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Differences in pie chart behavior for multi-value fields: Data Center vs. Cloud

Differences in pie chart behavior for multi-value fields: Data Center vs. Cloud

Summary

This article explains the functional differences in how Rich Filters for Jira Dashboards handles pie charts for multi-value fields (such as Multi-select custom fields, Components, or Labels) when moving from Data Center to Cloud. It covers why the behavior changed and provides a recommended solution for displaying overlapping data.

Use case: pie charts with multi-value fields

When using multi-value fields in a pie chart, a single Jira issue can belong to multiple categories (for example, an issue with two components, A and B).

Context and problem

In Jira Data Center, the pie chart would attempt to represent these overlapping values. For example, if one issue had both Component A and Component B, the pie chart might visually split the slices (for example, 50%/50%), even though each slice technically represented 100% of that issue’s presence in that category.

In Jira Cloud, users may notice that the chart looks different or does not render as expected when using these same multi-value fields.

Cause

The behavior was changed in the Cloud version to be more functionally accurate. Pie charts are mathematically designed to represent parts of a whole where the sum of all slices equals 100%.

  • Unintuitive representation: On Data Center/Server, overlapping slices were visually misleading because a pie chart cannot truly represent an issue that exists in two places at once without exceeding 100% total volume.

  • Cloud logic: If an issue is in more than one slice, the pie chart logic breaks because the sum of slices is no longer 100%. Therefore, the Cloud version prioritizes data integrity by discouraging this specific visualization for overlapping data.

Solution or workaround

If you need to visualize data where issues can belong to multiple categories (overlapping data), the recommended approach is to use a Bar Chart instead of a Pie Chart.

  1. Open the configuration of your Rich Filter Statistics or Rich Filter Two-Dimensional Statistics gadget.

  2. Locate the Chart Type setting.

  3. Change the selection from Pie Chart to Bar Chart.

Why this works: Bar charts do not require the total sum to be 100%. Each bar independently represents the count for that specific value, making it the correct functional choice for multi-value fields like Labels, Components, or Multi-selects. There is no need to modify the underlying Jira issues.