Frequently Asked Questions

General

DOT Syntax
The DOT syntax lets you create graphs and visualizations using text. To learn more about the DOT syntax, please visit https://dotchart.app/syntax.html
System Requirements
DotChart requires macOS Ventura 13.5 or later.
I have a feature request
If you want to suggest a feature, or have any other question, feel free to reach out to us at support@dotchart.app. We would love to hear your ideas!
I have a bug report
If you found a bug in DotChart, please reach out to us at support@dotchart.app. We will make sure to address these issues in future releases.
How do I support the app?
The easiest way to support DotChart is to purchase the In-App purchase within the app itself. It will remove some limitations. If you like using DotChart, take a minute and leave a review on the App Store. That helps a ton!
Which file extensions are supported by DotChart?
You can open .dot and .gv files.

Command Line

How to enable the command line?

Go in the Command Line tab of the preferences of DotChart. Then follow the steps to enable the command line:

  1. Grant access to the command line tool.
  2. Run in the Terminal /Applications/DotChart.app/Contents/MacOS/CLI/dotchart
  3. Optionally create for convenience a symlink with the command cd /usr/local/bin && sudo ln -s /Applications/DotChart.app/Contents/MacOS/CLI/dotchart
Why do I need to grant access for the command line?
DotChart is distributed on the Mac App Store and is a sandboxed application with restricted access to the files. For the command line tool to be able to access files, you need to explicitly select a folder.
How to use the command line?
If you create the symlink for convenience, you just need to run the command dotchart in a Terminal window. The DotChart command takes a Markdown file as input and generates an PNG file as output.

Pricing & License

Is there a demo version?
DotChart can be downloaded for free on the Mac App Store. An optional In-App purchase unlocks a range of advanced features.