Formatting overrides

Depending on the element that is displayed in the chart, you can control whether certain chart series have always the same format. For example, you can ensure that a certain branch or region has always the same color in all charts.

The Formatting overrides field is displayed on the Pattern tab in the Format Data Series dialog box.

Instead of using formula editors for each formatting property, you can specify one formula in the Formatting overrides field. This field controls all available properties of the series formatting and overrides the standard formatting. The Formatting overrides field supports the xml format.

In the Formatting overrides field, you can specify a formula that results in either an RGB color number or xml value with the formatting properties. To receive an RGB color number, specify the GETCOLOR formula. To generate an xml value, specify the SETPROPERTY formula.

If a formula results in one color, a value is automatically assigned to these formatting properties:

  • Fill color in the Column and Bar charts
  • Line color in the Line and XY Scatter charts

If a formula results in an xml value, the row name in the xml value can be either "Category" or "Legend". That makes the properties apply to either the category value or legend of the chart.

If the result of a formula is not valid, then the system formatting is applied.

These charts are supported:

  • Column
  • Bar
  • Pie
  • Doughnut
  • Line
  • Profile
  • XY Scatter

In the xml value, you can define the color index and RGB color. The RGB color has a higher priority than the color index and is used in the chart styling.

This table shows common properties of the chart styling:
Property Description
colorindex Index in the color table.
colorused Color value of the double precision type or represented as #RRGGBB. You can use the GETCOLOR or GETCOLORRGB function.
transparency Valid values: 0 -100.
This table shows properties of the Bar and Column charts:
Property Description
bordercolor Color value of the double precision type or represented as #RRGGBB.
borderwidth Border width.
bordertransparency Valid values: 0 -100.
borderstyle These values are valid:
  • "Solid"
  • "Dash"
  • "Dot"
  • "Dot"
  • "DashDotDot"
This table shows properties of the Line chart:
Property Description
linewidth Color value of the double precision type or represented as #RRGGBB.
linestyle Valid values: 0 -100.
markerforecolor Color value of the double precision type or represented as #RRGGBB.
linestyle Valid values: 0 -100.
markerforecolor Color value of the double precision type or represented as #RRGGBB.
markerforetransparency Valid values: 0 -100.
markerbawidth markerstyle These values are valid:
  • "None"
  • "Automatic"
  • "Square"
  • "Diamond"
  • "Triangle"
  • "X"
  • "Star"
  • "Dot"
  • "Dash"
  • "Circle"
  • "Plus"
Note: If there is a typo in a property name in the SETPROPERTY formula, then that property is ignored.

Example of the SETPROPERTY formula for a Line chart

This is an example of the SETPROPERTY formula that generates an xml value:

=SETPROPERTY("","Category","colorindex",10,"color",255,"linewidth",2,"transparency",10,"markerforecolor","#00ff00","markerbacktransparency",60,"linestyle","dot","markerbackcolor",0,"markerforetransparency",20,"markerwidth",300,"markerstyle","star")