THE GITHTML FIELD GUIDE
Recover a chart that disappears when scripts are disabled
Check whether the chart is drawn after JavaScript runs or fetched from a remote data source. Publish the important result as HTML text and, where useful, a table plus a static chart generated during authoring. A blank canvas or an instruction to enable scripts does not preserve the evidence.
Identify what the HTML actually contains
A chart container may hold only an empty canvas, an empty SVG, or a div awaiting a library. The meaningful values might live in an external file or arrive from an API. Inspect the delivered artifact to determine which parts are present before deciding whether a settings change could help. A script bundle reference is not the same as embedded chart data.
Separate rendering dependencies from data dependencies. Even if the chart library is available, its dataset may require a network request or private authorization. Conversely, the values may already be in the file while the visual is missing. This distinction guides the author toward either a data export or a static rendering step instead of a vague request to make the chart work.
Write a durable evidence block
Start with the conclusion the chart supports. For example, response time increased during the reporting window while request volume stayed roughly stable. Then include the units, date range, and selected values necessary to evaluate that statement. Use a small table when exact comparisons matter, and avoid implying causation that the data does not establish.
A static visual can accompany this block when shape or trend adds useful information. Generate it locally from the reviewed data and identify the snapshot date. Do not present a frozen chart as live monitoring. If the original chart offers filters, state which selection the export represents so readers do not mistake one slice for the complete dataset.
Preserve optional interaction separately
The interactive version may still be valuable for deeper investigation. Link to it as an optional destination for authorized readers, while keeping the report's core argument complete. In gitHtml, leave JavaScript off during the baseline review. Enabling it indiscriminately is not an appropriate repair for an artifact whose purpose is dependable reading.
- Search for actual chart values in the exported HTML.
- Identify any remote data request or runtime rendering library.
- Add a prose conclusion and the important numeric evidence.
- Export a static visual if the trend benefits from one.
- State units, filters, date range, and uncertainty.
- Review the document without the interactive chart and confirm the decision can still be evaluated.
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