README

A Craft CMS 5 plugin that provides a Chart field type. Content editors enter data in a spreadsheet-style grid; the plugin stores it in a library-agnostic JSON format and renders it on the frontend using the charting library configured by the developer.

Supported libraries: Chart.js · HighCharts · ApexCharts

Features

• Spreadsheet-style data entry — editors fill in a familiar grid; no JSON, no code, no frustration.
• Three charting libraries, one field — choose Chart.js (free), HighCharts, or ApexCharts per field instance; swap without touching templates.
• 14 chart types — Line, Bar, Column, Area, Stacked variants, Pie, Donut, Scatter, Radar, Polar, Heatmap, and more.
• Combo / mixed charts — assign a different chart type per series (e.g. columns + line overlay) for all three libraries.
• Live CP preview — see the chart render in real time as data is entered, before the entry is saved.
• Excel / Google Sheets paste — paste a copied range directly into the grid; rows and columns are created automatically.
• Per-series custom colours — pick a colour for each data series directly in the column header; colour pickers for pie/donut slices too.
• Configurable colour palettes — ship with five built-in palettes (Default, Warm, Cool, Monochrome, Pastel) and define your own in config/chart-field.php.
• HighCharts optional modules — enable Exporting, Export Data, Accessibility, Drilldown, Data, and Annotations modules from plugin settings; each loads its CDN script automatically.
• Library-agnostic storage — data is saved as clean, portable JSON; switch charting libraries or go headless without re-entering data.
• One-line frontend rendering — {{ entry.myChart.render() }} outputs the container, script tag, and initialisation in a single call.
• Developer-friendly config — override CDN URLs, add license keys, and customise palettes via a plain PHP config file with .env variable support.

Requirements

• Craft CMS 5.0 or later
• PHP 8.2 or later

Installation

composer require frontend-services/craft-chart-field
php craft plugin/install chart-field

Plugin Settings

Go to Settings → Plugins → Chart Field to configure global options.

License Keys

HighCharts requires a commercial license. Enter your key here so charts render without a watermark.

Auto-load JS

When enabled (default), the plugin automatically includes the charting library <script> tag when render() is called in your template. Disable this if you prefer to include the library yourself.

HighCharts Modules

Optional HighCharts modules that can be enabled individually. When enabled and Auto-load JS is on, each module's script is included automatically after the core library.

Module	Description
Exporting	Adds export and print buttons to charts
Export Data	Export chart data as CSV or XLSX (requires Exporting)
Accessibility	Screen reader support and keyboard navigation
Drilldown	Click data points to reveal sub-categories
Data	Load data from HTML tables, CSV, or Google Sheets
Annotations	Add text labels and shapes to charts

CDN URL Overrides

Override the default CDN URL for any library or module — useful for self-hosting, GDPR compliance, or pinning a specific version.

Field Settings

Each Chart field instance can be configured independently in the field's settings screen.

Setting	Description
Charting Library	Which library to use for this field. Content authors never see this choice.
Allowed Chart Types	Which chart types the editor can pick from.
Default Color Palette	The palette applied when no custom colors are set.
Allow custom colors	Lets editors pick a custom color per series.
Show advanced styling options	Exposes legend and tooltip controls to the editor.
Show live preview	Renders a live chart preview in the CP as the editor enters data.

Supported Chart Types per Library

Type	Chart.js	HighCharts	ApexCharts
Line	✅	✅	✅
Spline		✅
Bar (horizontal)	✅	✅	✅
Column (vertical)	✅	✅	✅
Area	✅	✅	✅
Stacked Bar	✅	✅	✅
Stacked Column	✅	✅	✅
Stacked Area	✅	✅	✅
Pie	✅	✅	✅
Donut	✅	✅	✅
Scatter	✅	✅	✅
Radar	✅		✅
Polar		✅
Polar Area	✅
Heatmap			✅

Twig Usage

Render a chart

The simplest usage — outputs the container element, the library <script> tag (if auto-load is on), and the initialisation script:

{{ entry.myChartField.render() }}

With null safety:

{% if entry.myChartField and entry.myChartField.chartType %}
    {{ entry.myChartField.render() }}
{% else %}
    <p>No chart data available.</p>
{% endif %}

With options:

{{ entry.myChartField.render({
    id:     'revenue-chart',
    class:  'my-chart',
    height: '500px',
    width:  '100%',
}) }}

JSON only

If you want to initialise the chart yourself:

<div id="my-chart"></div>
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/chart.js"></script>
<script>
    new Chart(document.getElementById('my-chart'), {{ entry.myChartField.json | raw }});
</script>

Manual script management

Get the resolved CDN URL(s) for the configured library:

{% for url in entry.myChartField.jsAssets %}
    <script src="{{ url }}"></script>
{% endfor %}

Config File

Create config/chart-field.php in your Craft project to override any plugin setting without touching the database.

<?php
// config/chart-field.php

return [
    // License key for HighCharts (reads from .env)
    'licenseKeys' => [
        'highcharts' => '$HIGHCHARTS_LICENSE_KEY',
    ],

    // Self-host the charting libraries
    'autoLoadJs' => true,
    'cdnOverrides' => [
        'highcharts' => '/dist/highcharts.js',
    ],

    // Enable HighCharts optional modules
    'highchartsModules' => ['exporting', 'export-data', 'accessibility'],

    // Override CDN URLs for individual HighCharts modules
    'highchartsModuleCdnOverrides' => [
        'exporting' => '/dist/modules/exporting.js',
    ],

    // Define your own color palettes
    // Keys are the handle shown in the field settings dropdown
    // Omitting the built-in keys removes them from the dropdown
    'palettes' => [
        'brand'      => ['#FF6B35', '#004E89', '#1A936F', '#C6D8AF', '#F7B731'],
        'default'    => ['#4A90D9', '#D94A4A', '#50C878', '#FFB347', '#9B59B6'],
        'monochrome' => ['#2C3E50', '#34495E', '#7F8C8D', '#95A5A6', '#BDC3C7'],
    ],
];

Default palettes

The plugin ships with these palettes (all overridable via config):

Handle	Preview
default	Blue, Red, Green, Orange, Purple, Teal, …
warm	Reds, oranges, and yellows
cool	Blues, greens, and purples
monochrome	Greys and dark blues
pastel	Soft, light tones