What are Microcharts

A microchart is, as its name implies, a tiny chart. A microchart is displayed in trellis views of the Advanced Trellis subtype. A microchart is unique as a graph type in that it can never be an independent, stand-alone graph. It can be used only within the context of a trellis view, and its meaning comes only from the fact that it is one of many small multiples.

Spark Graphs in Oracle BI EE

A microchart can be one of several graph subtypes, including Spark Line, Spark Bar, and Spark Area.

Spark graphs, also called sparks, are unique from line graphs, bar graphs, and the other stand-alone graphs available in Oracle BI EE. Spark graphs are embedded mini-graphs that illustrate a single trend. Simple in their appearance, they do not include axes or labels and they get their context from the content that surrounds them. Each type of spark graph has only one measure, which is hidden; the scale is relative to itself only.

In Oracle BIEE, the visual appearance of sparks emphasizes trends, and within those trends, the highest and lowest values. Due to the condensed manner in which sparks display trends, it is possible for many trends to be compared (along with numeric values) on a single page.

While sparks are useful for certain types of analysis, such as high-level observation of trends and spotting of patterns, it is important to note that they do not illustrate the same specificity as their larger, fuller-featured counterparts.

Working with Spark Graphs

Sparks are unique mainly because they are small and because they can display a lot of information in a very constricted space. In Oracle BI EE, a spark graph is also different from a stand-alone graph in that, as a microchart, it can only be used within trellis views.

You can modify the size of your sparks in the same way that you do with full-featured graphs, in the Graph Properties dialog.

For more information about creating trellis views that include sparks, see "Design Considerations for Trellis Views and Microcharts".