Chart only plots a few columns, no date and time data

[Igor-just-igor]

Hi. I have some experience with AppSheet, but it's my first time experimenting with charts and it isn't behaving as expected.

I have three slices and I'm trying to create a different line chart for each of them where I map a value against the entries' timestamp, but the software only recognizes two columns as possible series for the chart: the measurement and the row number. Timestamp is not available from the dropdown menu. I've created two virtual columns to store date only and time only info, but they don't appear either.

It automatically displays the entries' IDs along the x-axis though. Behaviour is similar accross all types of chart.

Why won't it let me plot the other columns' data? How can I plot them?

Thanks.

[Suvrutt_Gurjar · Accepted solution]

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@Igor-just-igor wrote:

but the software only recognizes two columns as possible series for the chart: the measurement and the row number

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For the chart view the chart column setting option for a column series chart is always a numeric column as you can have only numeric values to plot on Y axis. So please note that measurement and rownumber would be only two numeric columns in your table.

@Igor-just-igor wrote:

where I map a value against the entries' timestamp,

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I presume by this you mean you wish to have X axis as time stamp. If so, one option you could try is to make the timestamp column as label column. In general there is one timestamp per record , so if feasible in other parts of the app to have timestamp as label you could do that. AppSheet selects the label column as X axis for such charts.

[Igor-just-igor]

Thank you. If I use timestamps or dates as label, than the plot would just space them evenly regardless of the time interval, right? It wouldn't be an accurate plot.

Sounds weird to me that the app isn't able to plot date and time data properly, that's an important feature.

[Suvrutt_Gurjar]

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@Igor-just-igor wrote:

If I use timestamps or dates as label, than the plot would just space them evenly regardless of the time interval, right? It wouldn't be an accurate plot.

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Yes you are right. 

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@Igor-just-igor wrote:

Sounds weird to me that the app isn't able to plot date and time data properly, that's an important feature.

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I think generally your concern is correct. However I feel AppSheet has done right in offering the basic chart functionality. AppSheet is mainly app platform and not charting platform. As we know there are full scale charting apps and in my opinion, if AppSheet were to replicate all that behavior it will be a full fledged charting application because the users will always want more. 

There are various tips in the community for using external charting engines such as Quick charts , AppSheet offers Looker Studio integration and so on. You may want to evaluate those options for more detailed charting.

You may also want to take a look at the following tip that I shared recently. It makes use of GAS if you do not wish the charts to update instantaneously and a daily, weekly or maybe hourly view is enough.

Create elegant "in app" reports using Google Apps... - Google Cloud Community