--- title: "Meter" description: "Bar against a target. What the meter is for, the data it needs and every option it has." section: "Widgets" canonical: "https://banksync.io/docs/widgets/chart-meter" specs: ["dashboards"] operationBindings: [{"capability":"dashboards","operation":"dashboards.author"}] --- Bar against a target. It sits in the **Single value** group of the widget library. ![Example meter on a BankSync dashboard](https://cdn.banksync.io/screenshots/docs/charts/meter.8c3f909bb9224558.png) ## When to use it Use a meter to show one value as a bar along a scale, with an optional target marker and coloured ranges. It suits "how far are we towards the target" questions, such as spending this month against a budget, or an emergency fund against its goal. ## When to pick something else - Just a percent of a goal, as a ring? Use **Progress**. - A dial with zones? Use a **Gauge**. - Several items each against their own target? Use a **Bullet chart**. - The number and its trend? Use a **KPI**. ## The data it needs Pick these in the **Data** tab of the inspector. BankSync suggests a column for each when your source has an obvious match. | Field | Needed | Pick | Notes | | --------- | ------ | -------- | ----- | | **Value** | Yes | a number | | Each row is drawn as it is, so shape the rows first if you need totals. See [Shaping data](/docs/dashboards/dashboards-shaping-data). ## Meter options Set these on the **Style** tab of the inspector. "Automatic" means BankSync picks a value from the chart's size and data. | Option | What it does | Values | New charts start with | | ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------- | --------------------- | | **Value column** | The column the number comes from. Its values are added up into one number. | Text | `value` | | **Target** | The value the bar fills up to. It sets the end of the scale and is marked on the bar. | Number | 100 | | **Orientation** | Lay the bar horizontally (the default) or vertically. | Horizontal, Vertical | Automatic | | **Corner radius** | Rounds the ends of the bar, in pixels. Defaults to fully rounded. | Number, 0 or more | Automatic | | **Show value** | Write the current value next to the bar. On by default. | On or off | Automatic | | **Show target** | Draw a marker at the target on the bar. On by default. | On or off | Automatic | | **Show scale** | Write the start and end values of the scale. On by default. | On or off | Automatic | ### Needs history Show a note instead of the chart until the rows cover enough periods, so a first week never reads as a trend. | Option | What it does | Values | New charts start with | | ------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | --------------------- | | **Date field** | The date column whose distinct periods are counted. | Text | Automatic | | **Period** | What counts as one period: a day, week, month, quarter or year. | Day, Week, Month, Quarter, Year | Automatic | | **Periods needed** | How many distinct periods the rows must cover before the chart draws (2 to 60). | Whole number, 2 to 60 | Automatic | | **Waiting message** | Shown until there is enough history. Leave empty for a message naming the periods. | Text, up to 120 characters | Automatic | ### Number format How the number is written: currency, percent, decimals and locale. | Option | What it does | Values | New charts start with | | -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------- | | **Format** | The kind of number: plain, currency, percent, accounting, scientific, compact (1.2K), date, time or duration. Percent expects a fraction, so 0.25 shows 25%. | Number, Currency, Percent, Accounting, Scientific, Compact, Date, Time, Duration | Automatic | | **Locale** | Language and region for separators and symbols, such as en-US or en-AU. Defaults to en-US. | Text | Automatic | | **Currency** | Three-letter currency code such as USD, AUD or EUR, or auto to use the currency most of the rows are in. Defaults to USD when neither this nor a currency column is set. | Text | Automatic | | **Currency column** | The column that holds each row’s currency code, such as currency or isoCurrencyCode, for money in more than one currency. A total is shown in the currency most of its rows are in; when they mix currencies the code is written after the number, such as 1,234.50 AUD, and a KPI says the total adds different currencies. With no code in the rows, a plain number is shown rather than a guessed symbol. | Text, up to 120 characters | Automatic | | **Currency display** | Write the currency as its symbol, such as A$1,234.50 (the default), as its code after the number, such as 1,234.50 AUD, which reads the same in every country, or as the bare sign, such as $1,234.50. A dashboard whose money is all in its workspace’s currency uses the bare sign on its own. | Symbol, Code, Narrow | Automatic | | **Decimal places** | Show exactly this many digits after the decimal point. | Number | Automatic | | **Sign** | When to show a plus or minus sign: automatically, always, for non-zero values only, or never. | Auto, Always, Except zero, Never | Automatic | | **Time zone** | Time zone for date and time formats, such as Australia/Sydney. Leave empty for the viewer’s own. | Text | Automatic | ### Colour bands Coloured ranges along the bar. The bar takes the colour of the band its value falls in. Add as many as you need; each one has: | Option | What it does | Values | New charts start with | | --------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------- | --------------------- | | **Ends at** | Where this band ends, as a fraction of the target (0.8 is 80%). Each band starts where the previous one ended. | Number, 0 or more | Automatic | | **Band colour** | Colour of this band, and of the bar when its value falls in the band. | Colour | Automatic | | **Band name** | Optional name shown under the bar and in the tooltip. | Text | Automatic | ## Shared chart styling Every chart also has the shared styling options. These apply to this one: - [Legend](/docs/widgets/chart-styling#legend): position, layout and which series show. - [Axes](/docs/widgets/chart-styling#axes): titles, tick labels and number format. - [Grid](/docs/widgets/chart-styling#grid), [title](/docs/widgets/chart-styling#title), [padding](/docs/widgets/chart-styling#padding) and [background](/docs/widgets/chart-styling#background). - [Value labels](/docs/widgets/chart-styling#value-labels) on the marks. - [Categories and labels](/docs/widgets/chart-styling#categories-and-labels): top N with "Other", sort order, readable labels, the handwritten callout. - [Style](/docs/widgets/chart-styling#style): corner radius, line width, opacity and animation. - [Tooltip](/docs/widgets/chart-styling#tooltip) on hover. - [Colours](/docs/widgets/chart-styling#palette): follow the dashboard palette or pick one for this chart. ## Messy data - All rows are added into one value by default; choose another summary for balances. - With no matching rows the meter shows 0, not an empty message, so check the source if a meter reads zero unexpectedly. - The target sets the end of the scale. Without one, the scale runs to 100, or to the value if it is larger. - A value past the end draws a full bar, shows the true figure and notes "over" the maximum; one below the start notes "under". ## On a phone A horizontal meter fits a phone's width well. When the cell gets short, the scale numbers are hidden first so the bar and value keep their room. ## Related charts - [Gauge](/docs/widgets/chart-gauge): Needle on a band scale - [Progress](/docs/widgets/chart-progress): Bar / ring percentage