Specifying data settings for charts

When using the Specify Chart Settings dialog box to create and configure charts, these settings are all made on the Data tab. This tab includes these groups for different types of data settings.

  • Chart Attributes
  • Chart Data
  • Caption
  • Sub-Caption
  • Property for X-Axis Labels
  • Binding

When modifying a chart by script, use the ChartSetProperty method or the ChartGetProperty method to make these settings. Use the ChartProperty enumeration.

Chart Attributes group

This table lists the settings you can make in the Chart Attributes group box of the Data tab. ChartSetProperty and ChartGetProperty property names are also listed where applicable.

Data tab Field / Option Property name Description / Comments
Chart Style Not applicable Specify the style of chart:
  • Single Series Charts depict one set of data, for example "Sales by Month." Such a chart would show the months along the X-axis and the total sales amount along the Y-axis.
  • Multi-Series Charts depict one or more sets of data, for example "Sales by Year and Month."
  • Combination Charts combine two or more chart types, for example a bar and a line chart.
Chart Type Not applicable The list of chart types depends on the Chart Style you select.

For the procedure to preview chart types before deciding on the one you want, see Previewing chart types.

Caption Caption Specify the caption (title) for the chart.
Sub-Caption SubCaption Specify the subtitle, if any, for the chart.
X-Axis Name XAxisName Specify the label for the X (horizontal) axis.
Y-Axis Name YAxisName Specify the label for the Y (vertical) axis.
Caption Alignment C aptionAlignment Specify whether the chart caption (title) should be aligned left, center, or right.
Show Caption On Top C aptionOnTop By default, this option is selected and the caption displays above the chart. If this check box is cleared, the caption displays below the chart.
Align Caption With Canvas A lignCaptionWithCanvas By default, this option is selected and the caption displays aligned with the chart canvas. If this check box is cleared, the caption is aligned with the chart component area.
Caption Padding CaptionPadding Specify, in pixels, the space between the caption, if any, and the top of the canvas.
Caption Horizontal Padding CaptionHorizontalPadding Specify, in pixels, the space between the caption and either the left side  (for left-justified captions) or the right side (for right-justified captions) of the canvas. This setting has no effect on center-justified captions.

In addition to these properties, when scripting, the ChartProperty enumeration also supports other properties. In the Specify Chart Settings dialog box, these properties are set by the selection of a Chart Style and a Chart Type. For more information about these additional properties, see the FusionCharts online help at www.fusioncharts.com/dev/.

Chart Data group

This table lists the settings you can make in the Chart Data group box of the Data tab. You cannot set these properties using the ChartSetProperty method and ChartGetProperty method.

Data tab Field / Option Description / Comments
Collection Specify the IDO collection that contains the properties you want to chart. The drop-down list includes all IDO collections that are available on the current form.

When you select the collection, the Available Properties list is populated automatically.

Available Properties To add a property to the list of fields you want to chart, select the property from the collection and click Add>>.

In the case of Multi-Series Charts and Combination Charts, you can specify multiple properties. If you specify multiple properties for a Single Series Chart, only the first property is used; the others are ignored.

Selected properties list This grid displays the properties that have been selected for inclusion in the chart.

To remove a property from the list of fields you want to chart, click <<Remove.  

To move properties within the list, use the Up and Down buttons.

Caption group

This table lists the settings you can make in the Caption group box of the Data tab. ChartSetProperty and ChartGetProperty property names are also listed.

Data tab Field / Option Property name Description / Comments
Font CaptionFont Specify the font or font family to use for the caption; for example, Arial.
Font Size CaptionFontSize Specify a font size, in points (0 to 72), for the caption text.
Font Color CaptionFontColor Specify the RGB value for the caption text color, as a hexadecimal value (000000-FFFFFF).

You can double-click to display the Color dialog box, where you can select a color or define a custom color for the caption text.  The hexadecimal code displays after you click OK to exit the Color dialog box.

Bold CaptionFontBold When selected, this option specifies that the caption is to be displayed in boldface.

Sub-Caption group

This table lists the settings you can make in the Sub-Caption group box of the Data tab. ChartSetProperty and ChartGetProperty property names are also listed.

Data tab Field / Option Property name Description / Comments
Font SubCaptionFont Specify the font or font family to use for the subcaption; for example, Arial.
Font Size SubCaptionFontSize Specify a font size, in points (0 to 72), for the subcaption text.
Font Color SubCaptionFontColor Specify the RGB value for the subcaption text color, as a hexadecimal value (000000-FFFFFF).

You can double-click to display the Color dialog box, where you can select a color or define a custom color for the subcaption text.  The hexadecimal code displays after you click OK to exit the Color dialog box.

Bold SubCaptionFontBold When selected, this option specifies that the subcaption is to be displayed in boldface.

Load Just In Time group

This group box on the Data tab contains a single field in which you can specify whether this control is displayed when it becomes visible in the form or displayed immediately when the form is shown.

Select this option if you want to reduce the time a form is displayed or refreshed.

Property for X-Axis Labels group

This group box on the Data tab contains a single field in which you can specify the property from the IDO collection to use for the X-axis labels.

You cannot set this property using the ChartSetProperty method and ChartGetProperty method.

Binding group

This group box includes two mutually exclusive options:

  • To chart all the data in the collection together, select the Bind Chart to Entire Collection option.
  • To chart the data separately for each record in the collection, so that the chart data display changes each time a new record is selected, select the Bind Chart to Current Row option.

You cannot set these properties using the ChartSetProperty method and ChartGetProperty method.

For more information about these and other chart properties, see the FusionCharts Developer help (www.fusioncharts.com/dev/).

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