Stepline chart - choose preferred line interpolation

[tinakuzmenko]

Summary

Introduce an enhanced feature for the "stepline" line chart to allow choosing preferred line interpolation style. Currently, the stepline chart defaults to stepping after each data point. This proposal suggests adding an option to enable stepping before the data point, accommodating a wider range of use cases and improving data visualization accuracy.

API Changes

Example of this behaviour is currently present in Grafana:

Intended Use Case

Step after:

• Manufacturing and Production Monitoring: Visualize production outputs where the end-of-period values are more relevant.
• Financial Transactions: Represent transaction completions that are recognized at the close of business hours.
• Energy Consumption: Display energy usage patterns where readings are taken at the end of each time period.

Step before:

• Inventory Tracking: Monitor stock levels to visualize the inventory status right before new additions or subtractions, crucial for understanding stock movement and planning replenishments.
• Event-Driven Data Analysis: Record occurrences of specific events, such as system alerts or error logs, showing the system's state leading up to an event to clarify periods of stability versus times of increased activity.
• Energy Production Monitoring: Track energy production (e.g., solar, wind) over time, illustrating the amount of energy produced before any changes in capacity or consumption, useful for production stability analysis and capacity planning.
• Budget and Expense Tracking: Monitor budget allocation or expenses over time, visualizing the budget spent or remaining before each new expense, offering insights into financial management and planning.