Online Help | Desktop App

Configuring a Chart widget

Updated in 2024

A chart widget displays a graphical chart built from the data retrieved from the Alloy Navigator Expressdatabase. Two types of chart sources are available:

  • Interactive chart with drill-down support: A chart that uses selected object classes and fields to refine data as needed. The drill-down support allows technicians to click on a chart element to view the detailed data associated with that element.

    When drilling down, the user is directed to a data grid that displays data for the selected object classes and fields. This grid view is temporary and dynamic, created to reflect the chart element that was clicked. It remains available only while the user is actively using it and will be discarded if they navigate to a different view or module. However, if the user wishes to keep this view, they can save it using the Save as option in the Customize View pane.

  • Static chart based on custom SQL: A static chart based on a custom SQL query. This type gives you maximum flexibility; however, static charts do not have drill-down support.

You specify properties of a new Chart widget or modify properties of an existing widget of this type using the Chart Widget Properties window.

NOTE: For details on initial steps of widget creation or modification, see Creating widgets or Modifying widgets.

Chart Widget Properties window

The General section specifies general widget properties:

  • Name: The "internal" name of the widget, which identifies it in widget lists.

  • Title: The widget title, which will be actually displayed in the dashboard.

  • Allow to minimize widget: Specifies whether users can minimize this widget on the dashboard.

The Chart data section specifies the source data for the chart:

  • Source: The type of chart source. The selected value defines the other options available in this section.

    • Interactive chart with drill-down support: Builds a chart that uses selected object classes and fields as the data source.

      • Class: Select the object classes to be displayed in the chart. To add a filter for the chart data or modify existing chart filters, click Filters. For details, see Manage Chart Filters window.

      • Fields: Select the fields to be displayed in the chart. By default, the system automatically suggests the most commonly used fields for the chosen object class. To customize the set of fields, click the three-dots icon. This opens the Customize Table dialog that allows you to select any required fields, including the user-defined ones (for details, see Customize Table window).

      • Group by: The field for grouping data records. Values of the chosen field are horizontal X axis labels.

        TIP: Click Preview to preview the chart itself and view the chart source table.

      • Then by: The field for second-level grouping (optional). When specified, the chart displays multiple data series, grouped by two levels. The values of the Group by field provide series names (shown in the legend). The values of the Then by field are horizontal X axis labels.

        TIP: Click Preview to preview the chart itself and view the chart source table.

      • Function: The aggregation function for generating Y chart values for each X value.

      • Order by: The field for sorting chart elements on the X axis and the sorting order (either Ascending or Descending).

    • Static chart based on custom SQL: Creates a static chart that uses a custom SQL query as the chart source.

      • Enter the SQL query...: The SQL query. Two types of SQL queries are supported:

        • An SQL query that returns two columns. In this case, the chart shows a single data series. The first column contains horizontal X axis labels and the second column contains data series. For example:
          select Priority, count(*) from Incident_List group by Priority
        • An SQL query that returns three columns. In this case, the chart displays multiple data series. The first column provides series names (shown in the legend), the second column contains horizontal X axis labels, and the third one contains data series. For example:
          select Priority, Assignee, count(*) from Incident_List group by Priority, Assignee

        TIP: Click Preview to preview the chart itself as well as the chart source table.

The Display properties section specifies the graphic properties of the chart and allows you to preview the result:

  • Chart Type: The type of chart to be built: Bar, Line, or Pie.

  • Palette: Specifies the color palette for the chart. If necessary, you can customize colors for particular chart elements by clicking Adjust Colors. For details, see Assign Colors window.

  • Chart Height: The chart height in pixels.

  • 3D Effect: Specifies whether the chart appears in 3D. When the check box is cleared, the chart appears in 2D.

  • Gradient: Specifies whether a gradient will be applied.

  • Show legend: Specifies whether the chart displays the legend and the legend position.

  • Show marks: Specifies whether the chart displays marks (small boxes with values next to chart elements) and the the style of marks.

    ClosedClick here to view the supported styles with descriptions.

    Style Description Example

    Value

    Vertical Y axis values.

    Percent

    Percentages, when the sum of all Y axis values considered 100%.

    When the chart shows multiple data series, the percentage is calculated for each series individually, where 100% is the sum of all chart values within a series.

    Label

    Horizontal X axis labels.

    Label and Percent

    Horizontal X axis labels and percentages.

    When the chart shows multiple data series, the percentage is calculated for each series individually, where 100% is the sum of all chart values within a series.

    Label and Value

    Horizontal X axis labels and vertical Y axis values.

    Legend

    Legend text.

    Percent Total

    Percentages and the total Y axis value (the sum of all Y axis values).

    When the chart shows multiple data series, the percentage is calculated for each series individually, where 100% is the sum of all chart values within a series.

    Label and Percent Total

    Horizontal X axis labels, percentages and the total number.

    When the chart shows multiple data series, the percentage is calculated for each series individually, where 100% is the sum of all chart values within a series.

    X value

    Horizontal X axis sequence numbers, starting with 0 (the same as "Point Index").

    X and Y values

    Horizontal X axis values (the same as Point Index) and vertical Y axis values.

    Series Title

    Series names, when the chart shows multiple data series.

    When the chart shows a single data series, the marks display Series [SeqNo] values.

    Point Index

    Horizontal X axis sequence numbers, starting with 0 (the same as "X Value").

    When the chart shows multiple data series, the sequence number is calculated for each series individually.

    Percent Relative

    Relative percentages, when the vertical Y axis value of the first chart element considered 100%.

    When the chart shows multiple data series, the percentage is calculated for each series individually, where the value of the first element in a series considered 100%.

  • Show X axis labels: Specifies whether the chart displays X axis labels. The option in only available for the Bar and Line chart types, since the Pie chart type does not have the X axis. You may want to clear the check box if X axis labels overlap, which makes the chart look untidy.

    NOTE: In some cases, X axis labels may not be shown in the chart despite the fact that this option is selected. For example, this may happen when you select the Show Legend check box. The reason is that X axis labels and the legend would duplicate each other.

  • Preview button: Opens the Chart Preview window, where you can view the chart built according to the specified settings and the data it is built on. The Chart Preview window also allows you to customize chart colors.

The Advanced properties section specifies the following advanced properties of the chart:

  • Limit the length of the legend text to: Limits the length of legend text and specifies the maximum length in characters. Shortened text will appear with an ellipsis at the end.

    NOTE: When the type of the chart is Bar or Line and the chart shows a single data series, this option limits the length of captions for chart elements.

  • Limit the number of elements to display to: Limits the number of chart elements to display and specifies the limit. When the number of elements exceeds the limit (N), the chart displays only the first N of them. The order of data retrieval is specified in the chart source definition within the Chart Data section.

  • Adjust Colors button: Reveals the Assign Colors window where you can customize colors of the chart elements.

Related Information:

Widget types

Managing widgets