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time-series family
step-line
Line that moves only horizontally then vertically — no diagonals.
Encodes piecewise-constant data: a value holds steady, then jumps. Used for interest rate decisions, tier changes, or any quantity that changes at discrete moments rather than continuously.
When to use
Discrete state changes: rate hikes, regulatory changes, version releases.
When NOT to use
Underlying data is continuous (use line).
Rhetorical roles
- evolve
Variants & related
Required primitives
- has_axis_titles
- has_gridlines
Optional primitives
- has_data_labels
Common anti-patterns
- mismatched-encoding
Disambiguation rules
- Look for right-angle corners — no diagonals between data points.
- Often used with annotations marking the cause of each step.