 — Set the range. Below the presets are three fields:
- X Minimum — where the graph starts on the x-axis (default: -10)
- X Maximum — where the graph ends on the x-axis (default: 10)
- Step Size — how finely the curve is drawn. Smaller values give smoother curves. (default: 0.1)
Step 5 — Click ▶ Plot or press Enter to draw the graph.
Note: Function mode does not show the Statistics panel because a function has continuous infinite values rather than a finite dataset.
Reading the Statistics Panel
After plotting data in Quick List or XY Table mode, a Statistics panel appears automatically. Here is what each result means:
Mean (μ) — The average. Calculated by adding all values together and dividing by the count. For 2, 8, 6, 1, 6: the mean is (2+8+6+1+6) ÷ 5 = 4.6.
Median (M̃) — The middle value when the data is sorted in order. For 1, 2, 6, 6, 8: the median is 6. If there is an even number of values, the median is the average of the two middle values.
Mode (Mo) — The value that appears most often. For 2, 8, 6, 1, 6: the mode is 6 because it appears twice. If all values appear equally, the mode is shown as "None."
Range (R) — The difference between the largest and smallest values. For 1, 2, 6, 6, 8: the range is 8 − 1 = 7.
Standard Deviation (σ) — Measures how spread out the values are from the mean. A small standard deviation means values cluster closely around the mean. A large one means values are widely spread.
Variance (σ²) — The square of the standard deviation. It is the average of the squared differences from the mean.
Sum (Σ) — The total of all values added together.
Count (n) — The number of data points entered.
The Sorted Data Strip
Just above the stat cards, you will see your data displayed in sorted order from smallest to largest. Two values are highlighted:
- Green highlight — the median value(s)
- Purple highlight — the mode value(s)
This helps you visually confirm the middle and most frequent values at a glance.
The Frequency Distribution Table
Below the stat cards is a table showing how often each value appears. The columns are:
- Value — each unique number in your dataset
- Frequency — how many times it appears
- Relative % — its percentage share of the total data
- Cumulative % — the running total percentage up to and including that value
- Distribution bar — a visual bar showing relative frequency at a glance
Mode values are highlighted in purple in this table.
Viewing the Charts
After plotting, three chart tabs appear. Click any tab to switch between them:
📈 Line Graph — Plots your data as a continuous line. Best for showing trends, changes over time, or mathematical curves. Points are shown as dots when you have 50 or fewer data points.
📊 Bar Chart — Displays each value as a coloured vertical bar. Best for comparing separate categories or individual values side by side.
🥧 Pie Chart — Shows each value as a proportional slice of a circle. Best for showing how individual values contribute to a whole. Note that the pie chart only works with positive values. If your data contains zeros or negative numbers, those entries will be excluded from the pie.
Below each chart is a small summary row showing the Count, Min, Max, Sum, and Mean of the plotted data.
Tips and Notes
Entering negative numbers — Type a minus sign before the number, e.g. -5, -3, 2, 8.
Decimal numbers — Use a decimal point, e.g. 1.5, 2.75, 3.0.
Pressing Enter — In the Quick List and Function modes, you can press the Enter key instead of clicking the Plot button.
Multiple modes — The mode will display all values that share the highest frequency. For example, in the dataset 3, 3, 7, 7, 9 both 3 and 7 appear twice, so both are shown as the mode.
Statistics are population statistics — The variance and standard deviation are calculated using the population formula (dividing by n), not the sample formula (dividing by n−1). This is appropriate when your data represents the entire group rather than a sample.
The pie chart needs positive values — If all your Y values are negative or zero, the pie chart will show a placeholder message. Switch to Bar or Line view instead.
Large function ranges — If you set a very small step size over a large x range, the chart will automatically downsample for display performance while keeping the calculation accurate.
Quick Reference
| Task | How to do it |
|---|---|
| Analyse a list of numbers | Quick List → type numbers → Calculate & Plot |
| Find mean, median, mode | Quick List or XY Table → look at stat cards |
| Compare categories | XY Table → fill labels and values → bar chart tab |
| Plot a curve | Function mode → type formula → Plot |
| See how data is distributed | Frequency table below the stat cards |
| Switch chart type | Click Line, Bar, or Pie tab after plotting |
| Add more rows to table | Click + Add Row |
| Start over | Click Clear in any mode |
That is everything you need to get the most out of the DataViz Graph Plotter. Start by typing a simple list like 2, 8, 6, 1, 6 in Quick List mode and clicking Calculate & Plot to see all features in action.