Parallel coordinates chart

Use parallel coordinates to compare many rows on several measures at once and to see which rows resemble each other.

Sports cars trade mileage for power and speed

Nine cars on four measures, each axis from its own lowest to its highest value

SmallFamilySport

This chart cannot be displayed here: it needs JavaScript and WebGL.

each axis runs from its own smallest to its own largest value

The same chart in each style

Source

Open in playground

Rich Markdown

```chart
type: parallel
title: Sports cars trade mileage for power and speed
subtitle: Nine cars on four measures, each axis from its own lowest to its highest value
data:
  inline:
    - {model: Mini, class: Small, mpg: 38, power: 85, weight: 1050, accel: 12.5}
    - {model: Zip, class: Small, mpg: 42, power: 75, weight: 980, accel: 13.8}
    - {model: Kei, class: Small, mpg: 35, power: 95, weight: 1120, accel: 11.9}
    - {model: Estate, class: Family, mpg: 28, power: 140, weight: 1550, accel: 9.5}
    - {model: Tourer, class: Family, mpg: 31, power: 125, weight: 1480, accel: 10.2}
    - {model: Sedan, class: Family, mpg: 26, power: 160, weight: 1700, accel: 8.8}
    - {model: Coupe, class: Sport, mpg: 19, power: 330, weight: 1450, accel: 4.8}
    - {model: Roadster, class: Sport, mpg: 22, power: 280, weight: 1380, accel: 5.4}
    - {model: GT, class: Sport, mpg: 17, power: 410, weight: 1500, accel: 3.9}
encoding:
  dimensions: [mpg, power, weight, accel]
  label: model
  color: class
```

Fields that matter

type: parallel with encoding.dimensions listing two or more numeric columns, one axis each, in the order written
Each axis runs from its own smallest to its own largest value, and its two ends are labelled with those values
encoding.color colours the lines by group and encoding.label names each row in its readout
A parallel coordinates chart takes at most eight axes; above that the chart is not drawn and check raises chart.limit-exceeded naming the limit and the count
A row with a missing value on any axis is left out and reported; a value that is not a number is an error
Axis names and end labels that do not fit their space are left out and reported, so keep names short
encoding.facet makes one chart per value, all on the same ranges unless style.facet_scale is free; axes.y sets format, unit and digits for the end labels

Interactions

Hover or focus the dot where a line meets the first axis to read the row’s value on every axis.
Click a legend entry to remove a group and back.
Open the Table view, Download PNG or CSV, or Expand the chart.