Understand charts

Let's take a look at the most important chart component properties.

Each chart is bound to a single data source from which it extracts data. There is one exception: the Advanced combined chart.

Most charts are based on three properties: Category Property, Value Property, and Dataset Property. Some advanced charts use X Value and Y Value instead of the category and value properties.

Category Property corresponds to the x-axis, and Value Property to the y-axis of a chart. As indicated by the names, the category holds the categories or groups, whereas the value contains the values for each category or group.

For example, if you were to specify only Category Property, the count of entries for each category or group would be displayed. By setting a Value Property, the value of each Category Property group is displayed.

You can set an Aggregation Function, such as Sum or Average, in order to calculate and display the values in a meaningful way per category. If no function is selected, the count of entries for each category will be displayed.

The data is treated as a single dataset when using a Category Property and Value Property. A dataset is a collection of data that consists of two columns (category and value) and many rows. In a line chart, this would be represented as a single line. By selecting a Dataset Property, an extra dimension is added, and the dataset is segmented into multiple datasets. In a line chart, this would be represented as multiple lines.

To improve readability when a dataset is segmented into multiple datasets, you can select Stack Datasets to create some separation between the lines and make the data easier to interpret.

Chart average temperatures in different cities per month

You have an object class called Climate with three properties Month, Temperature and City.

Single dataset

Bind Month to Category Property, Temperature to Value Property and select Average for Aggregation Function. For each month, the average temperature of all cities will be calculated and displayed.

Multiple datasets

Bind Month to Category Property, Temperature to Value Property, and City to Dataset Property. Select Average as Aggregation Function. For each city, the average temperature for each month is calculated and displayed.