ChartTime

ChartTime manifests describe time-based charts. They share many fields with ChartStructure but add date-axis-specific options.

Minimal definition

The smallest well-formed ChartTime sets the required spec.dataset plus the fields that give the chart a message: a title, the axis granularity, and the scenario columns with their scale and unit. Scenarios are detected from the dataset when left blank, but the detection emits a warning, so pinning them keeps the chart stable when the data changes.

apiVersion: bino.bi/v1alpha1
kind: ChartTime
metadata:
  name: revenue_monthly_chart
spec:
  dataset: revenue_monthly
  chartTitle: "Monthly revenue"
  dateInterval: month
  scenarios: ["ac1", "pp1", "fc1"]
  measureScale: M
  measureUnit: "EUR"

All attributes are listed in the Attribute Reference below.

The same chart renders as a line instead of columns with chartMode: line, and as stacked columns or a stacked area with the stack block (see Stack configuration).

Fields

• dataset - required; a dataset name, an inline DataSet definition, or an array of those.
• chartTitle - optional title.
• chartMode - rendering mode: bar (default), line, or auto. When set to auto, the chart automatically switches to line mode when data points exceed maxBars.
• maxBars - threshold for auto-switching to line mode (default: 28). Only applies when chartMode is auto.
• lineFullWidth - when true (default in the renderer), line charts stretch to fill the full parent width instead of using fixed per-data-point spacing. Has no effect in bar mode.
• axisLabelsMode - how the date labels along the time axis are written. smart (default) prints only the part that changed since the previous label, so the year appears only where a new year starts; long and short use the long or the short date style for every label.
• dateInterval - desired time granularity; auto lets the renderer choose based on dataset meta.
• filter - optional filter expression.
• measureScale, measureUnit - SI prefix and unit string.
• showCategories, showMeasureScale - visibility flags.
• showOverlayAvg, showOverlayMedian - enables overlay lines.
• intervalSpanLimit - controls how many columns drive automatic date interval selection.
• unitScaling - data units displayed per 1 em of bar height (map-scale semantics: larger value = smaller bars), auto to fit the available height, or the name of a ScalingGroup. Unset or invalid values auto-fit with a warning that reports the resolved value.
• percentageScaling - percentage points per 1 em of pin/bar length for relative variances (10 → a +10 % pin is 1 em long); same auto/group-name options.
• syncSpaceLeft - space reserved left of the axis for the scenario labels and the chart title, in px. -1 (default) measures the widest label. Set the same value on several charts to align their axes; a value smaller than the widest label clips it.
• scenarios - list of scenarios (up to 4); values like ac1-ac4, fc1-fc4, pp1-pp4, pl1-pl4, or auto. When set to auto, scenarios are detected from the dataset silently. When left blank, they are detected with a warning.
• variances - list of variance definitions of the form d<scenarioB>_<scenarioA>_[pos|neg|neu].
• scale - proportional scaling of the chart (font size, spacings, and bar/column dimensions all scale together). Scaling triggers on width overflow (horizontal axis labels cut off).
  • not set - auto-scale to fit the parent width; emits an AUTO_scale warning with the applied factor. An empty string is not a valid value; omit the key instead.
  • "none" - no scaling; render at the base font size regardless of available space.
  • "auto" - auto-scale to fit the parent width silently (no warning).
  • "0.5", "1.2", … - fixed factor applied to the base font size. All dimensions scale proportionally.
• stack - optional object to enable stacked rendering:
  • by - (required) stacking dimension: scenarios stacks scenario slots end-to-end; dimensions draws only the first scenario, one segment per period; additional scenarios are discarded with a warning.
  • mode - stacking mode: absolute (additive, default), relative (100% stacked), or absolute-relative (absolute height with percentage labels).
  • order - segment order within each stack: asc, desc, or dataset (default).
  • When chartMode is bar, produces stacked columns. When chartMode is line, produces a stacked area chart.
• i18nNamespace - optional namespace consulted for this component’s labels; missing keys fall back to _system. When not set, it is resolved from the nearest ancestor carrying one.
• selectedStyle - optional name of a ComponentStyle to apply; merged over the _system and _default styles.
• ruleset - optional name of a RuleSet to apply, or inherited-closest / inherited-page to inherit the surrounding layout’s rule set; merged over the _system and _default rule sets.

level, order, orderDirection and limit are still accepted, but have no effect: a time chart always shows one value per period, in date order. bino does not pass them to the template engine, and bino lint reports them with chart-time-field-no-effect.

