Chapter 16 Laying out and formatting a chart
Charts include many different visual elements. For example, a chart can use a legend to identify series elements, such the lines in a line chart. Tick marks and labels can mark the divisions on an x or a y axis. In a three-dimensional chart, the chart walls mark the boundaries of the chart area.
To modify the chart layout, you can rearrange the chart. For example, you can change where the chart title appears, or add padding between a series of bars and the axis on which they are arranged.
You can also change the color and style of the chart parts. You can outline or add a background color to most chart parts, such as the plot, legend, or labels. You can also change the color and shape of the series elements, such as the pies in a pie chart or the candlesticks in a stock chart.
The following illustration identifies some parts of a basic bar chart. A chart using default settings similar to this sample bar chart includes the following features.
In addition to the chart parts shown in the previous example, BIRT supports the parts described in the following table.
Part of chart
|
Description
|
Data point label
|
Identifies the value of a y series item, such as a bar, a point in a line chart, or a needle in a meter chart.
|
Floor
|
In a chart with depth or a three-dimensional chart, the lower boundary of the plot area. The floor extends behind the x axis.
|
Gridline
|
A horizontal or vertical line that extends an axis tick across a chart's plot area.
|
Marker
|
In an area, line, or scatter chart, a shape, such as a triangle or square, that identifies a data point.
|
Plot
|
The area of a chart that displays chart data. In a chart without depth, the plot is the area between the x axis and the y axis. In a chart with depth or a three-dimensional chart, the plot is the area between the chart walls and the chart floor.
|
Tick
|
A mark that identifies a regular segment on an axis.
|
Wall
|
In a chart with depth or a three-dimensional chart, the vertical boundaries that surround the plot area.
|
This section describes how to customize the appearance of a chart in the following ways:
- Laying out and formatting the chart area. You can change the background color or outline of the main chart areas, including the chart, the plot, the legend, and the title areas. You can also increase or reduce the padding between chart areas.
- Formatting an axis. You can adjust the line style of an axis. You can also modify the text style and position of axis labels or an axis title, or add an outline or background color to an axis title.
- Formatting a series. You can change the type of a series, such as line or bar, and the color or style of the series markers. You can also change attributes specific to a series type. For example, you can change the shape of the bars in a bar chart.
- Modifying chart properties. You can use Property Editor to modify chart properties such as size or to apply features such as page breaks, conditional visibility, or styles. These properties are similar to the properties you use with other report elements.
You can also add interactive features, such as hyperlinks or highlighting, to a chart. Interactive features can make your report more useful to report readers.
