# Explanation

Explanation guides build your understanding of hvPlot: how it works, why it behaves the way it does, and how to choose between its approaches. They discuss concepts rather than give step-by-step instructions. For those, see the [How-to guides](../how_to/index.md), and for exhaustive details the [Reference](../ref/index.md).

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:::{grid-item-card} {octicon}`table;2.5em;sd-mr-1` Wide and long data
:link: wide_vs_long_data
:link-type: doc

What the two shapes of tabular data are, how hvPlot handles each, and when to prefer one.
:::

:::{grid-item-card} {octicon}`git-compare;2.5em;sd-mr-1` Grouping and coloring options
:link: grouping_options
:link-type: doc

The differences between `groupby`, `by` and `color`, and how to choose the right one.
:::

:::{grid-item-card} {octicon}`graph;2.5em;sd-mr-1` Statistical plot types
:link: statistical_plot_types
:link-type: doc

What each statistical plot shows, when to use it and how to read it.
:::

:::{grid-item-card} {octicon}`stack;2.5em;sd-mr-1` Plotting backend support
:link: plotting_backend_support
:link-type: doc

How hvPlot draws with Bokeh, Matplotlib and Plotly, and why styling options differ between them.
:::

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```{toctree}
:titlesonly:
:hidden:
:maxdepth: 2

Wide and long data <wide_vs_long_data>
Grouping and coloring options <grouping_options>
Statistical plot types <statistical_plot_types>
Plotting backend support <plotting_backend_support>
```