# Series Scale Types | WPF Controls | DevExpress Documentation

This document explains the advantages that different scale types offer when defined for series arguments and values.

The *scale type* determines how a chart interprets the data provided for the arguments and values of points.

Argument and value scale types are defined via the [Series.ArgumentScaleType](/WPF/DevExpress.Xpf.Charts.Series.ArgumentScaleType) and [Series.ValueScaleType](/WPF/DevExpress.Xpf.Charts.Series.ValueScaleType) properties. Each scale type provides the capability to format data (e.g., currency, percent or date-time) that affects both the [series](/WPF/6341/controls-and-libraries/charts-suite/chart-control/series/series-point-labels) and the [axis labels](/WPF/6336/controls-and-libraries/charts-suite/chart-control/axes/axis-labels).

![DefaultSeriesScaleTypes](/WPF/images/defaultseriesscaletypes18582.png)

Note

You do not need to specify the [Series.ArgumentScaleType](/WPF/DevExpress.Xpf.Charts.Series.ArgumentScaleType) property (set to the **Auto** mode by default) because the type of series points’ arguments is detected automatically based on the type of underlying data.

There are four scale types available.

- [ScaleType.Qualitative](/WPF/DevExpress.Xpf.Charts.ScaleType)

      Note that the **Qualitative** scale type can only be applied to series *arguments* because with this scale type, individual point values are treated as strings that can only be sorted, aggregated and filtered based on these values.
- [ScaleType.Numerical](/WPF/DevExpress.Xpf.Charts.ScaleType)

      This is the default scale type for the [Series.ValueScaleType](/WPF/DevExpress.Xpf.Charts.Series.ValueScaleType) property.
- [ScaleType.DateTime](/WPF/DevExpress.Xpf.Charts.ScaleType)

      This scale type is available for both the series *arguments* and *values*.
- [ScaleType.TimeSpan](/WPF/DevExpress.Xpf.Charts.ScaleType)

      This scale type is available for both the series *arguments* and *values*.

Note

If the **DateTime** or **TimeSpan** scale type is assigned for point values and/or arguments, you can use the [SeriesPoint.DateTimeValue](/WPF/DevExpress.Xpf.Charts.SeriesPoint.DateTimeValue)([SeriesPoint.TimeSpanValue](/WPF/DevExpress.Xpf.Charts.SeriesPoint.TimeSpanValue)) and [SeriesPoint.DateTimeArgument](/WPF/DevExpress.Xpf.Charts.SeriesPoint.DateTimeArgument)([SeriesPoint.TimeSpanArgument](/WPF/DevExpress.Xpf.Charts.SeriesPoint.TimeSpanArgument)) properties to obtain the date-time representation of these values.

Additionally, a series scale type defines the scale of the associated [axes](/WPF/6334/controls-and-libraries/charts-suite/chart-control/axes/axes), and each scale type provides a specific set of configurations available for an axis range. However, an axis range can be defined irrespective of the scale type being used, via the [AxisRange.MinValueInternal](/WPF/DevExpress.Xpf.Charts.AxisRange.MinValueInternal) and [AxisRange.MaxValueInternal](/WPF/DevExpress.Xpf.Charts.AxisRange.MaxValueInternal) properties.