Selecting a Chart

In this section:

It is important that you choose a chart that is appropriate for your data. InfoAssist provides a complete chart library of both basic and advanced charts. You can choose from a wide variety of charts to best represent the data that you want to display.


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Bar Charts

In this section:

Bar charts plot numerical data by displaying rectangular blocks against a scale (numbers or variable measure fields that appear along the axis). The length of a bar corresponds to a value or amount. You can clearly compare data series (fields) by the relative heights of the bars. Use a bar chart to display the distribution of numerical data. You can create horizontal and vertical bar charts.

When to use: Use a bar chart when individual values are important. For example, the following image is a basic vertical bar chart that compares the individual products sold to the total amount in sales for each product. A retailer would find it important to know which pieces of inventory are selling and how much revenue each item is generating for the company.

Vertical Bar Chart

A horizontal bar chart becomes useful when you want to emphasize a ranking relationship in descending order, or the X-axis labels are too long to fit legibly side-by-side. For example, the following image is a basic horizontal bar chart that ranks in descending order which products are generating the most revenue for the retailer.

Horizontal Bar Chart



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Bar Chart Types

The following table lists the available bar chart types.

Available Bar Chart Types

Vertical Clustered Bar

Horizontal Clustered Bar

Vertical Stacked Bar

Horizontal Stacked Bar

Vertical Dual-Axis Clustered Bar

Horizontal Dual-Axis Clustered Bar

Vertical Dual-Axis Stacked Bar

Horizontal Dual-Axis Stacked Bar

Vertical Bi-Polar Clustered Bar (Not in HTML5)

Horizontal Bi-Polar Clustered Bar (Not in HTML5)

Vertical Bi-Polar Stacked Bar (Not in HTML5)

Horizontal Bi-Polar Stacked Bar (Not in HTML5)

Vertical Percent Bar

Horizontal Percent Bar

Vertical Histogram

Horizontal Histogram

Vertical Waterfall

Horizontal Waterfall

Vertical Multi-3Y Bar (Not in HTML5)

Vertical Multi-5Y Bar (Not in HTML5)

Vertical Multi-4Y Bar (Not in HTML5)

Error Bar


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Pie Charts

In this section:

A pie chart is a circular chart that represents parts of a whole. A pie chart emphasizes where your data fits, in relation to a larger whole. Pie charts work best when the data consists of several large segments. As a best practice, limit your pie chart to five measure fields. Too many measure fields can divide a pie into many thin components that could become difficult to see. Use color on individual segments to create visual contrast.

Note: You cannot plot negative data on a pie chart.

When to use: Use a pie chart when you have several large segments of data that you want to display as a whole. For example, the following image is a pie chart that shows the educational background of the customers of a retailer.

Pie Chart



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Pie Chart Types

The following table lists the available pie chart types.

Available Pie Chart Types

Multi Pie

Multi Ring Pie

Multi Proportional Pie (Not in HTML5)

Multi Proportional Ring Pie (Not in HTML5)

Single Pie

Single Ring Pie

Pie-Bar (Not in HTML5)

Ring Pie-Bar (Not in HTML5)


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Line Charts

In this section:

Line charts are useful for emphasizing the movement or trend of numerical data over time. They allow you to trace the evolution of a data point by working backwards or interpolating. Highs and lows, rapid or slow movement, or a tendency towards stability are all types of trends well suited to a line chart.

You can also plot line charts with two or more scales to present a comparison of the same value, or set of values, in different time periods.

When to use: Use a line chart when you want to trend data over time. For example, monthly changes in employment figures, or yearly sales of an item in your inventory. For example, the following image is a line chart that traces gross profit in sales for four products over a four-year period.

Line Chart

Radar charts are essentially analogous to line charts, except that the scale wraps around. Radar charts compare two or more data sets. They work well with data that is cyclical, such as the months of a year. A radar line chart is available in the line chart category, and a radar area chart is available in the area chart category. You can use axes or polygons to represent values in a star or spider configuration.



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Line Chart Types

The following table lists the available line chart types.

Available Line Chart Types

Vertical Absolute Line

Horizontal Absolute Line

Vertical Stacked Line

Horizontal Stacked Line

Vertical Dual-Axis Absolute Line

Horizontal Dual-Axis Absolute Line

Vertical Dual-Axis Stacked Line

Horizontal Dual-Axis Stacked Line

Vertical Bi-Polar Absolute Line (Not in HTML5)

Horizontal Bi-Polar Absolute Line (Not in HTML5)

Vertical Bi-Polar Stacked Line (Not in HTML5)

Horizontal Bi-Polar Stacked Line (Not in HTML5)

Vertical Percent Line

Horizontal Percent Line

Radar Line

 


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Area Charts

In this section:

Area charts are similar to line charts except that the area between the data line and zero line (or axis) is usually filled with color. Area charts allow you to stack data on top of each other. Stacking allows you to highlight the relationship between data series, showing how some data series approach a second series.

When to Use: Use an area chart when you want to distinguish the data more dramatically by highlighting volume with color. For example, the following image is a basic area chart that depicts the price and product cost for four products. The data is more boldly distinguished on this chart in comparison to the line chart.

Area Chart



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Area Chart Types

The following table lists the available area chart types.