Example: Monthly revenue line chart

---
apiVersion: bino.bi/v1alpha1
kind: ChartTime
metadata:
  name: revenue_monthly_chart
spec:
  dataset: revenue_monthly
  chartTitle: "Monthly revenue"
  axisLabelsMode: smart
  dateInterval: month
  measureScale: M
  measureUnit: "EUR"
  showMeasureScale: true
  showOverlayAvg: true
  scenarios: ["ac1"]

Example: Short axis date labels

Write every axis label in the short date style instead of the default smart mode:

---
apiVersion: bino.bi/v1alpha1
kind: ChartTime
metadata:
  name: revenue_monthly_short_labels
spec:
  dataset: revenue_monthly
  chartTitle: "Monthly revenue"
  axisLabelsMode: short
  dateInterval: month
  scenarios: ["ac1"]
  measureScale: M
  measureUnit: "EUR"

With dateInterval: month the axis reads Jan, Feb, Mar, … on every column and never shows the year. The default smart writes the same labels but adds the year where a new one starts (Jan 26), and long writes Jan 2026 on every column, which needs much more width.

Example: Line chart mode

Force line chart rendering with square markers at each data point:

---
apiVersion: bino.bi/v1alpha1
kind: ChartTime
metadata:
  name: revenue_line_chart
spec:
  dataset: revenue_daily
  chartTitle: "Daily revenue trend"
  chartMode: line
  dateInterval: day
  measureScale: M
  measureUnit: "EUR"
  scenarios: ["ac1", "pp1"]

Example: Auto-switching mode

Automatically switch to line chart when data points exceed the threshold:

---
apiVersion: bino.bi/v1alpha1
kind: ChartTime
metadata:
  name: revenue_auto_chart
spec:
  dataset: revenue_weekly
  chartTitle: "Weekly revenue"
  chartMode: auto
  maxBars: 15
  dateInterval: week
  measureScale: M
  measureUnit: "EUR"
  scenarios: ["ac1", "fc1"]

Line chart features

When rendered in line mode:

• Square markers (8×8px) at each data point
• Data values displayed above each marker
• Scenario labels positioned to the right of the last data point
• Smart X-axis labels showing start, end, and year boundaries
• Vertical dashed separator lines at year transitions
• IBCS color schema:
  • AC (Actual): Black fill, black stroke, solid line
  • PP (Previous Period): Gray fill, gray stroke, solid line
  • FC (Forecast): White fill, black stroke, dashed line
  • PL (Plan): White fill, black stroke, solid line

Overdrive bars (overflow handling)

When unitScaling is set to a fixed numeric value (not auto), bars may exceed the available container height. Instead of silently clipping the bars, the renderer applies overdrive rendering:

1. Base section - the bar is drawn up to a computed cut height that fits within the container.
2. Break indicator - a zigzag line across the bar width signals the axis break.
3. Overdrive section - a proportionally scaled continuation above the break shows how much the bar exceeds the cut point.

Bars that fit within the available space render normally. Among overflowing bars, the overdrive height is proportional to the overflow amount, so a bar overflowing by 200 px gets twice the overdrive of one overflowing by 100 px.

AC scenario bars break at a higher point than PP, FC, and PL bars. This staggered break position maintains the IBCS visual hierarchy between scenario types.

Overdrive bars apply to bar mode only and do not affect line charts, stacked charts, or auto-fit scaling. The existing overflow warning is still emitted alongside the visual treatment.

