SPARKLINE
Draw a range of numbers as a row of block characters in a single cell — a trend you can read at a glance beside the data.
Syntax
SPARKLINE(data, [type])| Argument | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
data | Required | The numbers to draw, in order. |
type | Optional | "bar" (the default) or "winloss". "line" is accepted and currently draws the same as "bar". |
Examples
Every example below was executed against VisiGrid engine 0.54.0 — not
transcribed from another vendor's documentation. Reproduce any of them with vgrid calc.
| Formula | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|
=SPARKLINE(B2:B4) | ▁█▅ | Lowest value is the shortest bar, highest the tallest. |
=SPARKLINE(C2:C5,"winloss") | ▲▼▲▼ | Only the sign matters — up for positive, down for negative. |
=SPARKLINE(B2:B4,"pie") | Unknown sparkline type: pie. Use 'bar', 'line', or 'winloss' |
Text, not a picture
The result is ordinary text made of the Unicode block characters ▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█, scaled so the smallest value in the range is the lowest block and the largest is the highest. Because it is text it copies, exports to CSV and shows in a terminal, and it recalculates like any other formula.
Win/loss
"winloss" ignores size and shows only direction — useful for months over or
under target, or days up or down.
Portability
Neither Excel nor Google Sheets will read this formula the same way: Excel has
no SPARKLINE function, and Sheets’ version draws an image and takes an options
object. In a file that has to open elsewhere, use the text it produces (paste as
values) rather than the formula.
Excel compatibility
VisiGrid's own function. Excel has sparklines as a chart feature rather than a formula, and Google Sheets' SPARKLINE draws a graphic with different options, so a formula using it will not carry over to either.