Graph Wizard dialog: Plot Area tab

Use this dialog to specify how worksheet items are plotted on a graph. For example, you might want to set the background color of a graph, or specify the color of bars on a Bar graph.

Note: The fields that you use to specify a graph depend on the graph type selected.

For more information, see:

"About using graphs in Discoverer"

"About components of a Discoverer graph"

"How to edit a graph"

Background color

Use this button to display or hide a color pane that enables you to change the background color of the plot area.

Border color

Use this button to display or hide a color pane that enables you to change the color of the box surrounding the graph.

Show horizontal grid lines

Use this check box to display or hide horizontal grid lines on the data plotting area of the graph. Horizontal grid lines enable you to compare graph values more accurately. When you select this check box, the adjacent drop down list and Color button become active, which enable you to change the line thickness and color of the line.

Note: You cannot change the line thickness of Polar graphs.

Show vertical grid lines

Use this check box to display or hide vertical grid lines on the data plotting area of the graph. Vertical grid lines enable you to compare graph values more accurately. When you select this check box, the adjacent drop down list and Color button become active, which enable you to change the line thickness and color of the line.

Note: You cannot change the line thickness of Polar graphs.

Show data label on <graph item>

Use this check box to display or hide data value labels on a graph. For example, you might want to display data values above the bars on a Bar graph. When you select this check box, the Options button becomes active, which enables you to change the label position and font style.

Note: This field is grayed out on 3D (i.e. three dimensional) graph types (e.g. Cube and Surface graph types).

Show data tips when mouse is over <graph item>

Use this check box to display or hide pop-up labels when the cursor is pointing at areas of the graph. Pop-up labels make it easier to identify areas of the graph. When you select this check box, the Options button becomes active, which enables you to change the label settings. For example, you might want to display the series name (e.g. Sales SUM) and the value (e.g. 30,000) when you move the cursor over plotted values.

Show data markers on the line

Use this check box to display or hide marker shapes (e.g. circle, square, triangle) on the graph to identify which worksheet items relate to which line.

Note: This check box is only displayed for Line and Pareto graphs.

Select options for the series displayed on your graph

Use this table to specify how worksheet items are displayed on the graph, as follows:

• Click on a cell in the table to display one or more of the following edit controls for that cell:
  • a color pane in the Color column for changing the series color

  • a drop down list of line thicknesses in the Line column for changing the plot line weight (e.g. for the plot line on Line graphs)

  • a drop down list of marker shapes in the Marker column for changing the graphical symbol for series (e.g. for the plot area on Scatter graphs)

  • a drop down list of axes in the Y-Axis column for specifying which worksheet items are displayed on which series (e.g. on Dual-Y type graphs)

• Use the individual series rows to specify how individual worksheet items are displayed on the graph. For example, you might have a row named Volume for specifying how the Volume worksheet item is displayed.

• Use the All Series row to specify how all worksheet items are displayed on the graph.

  Hint: Select Automatic in the Color column or Auto in the Marker column if you want Discoverer to format these attributes for you.

Notes

• The Marker column is not shown for Bubble graphs (i.e. markers in Bubble graphs are always circular).

• You cannot change the series options for some graph types (e.g. Surface graphs).

• When you create a Polar graph, the following field changes apply:
  • the Show horizontal grid lines check box is displayed as Show circular grid lines

  • the Show vertical grid lines check box is displayed as Show radial grid lines