Example: Stacked columns by scenario

Stack AC and PP values as additive columns:

---
apiVersion: bino.bi/v1alpha1
kind: ChartTime
metadata:
  name: revenue_stacked_chart
spec:
  dataset: revenue_monthly
  chartTitle: "Revenue stacked by scenario"
  dateInterval: month
  unitScaling: 267
  scenarios: ["ac1", "pp1"]
  stack:
    by: scenarios
    mode: absolute

Example: 100% stacked columns

Show the relative contribution of each scenario:

---
apiVersion: bino.bi/v1alpha1
kind: ChartTime
metadata:
  name: revenue_relative_stacked
spec:
  dataset: revenue_monthly
  chartTitle: "Revenue share by scenario"
  dateInterval: month
  unitScaling: 0.13 # relative mode: each column is normalized to 1.0, so ~7.5 em per full column
  scenarios: ["ac1", "pp1", "fc1"]
  stack:
    by: scenarios
    mode: relative

Example: Stacked area chart

Combine chartMode: line with stack to render stacked area fills:

---
apiVersion: bino.bi/v1alpha1
kind: ChartTime
metadata:
  name: revenue_stacked_area
spec:
  dataset: revenue_monthly
  chartTitle: "Revenue trend (stacked area)"
  chartMode: line
  dateInterval: month
  unitScaling: 267
  scenarios: ["ac1", "pp1", "fc1"]
  stack:
    by: scenarios
    mode: absolute

Inherited props

Instead of repeating scenarios and variances on every component, you can inherit them from an ancestor LayoutPage or LayoutCard. Set either of them to a special keyword:

Value	Resolves from
inherited-closest	Nearest ancestor LayoutCard or LayoutPage that sets the field
inherited-page	Nearest ancestor LayoutPage only (skips cards)

The inherited value is read from the ancestor’s corresponding titleScenarios or titleVariances field. With inherited-closest, a LayoutCard that does not set the field is skipped and the lookup continues outwards to the LayoutPage. Template engines before v1.0.0-next.28 ask only the nearest card or page.

A keyword cannot be resolved when the page (and, for inherited-closest, every enclosing card) does not set the matching field. From template engine v1.0.0-next.28 on, the component then behaves as if the field were not set (scenarios are auto-detected) and shows a warning. Older engines keep the keyword as a literal value: nothing is auto-detected and the component renders without usable scenarios. bino lint reports this case with the rule inherited-prop-unresolved.

children:
  - kind: ChartTime
    spec:
      dataset: revenue_trend
      dateInterval: month
      scenarios: inherited-page # uses page's titleScenarios
      variances: inherited-page # uses page's titleVariances

See the ChartStructure inherited props section for full examples.

Attribute Reference

Common Metadata

Attribute	Type	Required	Default	Description
apiVersion	string	yes	-	Must be bino.bi/v1alpha1.
kind	string	yes	-	Must be ChartTime.
metadata.name	string	yes	-	Unique identifier.
metadata.labels	object	no	-	Key-value pairs for categorization and constraint matching.
metadata.annotations	object	no	-	Arbitrary key-value metadata, not used by the system.
metadata.description	string	no	-	Free-form description.
metadata.constraints	array	no	-	Conditional inclusion rules. See Constraints.

