SAS/GRAPH(R) 9.2: Graph Template Language Reference

Display Attributes for Grouped Data

Appendix B, "Display Attributes," documents the attribute settings that you can specify for the lines, data markers, text, or area fills in a plot. For grouped data (when you use the GROUP= option on a plot statement), each distinct group value may be represented in the graph by a different combination of line pattern, color, and marker symbol (depending on the graph type). The defaults for these features are set by the LineStyle, Color, ContrastColor, and MarkerSymbol attributes of the GraphData1 - GraphDataN style elements.

Table 2.1 shows the common line patterns available, and Table 2.2 shows the marker symbols available.

For grouped plots, the style in effect and the plot settings determine which line patterns, area fills, and plot symbols are used. If different line patterns, colors, and/or marker symbols are used to represent group values, then the style determines the sequences or each that are used for the group values (as discussed in "Cycling Through Group Attributes in Overlayed Plots", other plot settings may also influence the sequence). The sequence is repeated as many times as needed to provide a line pattern, color, and/or marker symbol for each group value.

You can use attribute options on the plot statement to change the default display attributes used for group data. For example, in the following template definition, the LINEPARM statement's LINEATTRS= option specifies PATTERN=DASH. This explicit setting overrides the default line rotation for the plot lines and instead uses a dashed line for all of the plot lines, leaving color to distinguish among group values.

  
 proc template; 
   define statgraph dashedline; 
     begingraph; 
       layout overlay; 
         scatterplot y=height x=weight / group=gender; 
         lineparm yintercept=intercept  slope=slope / group=gender 
           lineattrs=(pattern=dash); 
       endlayout; 
     endgraph; 
   end;
 

Rather than setting the same line pattern on all group values, you can change the default sequence of line patterns that is used for grouped values by setting the LineStyle attribute in each of the style elements GraphData1 through GraphDataN.

In the following example, a style is defined to change the default line pattern for the first two lines in the pattern sequence. The style is derived from the DEFAULT style (the default style for the ODS HTML destination). Values are set for the LineStyle attributes in the GraphData1 and GraphData2 style elements. The first default line in the sequence has long dashes (style value 6) and the second line has short dashes (style value 4). The LineStyle settings for the remaining GraphData elements are not set and so will be derived from the parent style (DEFAULT). This new line sequence is used as the default line sequence for any plot that uses the MyDefault style.

  
 proc template; 
   define style Styles.MyDefault; 
     parent=Styles.Default; 
  
     style GraphData1 / 
       LineStyle=6; 
     style GraphData2 / 
       LineStyle=4; 
   end; 
  
   define statgraph testPattern; 
     begingraph; 
       layout overlay; 
         scatterplot y=height x=weight / group=gender; 
         lineparm yintercept=intercept  slope=slope / group=gender 
           lineattrs=(pattern=MyDefault); 
       endlayout; 
     endgraph; 
   end;
 

Similarly for grouped data, you can set the MarkerSymbol attribute in each of the style elements GraphData1 through GraphDataN. In the following example, a style is defined to change the default sequence that is used for the first three marker symbols in grouped plots. Values are set for the MarkerSymbol attributes in the GraphData1 through GraphData3 style elements. This new sequence is used as the default marker symbol sequence for any plot that uses the MyDefault style.

  
 proc template; 
   define style Styles.MyDefault; 
     parent=Styles.Default; 
  
     style GraphData1 / 
       MarkerSymbol=DIAMOND; 
     style GraphData2 / 
       MarkerSymbol=CROSS; 
     style GraphData3 / 
       MarkerSymbol=CIRCLE; 
   end; 
  
   define statgraph testSymbols; 
     begingraph; 
       layout Overlay; 
         scatterPlot y=height x=weight / group=age 
           markerattrs=(symbol=MyDefault); 
       endlayout; 
     endgraph; 
   end;
 

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