ASCII Line Chart Generator

Put a short numeric trend in a README or terminal report without a chart image. Paste values in order, set the plot height, then copy the chart with its exact values.

One series. Equal intervals. No account or charting library needed.

Your plain-text trend

8 samples, 57 total columns

30 |               *
   |           *   /
   |          | \ |
   |       *  / | /
   |       /\*   *
   |   *  |
   |  | \ /
   |  /  *
12 | *
   +----------------

Samples: 1-8, equally spaced; no timestamps.
Range: 12 to 30; zero not forced.
* = sample; connectors are approximate, not measurements.
Values (sample: value):
1: 12
2: 18
3: 15
4: 24
5: 20
6: 28
7: 22
8: 30

The vertical range fits this series, not zero. Stars mark rounded samples; connectors are only a visual guide. The range, sample order and exact values travel with every export.

Reproduce an eight-sample trend

The initial input is eight fictional observations in one unit, sampled at equal intervals. It is a teaching example, not site analytics or a performance benchmark. Use these values and Plot height 9 to reproduce it:

The bottom row is 12 and the top row is 30. The range is 18 units over eight row gaps, or 2.25 units per gap. The first and last stars sit at those bounds; other samples round to the nearest row. Halfway ties go toward the larger value. More plot rows reduce rounding but do not add observations. Sample markers sit two horizontal columns apart.

Replace Values in order with your own 2-40 measurements in the same unit, one number per line.
Choose 5-20 plot rows and Generate line chart. Editing either input blocks exports of an earlier result.
Use Copy as Markdown for a fenced text block, or Download TXT for a plain-text report. Both include the range, legend and indexed values.
Add the unit and what sample 1 represents to your document. Preview it in a monospace font without wrapping.

Read shape and numbers together

Stars are samples; slashes, bars and dashes connect the rounded positions. A plus can mark merged connector strokes. Connectors are not measured intermediate values or a prediction. Exact input notation remains in the indexed list below the graph.

Each chart fits its own minimum and maximum, without forcing zero into view. Small changes can therefore look steep. Do not compare slopes or apparent heights across separately scaled charts without reading their ranges. A constant series sits in the middle (the upper middle row for an even height), with its value labeled.

Keep the observations equally spaced

Sample order is preserved; numbers are never sorted. This tool does not parse dates or irregular time gaps. Do not remove a missing day from a daily series and imply that the remaining points are consecutive days. A blank sample is an error, not zero or an instruction to join across missing data. Use a time-aware charting tool for gaps.

Decimal values from -1000000000 to 1000000000 work, with up to six decimal places. Scientific notation, commas, units, tabs and non-ASCII characters are rejected explicitly. Spaces around a number and one final line break are allowed. Input is limited to 4,096 UTF-16 units and 24 characters per number; no values are silently clipped or dropped.

Formatting runs in your browser. The tool does not save the series or put it in links or events. Site analytics, storage and hosting are separate. For labeled categories on a shared zero baseline, use the bar-chart generator; for a complete README workflow, follow the worked chart lesson.