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Using Picklists in Chart Applets

A chart applet typically provides one or more picklists along the upper edge that allow the user to reconfigure the chart's presentation or use of data. These picklists are illustrated in Figure 118.

Figure 118.  Picklists in a Chart Applet

These picklists are described as follows:

• Type picklists. This is the most common of the four picklists, and appears in most chart applets. It provides the user with the means to select a different type of chart for the same data, such as a pie chart instead of a bar chart, or a two-dimensional line chart instead of a three-dimensional one. The chart types are described in detail in About Types of Charts.

  The options for the Type picklist are specified in the Picklist Types property of the Chart object definition, as a comma-separated list of chart type names such as the following:

  3dBar,3dStackedBar,3dPie,3dHorizBar,2dBar,2dStackedBar,2dPie,
  2dHorizBar

  There cannot be any spaces between the elements in the comma-separated list.

  The default type—the chart type to appear when the chart is initially displayed—is specified in the Type property. Charts without a Type picklist use the Type property to specify the chart type of the chart; in that situation the chart type cannot be changed by the user.

• Show picklists. This picklist allows the user to change what is displayed on the Y axis. The choices available depend on the configuration of certain properties in the Chart object definition. The Show picklist displays a selection list of field and function combinations which determines what values are plotted along the Y axis.

  For information on configuring the Show picklist, refer to About Show Picklists.

• By Picklist. This picklist allows the user to change what is displayed on the X axis. This can provide any one of three roles, depending on the configuration of certain properties in the Chart object definition:
  • In period Charts, the By picklist is populated with different periods. This allows the user to select from a list of possible X-axis periods for calendar (day/week/month/quarter/year) data. This requires selection options to be specified in the Picklist Periods property in the Chart object definition.
  • When a list of source fields is specified rather than a single source field, the picklist allows the user to choose which source field populates the X axis.
  • It can allow the user to invert the X and Z axes, so the user can see the data from a source field in a business component displayed along the X or Z axis per the picklist selection.

    For information on configuring the By picklist, refer to About the By Picklist.

• Second "By" picklists. This picklist allows the user to choose which source field populates the Z axis. For information on configuring the second By picklist, refer to About the Second By Picklist.

Each of the four picklists requires a corresponding control of type ComboBox, as a child object definition of the chart applet. Each has required values in the Name and MethodInvoked properties, as detailed in Table 58.