Available Area Chart Types

Vertical Absolute Area

Horizontal Absolute Area

Vertical Stacked Area

Horizontal Stacked Area

Vertical Bi-Polar Absolute Area (Not in HTML5)

Horizontal Bi-Polar Absolute Area (Not in HTML5)

Vertical Bi-Polar Stacked Area (Not in HTML5)

Horizontal Bi-Polar Stacked Area (Not in HTML5)

Vertical Percent Area

Horizontal Percent Area

Radar Area

 


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Multi-Axis Charts

Bar, line, and area chart types have multi-axis options, such as dual-axis charts and multi-Y charts, where you can compare one X-axis value to several Y-axis measure fields.

InfoAssist allows you to assign each individual series to the Y1 through Y5 axis. For more information, see How to Create a Dual-Axis Chart.

When to use: Use a multi-axis chart when you want to plot values on an additional axis, or multiple axes, to compare multiple sets of data that are on different scales. For example, the following image is a dual-axis chart that shows the quantity of inventory pieces sold and the revenue that their sales generate.

Dual Axis Chart


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XY Plot Charts

In this section:

An XY plot chart depicts the relationships among the numeric values in several data series. It plots two groups of numbers, where for every X value, there is a corresponding Y value. This results in a single point of XY coordinate.

When to use: Use XY plot charts when you have two sets of numbers to compare and want to perform trend analysis.



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XY Plot Chart Types

The following table lists the available XY plot chart types.

Available XY Plot Chart Types

XY Scatter

XY Polar

Bubble

 

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3D Charts

In this section:

A 3D chart uses three axes, X, Y, and Z to display data from two or more data sets so that trends are most apparent.

When to use: Use a 3D bar chart when you want to look at the general shape of the data, but add visual depth to a chart presentation. A 3D chart would not be a good choice for presenting exact values, since it is difficult to determine values in a 3D chart. The following image is a 3D chart that shows the cost and revenue for four products.

3D Chart



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3D Chart Types

The following table lists the available 3D chart types.

Available 3D Chart Types

3D Bar

3D Pyramid (Not in HTML5)

3D Octagon (Not in HTML5)

3D Cylinder (Not in HTML5)

3D Floating Cubes (Not in HTML5)

3D Floating Pyramids (Not in HTML5)

3D Connected Series Area

3D Connected Series Ribbon

3D Connected Group Area

3D Connected Group Ribbon

3D Cone (Not in HTML5)

3D Sphere (Not in HTML5)

3D Surface

3D Surface with Sides (Not in HTML5)

3D Smooth Surface (Not in HTML5)

3D Smooth Surface with Sides (Not in HTML5)

3D Honeycomb Surface (Not in HTML5)

 


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Stock Charts

In this section:

Stock charts track the trend of a particular stock. They show the trading volume of the stock, its opening and closing values, and its high and low values over a specific time period. The data is represented by sets of bars or lines.

Stock Chart



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Stock Chart Types

The following table lists the available stock chart types.

Available Stock Chart Types

Stock Hi-Lo (Not in HTML5)

Stock Hi-Lo with Volume (Not in HTML5)

Stock Hi-Lo Open-Close (Not in HTML5)

Stock Hi-Lo Open-Close with Volume (Not in HTML5)

Open-Hi-Lo-Close Candle Stock

Open-Hi-Lo-Close Candle Stock with Volume (Not in HTML5)


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Special Charts

Special charts include a variety of additional chart types.


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Combination Charts

A combination chart displays multiple series using two or more different types of data graphics from a bar, line, or an area chart. Combining these charts improves clarity in the presentation of your data, and highlights the relationship between various data sets on one graph. This combination chart is referred to as a mixed, composite, or overlay graph.

When to use: For example, a retailer might want to combine a vertical bar chart that shows revenue with a line chart that shows quantity sold.

Combination Chart


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Maps

The Lightweight Mapping functionality enables you to display your underlying data regionally. Using the Geographic Information System (GIS) capabilities that are built into WebFOCUS 8, the map functionality converts data values into maps that can be used for visualizing patterns or trends. More specifically, data that is bound to a geo-location, such as State, Country, and ZIP Code, can be viewed as symbol layers integrated into a powerful map viewer. The mapping functionality supports a variety of popular formats, such as bubble markers and heat-filled polygons (also known as choropleths). These map formats are described below.

For information on creating a map, see How to Create a Map.

The following image illustrates one of the types of maps that can be generated.

The mapping architecture features an HTML5 map viewer with zoom, pan, and scale controls. It also includes a mapping server with nine levels of zoom.

Note: You can use the plus (+) and minus (-) symbols within the map to zoom in and out of different areas of the map. You can also click your left mouse button to zoom in.

Like all HTML5 visualizations, the highlighted markers and regions on the maps support drill, multi-drill, and informational tooltips.

When to use: The Lightweight Mapping functionality enables business users to make informed decisions. They can also visualize patterns, trends, and relationships related to the location information in their data.



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Reference: Query Field Containers by Map Type

This section presents the Query field containers that display for charts, by map type.

Query field container

Choropleth Map

Proportional Symbol Map

Measure (Sum). One data field, containing measure data.

Location. One data field, containing location data.

Latitude. One data field, containing latitude data.

Longitude. One data field, containing longitude data.

Multi-graph. Up to one data field (not required).


WebFOCUS