Authoring
Chart specifications
The declarative ChartSpec model — families, field channels, and styling.
A chart is described by a ChartSpec: a validated, declarative document that says what to render and how to style it. There is no arbitrary renderer code — unsupported options are rejected, and every accepted field is declared in the capability resource.
Anatomy of a spec
Prop
Type
Validation
Before anything renders, the spec is validated against the bound dataset:
- Field types must match the channel's expectations — a date dimension is not silently cast to a string category.
- Measures must be measures; dimensions must be dimensions.
- Point counts are bounded — very large selections are rejected rather than rendered unreadably.
Errors come back with paths and codes, both in the editor and over the API.
Where specs live
Specs are immutable once accepted: an edit produces a new revision on the artifact. The full declarative surface is available through the API, MCP, and SDK; the console editor exposes the common controls.
Related
- Chart bindings — how specs reference data.
- Exports — rendering specs to images and data.
- Your first chart walkthrough: first chart.