Methods and systems for building a view of a dataset incrementally according to characteristics of user-selected data fields

A process builds a view of a dataset. The process displays a graphical user interface, including: a fields region; a visualization region; and a shelf region that includes multiple shelves. The process detects user input that moves a data field icon from the fields region into the visualization region. Upon ceasing to detect the user input, the process associates the data field icon with a first shelf according to its characteristics and characteristics corresponding to other data field icons, if any, previously associated with the shelves. The method further includes: (i) determining one or more chart types for visualizing a portion of the dataset based, at least in part, on the data field icon and its characteristics, and (ii) generating a graphical representation of the portion of the dataset in the visualization region using a first chart type selected from the one or more determined chart types.