A chart can be static, in the sense that there are no changes in its appearance while it is displayed, or it can be dynamic, reacting to user actions or external data feeds or both.

A static chart, as the name implies, will not change once it is drawn: it is a snapshot of a given system. Report generating softwares allow you to create such static charts. A static chart is often created for documentation purposes. Examples include electronic schematics and org charts.

A dynamic chart, on the other hand, remains in contact with business data during the display phase and is expected to change over time in response to business-related changes. Examples of such changes are: values of new data points, an operator moves an object to a different position, and so on. On a computer display, as part of a larger computer system, the chart is connected to the underlying business objects by specialized software. As the business objects evolve, the elements of the chart automatically evolve with them. The rendering of the graphic objects that represent each business object is modified to show changing business conditions. This capability makes the chart a living entity, aware of changes in the underlying data, in fact, the term data-aware is often used to describe a display that is connected to business data in this way.