Creating a chart report

A chart organizes and graphically presents data in a way that makes it easy for end users to see comparisons, trends, and patterns in data. It represents the report data in a visually straightforward form. A chart is based on the chart platform. On the platform, the chart paper, the legend, and labels make up the chart. You can create a chart that contains only simple DBFields, or a complicated chart that contains DBFields, groups, summaries, and even formulas. Normally, DBFields, summaries, and formulas in a report are represented in a chart using chart data markers, and groups are used to produce category names and data series names. DBFields can also be used as category names.

For details about the chart types JReport supports, see Chart types in the JReport Designer User's Guide.

For how charts present data, see How data is represented in a chart in the JReport Designer User's Guide.

For the elements that compose a chart, see Chart elements in the JReport Designer User's Guide.

To create a chart report, follow the steps below:

1. Take steps 1 and 2 in Creating a report tab.
2. Select Chart as the layout and click OK to display the Chart Wizard.
3. In the Data screen, select the business/report cube in the current catalog, on which the chart will be built.
4. In the Type screen, specify the chart type as required.
   

   A default chart type exists in the Chart Type Groups box. To replace it with another one, select a chart type from the Chart Type box. The thumbnails of the subtypes in this type will then be displayed in the Subtype box. Select the required subtype to replace the default chart type.

   If you want to create a combo chart, click <Add Combo Type> of Primary Axis or Secondary Axis in the Chart Type Groups box, and an additional subtype will be added. To replace the additional subtype, select it, then specify the required type and subtype respectively in the Chart Type and Sub Type boxes.

   To add more subtypes, repeat the procedures. To remove a subtype, select it and click .

5. In the Display screen, select a dimension object in the Resources box and add it to the Category or Series box, the data of which will be displayed on the corresponding axis. Select a subtype in the Show Values box, then add a measure object or an additional value as the data of the subtype.

   To add an additional value to a subtype:

   1. Select the subtype in the Show Values box.
   2. In the Resources box, expand the Additional Values node, then select Constant Value/Average Value.
   3. Click beside the Show Values box. The Edit Additional Value dialog appears.
   4. In the Name text box, specify the display name for the constant/average value.
   5. Input the constant value with numeric type in the Value text box, or select a field based on which the average value will be calculated from the Based On drop-down list.
   6. Click OK, and the defined constant/average value will be added to the subtype.

      If you want to further modify a constant/average value, select the value in the Show Values box, then click . In the Edit Additional Value dialog, edit the value as required.

   You can add more than one measure object or additional value to a subtype. Each added subtype shall have at least one measure object or additional value.

6. If you want to define the sort order and Select N condition on the category/series axis of the chart, click the Order/Select N button below the Category/Series box, then define the condition in the Order/Select N dialog.

   To define a sort order and Select N condition on the category/series axis:

   1. In the Order box of the Order/Select N dialog, specify in which order values on the category/series axis will be sorted. See the dialog.

      

   2. In the Select N box, specify the Select N condition to All, Top or Bottom. If All is selected, all category/series values will be shown in the chart; if Top or Bottom is selected, the text field next to it will be enabled and you can specify an integer here, which means that the first or last N category/series values will be shown in the chart.
   3. Check the Based On checkbox and specify values for the two drop-down lists that follow according to your requirement.

      If Based On is unchecked, the order of the first or last N category/series values will be based on what you specify in the Order box of the dialog; if you check it, the order will be based on values of the summary field and the sort direction you specify in the drop-down lists next to the Based On checkbox.

   4. If you have selected Top or Bottom from the Select N drop-down list, you can check the Other checkbox and the type a character string in the next text field, so that the category/series values beyond the first or last N range will be merged into the group with the name as that character string.
   5. Click OK to accept the settings.
7. In the Query Filter screen, specify the filter you want to apply to the business/report cube.
8. In the Style screen, apply a style to the chart.
9. Click Finish to create the report.

See also Chart Wizard for details about options in the wizard.