The chart builder page has the following features:
- A Left Navigation Area toolbox with a list of fields from based report
- A toolbar at the top right corner
- Chart header area
- Chart name - editable label
- Chart description - editable label
- Chart series panel
- Chart preview
Any change to the chart settings makes the preview update immediately, except those made in property windows, which are applied when you select OK.
Toolbox
Chart builder consists of:
- The chart report name
- Which is linked to the based report (navigate to it if clicking on it)
- And will show <none> if there is no name
- A 'refresh' icon, which will reload the based report
- A list of chart series, each of which have:
- A list of report columns, which can be used as data sources
- A special 'Count' source of type integer
- A special 'Row number' source of type integer
The chart series:
- Show the column name
- Show an icon, based on the data type of the report column
- Can use drag and drop onto chart series inputs
Header
- Allows name and description to be edited
- Committed once you press enter or click away, or select save
Toolbar
Chart toolbar has the following options:
- Refresh - Reloads the report data, and re-renders the chart
- Properties - Opens the chart properties dialog
- Undo/Redo - Should work for all chart operations
- Save - Saves the chart (and reloads it). Prompts that save was successful
- Save As - Saves a copy of the chart as a new one. Prompts with a dialog for new chart name
- X - Closes chart builder, prompts the user to save any unsaved changes then does a navigate to parent
Series Panel
A chart has one or more series.
A series represents an instruction to take a particular set of sources and render them in a particular way.
Each series consists of the following:
- A name
- A chart type e.g. column, line, pie, etc.
- Several data source inputs e.g. primary, value, colour, that report columns (sources) can be assigned to
- Various properties (although these are typically exposed in the UI via property pages of individual inputs)
- A primary axis and a value axis (although some charts do not make use of these).
- Either or both of the axes may be shared between series
Updating the name
- The name of a series can be renamed by selecting the name and typing over it, otherwise a default name is assigned based on the chart type and the 'values' source
- A name can be restored to 'using the default value' by editing it and clearing the value
Adding or removing a series
- The Add series button bar at the top of the series panel adds a new series
- The X icon on each series will remove it
- A chart must have at least one series to work
Setting chart types
- The chart type can be selected from the Properties icon.
- Chart type is selected per-series, not per-chart