Spec Attributes

Attribute	Type	Required	Default	Description	Sample
spec.dataset	string, object, or array	yes	-	Dataset reference: a name, an inline DataSet definition, or an array of those. Provided by the withDataset mixin in the template engine.	dataset: revenue_daily
spec.chartTitle	string	no	""	Custom chart title.	chartTitle: "Daily revenue"
spec.chartMode	string	no	bar	Rendering mode. Values: bar, line, auto. When auto, switches to line when data points exceed maxBars.	chartMode: line
spec.maxBars	integer	no	28	Threshold for auto-switching to line mode. Only applies when chartMode is auto. Minimum: 1.	maxBars: 15
spec.lineFullWidth	boolean	no	true	Stretch line charts to fill full parent width. Has no effect in bar mode.	lineFullWidth: true
spec.axisLabelsMode	string	no	smart	Format of the date labels along the time axis. smart prints only the part that changed since the previous label (the year only at a year boundary); long and short use the long or the short date style for every label. Values: smart, long, short.	axisLabelsMode: short
spec.dateInterval	string	no	auto-detect	Time granularity. Values: year, quarter, month, week, day, hour, minute, second, millisecond, auto.	dateInterval: month
spec.filter	string	no	""	AlaSQL WHERE clause fragment to filter rows.	filter: "region_group = 'EMEA'"
spec.measureScale	string	no	largest value in the dataset	SI prefix for measure scaling; _ means no prefix, GREATEST uses the largest and LEAST the smallest value in the dataset. Values (case-sensitive): _, k, M, G, T, P, E, Z, Y, m, μ, n, p, f, a, z, y, GREATEST, LEAST.	measureScale: M
spec.measureUnit	string	no	""	Unit string for the chart axis.	measureUnit: "EUR"
spec.unitScaling	string or number	no	auto-fit with warning	Name of a scaling group, auto, or data units per em of bar height (larger value = smaller bars). Numeric values enable overdrive bars on overflow.	unitScaling: 250000
spec.percentageScaling	string or number	no	auto-fit with warning	Name of a scaling group, auto, or percentage points per em of pin length.	percentageScaling: 10
spec.syncSpaceLeft	number	no	-1	Space reserved left of the axis for the scenario labels and the chart title, in pixels. -1 measures the widest label. Set the same value on several charts to align their axes; a value smaller than the widest label clips it.	syncSpaceLeft: 80
spec.showCategories	boolean	no	true	Show category labels.	showCategories: false
spec.showMeasureScale	boolean	no	false	Show measure unit in chart header.	showMeasureScale: true
spec.showOverlayAvg	boolean	no	true	Show average overlay line.	showOverlayAvg: true
spec.showOverlayMedian	boolean	no	false	Show median overlay line.	showOverlayMedian: true
spec.intervalSpanLimit	integer	no	28	Maximum number of columns used to calculate the axis date interval; only applies when dateInterval is auto or unset. Minimum: 0.	intervalSpanLimit: 50
spec.scenarios	string or array	no	-	Scenario measures (up to 4). Values: ac1-ac4, fc1-fc4, pp1-pp4, pl1-pl4, auto, inherited-closest, inherited-page.	scenarios: ["ac1", "fc1"]
spec.variances	string or array	no	-	Variance definitions. Pattern: d<scenarioB>_<scenarioA>_[pos|neg|neu]. Also accepts inherited-closest or inherited-page.	variances: ["dfc1_ac1_pos"]
spec.scale	string or number	no	auto-scale with warning	Proportional scaling; font size, spacings, and bar dimensions scale together. Omitted: auto-scale to fit parent width with warning. "none": no scaling. "auto": auto-scale silently. Positive number: fixed factor (0.5, 1.2, …). An empty string is rejected.	scale: auto
spec.i18nNamespace	string	no	-	I18n namespace for this component’s labels; missing keys fall back to _system. Resolved at runtime from the nearest ancestor carrying one (card, page, tree, grid, or the artefact) when not set. Maps to the i18n-namespace HTML attribute.	i18nNamespace: audited
spec.stack	object	no	-	Stacked rendering configuration. When chartMode is bar, produces stacked columns. When chartMode is line, produces stacked area chart. See Stack configuration.	see below
spec.stack.by	string	yes (within stack)	-	Stacking dimension. Values: scenarios (stacks scenario slots end-to-end), dimensions (draws only the first scenario, one segment per period).	by: scenarios
spec.stack.mode	string	no	absolute	Stacking mode. Values: absolute (additive), relative (100% stacked), absolute-relative (absolute height with percentage labels).	mode: relative
spec.stack.order	string	no	dataset	Segment order within each stack. Values: asc, desc, dataset.	order: desc
spec.selectedStyle	string	no	-	Name of a ComponentStyle manifest to apply. Merged over the _system and _default styles. Maps to the selected-style HTML attribute.	selectedStyle: corporate-style
spec.ruleset	string	no	-	Name of a RuleSet manifest to apply, or inherited-closest / inherited-page to inherit the surrounding layout’s rule set. Merged over the _system and _default rule sets. Maps to the ruleset HTML attribute.	ruleset: corporate-rules

Stack configuration

spec:
  stack:
    by: scenarios # scenarios | dimensions
    mode: absolute # absolute | relative | absolute-relative
    order: dataset # asc | desc | dataset

Property	Type	Required	Default	Description
stack.by	string	yes	-	Stacking dimension. scenarios: stacks scenario slots end-to-end. dimensions: only the first scenario is drawn.
stack.mode	string	no	absolute	Stacking mode. absolute: additive. relative: 100% stacked. absolute-relative: absolute height with percentage labels.
stack.order	string	no	dataset	Segment order within each stack. Values: asc, desc, dataset.