How to Install and Get Started with Pygal

Pygal is a Python charting library that produces SVG charts, and the documented way to get running is short: install the package, create a chart object, pass in your data, and call render(). The official documentation (pygal 3.0.5) shows the whole pattern in one line — pygal.Bar()(1, 3, 3, 7)(1, 6, 6, 4).render() — which tells you the library is designed so that a usable chart needs no configuration beyond your data.

Installing Pygal

The documentation lists Installing as a top-level section alongside Documentation, Contributing, Changelog, and API. The standard Python package workflow applies:

pip install pygal

If you work in an isolated environment, install it inside a virtual environment so the dependency stays scoped to that project. The docs also maintain a Contributing page, which is where you'd look if you want to install from source rather than from a package index.

Your First Chart

The documented example is the clearest starting point:

import pygal

pygal.Bar()(1, 3, 3, 7)(1, 6, 6, 4).render()

Reading it left to right:

1. pygal.Bar() creates an empty bar chart object.
2. The first call, (1, 3, 3, 7), adds one data series.
3. The second call, (1, 6, 6, 4), adds a second series.
4. .render() returns the chart as an SVG string.

Two things are worth noting about this API. First, calling the chart object is how you add data — there is no separate add() step in the documented example. Second, render() returns a string, so you decide what to do with it: write it to a .svg file, embed it in an HTML page, or return it from a web view.

Choosing a Chart Type

Pygal exposes chart types as classes. The documentation's own example uses Bar, and the API Index and Module Index list the rest. The pattern is identical across types — swap the class name and keep the same call-and-render flow:

import pygal

chart = pygal.Line()
chart.add('Series A', [1, 3, 3, 7])
chart.add('Series B', [1, 6, 6, 4])
chart.render()

Both the chained form and the explicit add() form work; use whichever reads more clearly in your code.

Where to Go Next

The documentation is organized into these sections:

Start with Documentation for usage patterns, and keep API Index open when you need the exact signature of a chart type or option. Pygal is a Kozea project, and the docs are built with Sphinx.

Common Sticking Points

• Nothing renders to a file automatically. render() gives you a string; saving or serving it is your job.
• Data goes in as sequences. The documented example passes plain tuples, so lists and other sequences follow the same path.
• Check your chart type exists. If a class name isn't in the API Index, it isn't part of the documented surface.
• Version matters. The documentation covers pygal 3.0.5; behavior described there may differ from older releases, so confirm your installed version if something doesn't match.