Graphs 2: – Introduction to Graphs 2

Data can be supplied in a number of forms to a graph as follows:

1. Data View Name

Charts often contain a lot of text strings, such as sector labels in pie charts, axis labels for XY charts, data labels for the data points, graph titles, and so on. You can substitute many of these parameters to allow you to configure precisely the information contained in the text and their format. For example, when drawing a pie chart with side label layout, the default sector label format is:

{label} ({percent}%)

In drawing the sector labels, the graph will replace {label} with the sector name, and {percent} with the sector percentage. So the label will be something like:

ABC (34.56%)

You can change the sector label format by changing the format string. For example, you can change it to:

{label}: US${value}K ({percent}%)

The sector value will then be something like:

ABC: US$123K (34.56%)

For fields that are numbers, dates, or times, the Graph feature supports a special syntax in parameter substitution to allow formatting of these values. Please refer to the Number Formatting and Date/Time Formatting sections below for details.

The following tables describe the fields available for various chart objects.

Parameters for Pie Charts

Parameters for all XY Charts

The following are parameters that apply to all XY Chart layers in general. Some layer types may have additional parameters (see below).

Note that some parameters do not apply in certain cases. For example, when specifying the aggregate label of a stacked bar chart, the {dataSetName} parameter does not apply, because a stacked bar is composed of multiple data sets. It does not belong to any particular data set and hence does not have a data set name.

Additional Parameters for HLOC and CandleStick Layers

Additional Parameters for Box Whisker Layers

Additional Parameters for Trend Layers

Parameters for Polar Charts

Parameters for an Axis

Number Formatting

For parameters that are numbers, the Graph function supports a number of formatting options in parameter substitution.

You follow the name of the parameter with a vertical bar character and then the format codes. For example, if you want a numeric field {value} to have a precision of two digits to the right of the decimal point, use , (comma) as the thousand separator, and use . (dot) as the decimal point, then you should use {value|2,.}. The number 123456.789 will therefore be displayed as 123,456.79.

For numbers, the formatting options are specified using the following syntax:

{[param]|[a][b][c][d]}

where:

You may skip the trailing formatting options if they are not needed. For example, {value|2} means formatting the value with two digits to the right, where the thousand separator, decimal point character, and negative sign character are all using the default settings of the chart.

Date/Time Formatting

For parameters that are dates and or times, the formatting options can be specified using the following syntax (note the parameter name is followed by a vertical bar character):

{[param]|[datetime_format_string]}

where [datetime_format_string] must start with an alphabetic character (A-Z or a-z), and may contain any characters except ). Certain characters are substituted according to the following table:

For example, a parameter substitution format of {value|mm-dd-yyyy} will display a date as something similar to 09-15-2002. A format of {value|dd/mm/yy hh:nn:ss a} will display a date as something similar to 15/09/02 03:04:05 pm.

Images

Graphs can use externally stored image files: png, jpg, jpeg, gif, wbmp or wmp (case insensitive) and should have these file suffixes. They must be located in the GraphsImages folder in the same directory as the Vision.lbs Caliach Vision library. If this folder does not exist Caliach Vision will create it.

Besides the graph wallpaper, images can be used in text using CDML; so the following will insert the snowy.png image:

This is snowy <*img=snowy.png*>

Note that in the example above the Wallpaper file has also been set to a small identity graphic with Caliach in 15% grey. Using a graphic form that supports transparency permits this effect, for example .png.

Because Graphs is an an external component it does not use normal fonts used in Caliach Vision’s reports and windows.

Graphs can use any true type (.ttf) or true type collection fonts (.ttc) and they must be located in the Fonts folder in the same directory as the executing Omnis Studio. If that Font folder does not exist you can create it.

If you want to use a font that is not currently in the Fonts folder, you must add it. After you add it when you next open the Graph will be listed in the font list.

In the design Graphs 2 Properties window there is a final Files tab pane in which you can list the extra files needed by the graph. This includes Fonts and Images. This list enables the system to subsequently manage these files around the network for other users. After you have finished the design, you can use the Synchronise Files List to Design to create or update the list of external files the design uses. When you save the graph design, these files will be copies from the extra files cache on the server or to it so that these files are available to all potential users. See below for how the file cache works.

<*font=timesi.ttf,size=18,color=FF0000*>Italic red text<*font=arial.ttf,size=10,color=8000*> and normal text

Note the American spelling of colour is used.

Extra Files Server Cache

To reduce network traffic extra fonts and images are stored locally to the executing Omnis Studio and Caliach Vision respectively. However, as many users may want to use the graph designs these files are copied to a GraphCache folder alongside your datafile (or in the case of ODB, the Direct Path folder). Within GraphCache there are the _fonts and _images folders that contain copies of extra files on all graphs designed on the site. If you download graphs from www.caliach.com web server and new files will be added.

WARNING: Uploading Fonts and Images can be an infringement of copyright. Caliach can not be responsible for your breaching copyright.

When a user uses a graph for the first time the program automatically copies files from the server cache to the users local folders, if they are not already there.

TIP: This system does not refresh changed image files, so if you want to change an image file, change it manually in the server cache folder, and delete the local copies so that they are renewed when the graph is next run.

Compiled in Program Version 5.10. Help data last modified 6 Jun 2012 03:50:00.00. No class.