DIVERGING BAR

horizontal diverging bar from a zero axis. Needs: one categorical dimension + one signed measure (variance vs plan, budget, or zero).

deviationvariancecomparison

DL-01 AGRAW

Use when

signed variance per category: ahead/behind, over/under, surplus/deficit
the zero line is a meaningful reference (plan, budget, target)
fewer than 12 categories

Do not use when

sequential deltas that bridge two totals (use CH-FLO-01)
all values one sign (use CH-RNK-01; a one-sided diverging bar is a plain bar)
two-point before/after per category (CH-DEV-02 when built)

See instead

deltas chain into a running total: CH-FLO-01
all values share one sign: CH-RNK-01

Alternatives

CH-DEV-02 (dumbbell, planned)
CH-DEV-03 (spine, planned)

Rules

zero line vertical at plot center; positives grow right, negatives left
rows sorted descending by value (best on top, worst at bottom)
positive role for favorable, negative role for unfavorable; ALWAYS with signed labels
value labels outside the bar end, signed
unit once, on the first value label

Never do this

color without signed labels (color-blind readers lose the sign)
asymmetric scales that exaggerate one side
sorting alphabetically
diverging bars for unsigned data

QA before delivering

zero line at center, both sides same scale
every label signed
rows descending by value
unit exactly once
title names the extreme deviation with a number
source line present bottom-left

Data shape

title	string, action title naming the worst or best deviation with a number
eyebrow	string caps, rendered only when the DL chrome asks for it
source	string, rendered bottom-left, always
unit	string, appears once, on the first value label
categories	array of {label, value signed number}

Sample data (golden)

{
  "title": "Electrical runs 14 days behind plan, the deepest slip of five disciplines",
  "eyebrow": "SCHEDULE VARIANCE . WEEK 28",
  "source": "Source: sample dataset v1, 2026-07-12",
  "unit": "days",
  "categories": [
    {
      "label": "Mechanical",
      "value": 7
    },
    {
      "label": "Instrumentation",
      "value": 4
    },
    {
      "label": "Civil",
      "value": -3
    },
    {
      "label": "Piping",
      "value": -9
    },
    {
      "label": "Electrical",
      "value": -14
    }
  ]
}