The attribute map feature
enables you to control the visual attributes that are applied to specific
data values in your graphs. For example, if a procedure creates a
graph that plots items sold in different countries, you can specify
the display attributes for the sales data of each country.
You can use the ODS
Graphics procedures or the Graph Template Language to map visual attributes
to input data values.
When using the ODS Graphics
procedures, attribute maps apply only to group data. Attribute maps
enable you to ensure that particular visual attributes are applied
to data values in particular groups.
Two main steps are
required for attribute mapping:
-
Create an SG attribute
map data set, which associates data values with particular visual
attributes. Each observation defines the attributes for a data group.
-
Modify the procedure
and its plot statements to use the data in the SG attribute map. You
can use attribute maps in the SGPLOT, SGPANEL, and SGSCATTER procedures
(not all plot statements support attribute maps).
The Graph Template Language
supports both discrete and range attribute maps.
Discrete attribute maps
enable you to map discrete data to specific visual attributes (for
example, color). This feature could be used to represent a data value
with a specific visual attribute, regardless of the order of the values
in the data. For example, when using gender as a grouping category
for plots, you could set an attribute map for marker symbols.
Range attribute maps
enable you to control color assignment, regardless of the current
data range for a plot. This feature could be used to represent values
that are not actually in the data. For example, for temperature data,
you could set blue for 0 and red for 100, even if the values 0 and
100 are not in the data.