Display Attributes
Overview
The display
attributes for the lines, colors, marker symbols, and text used in
a graph are derived from the ODS style that is in effect when the
graph is produced. These display attributes might also be influenced
by grouped data. To override default display attributes, all GTL plot
statements provide options that manage the graph’s visual appearance.
For example, a BOXPLOT statement provides an OUTLIERATTRS= option
that manages the visual appearance of outliers.
-
Change the ODS style that is in effect for the graph. ODS Styles provides an overview of the use of styles in a graph, and the usage guide discusses the use of styles in more detail.
Display Attributes for Non-Grouped Data
Display Attributes documents the attribute settings that can be specified
for the lines, data markers, text, or area fills in a plot. The defaults
for these attributes are defined on style elements, but you can use
attribute options on the plot statement to change the defaults.
For example, the LINEPARM
statement provides a LINEATTRS= option that specifies the color, line
pattern, or line thickness of the plot line. For non-grouped data,
if you do not set a line pattern in your template, then the default
line pattern for the plot is obtained from the GraphDataDefault:LineStyle
style reference.
To change
the default line pattern, a PATTERN= suboption on LINEATTRS= is available. "Common Line Patterns" shows the most common line patterns available for the PATTERN=
suboption.
Available Line Patterns provides the complete list of line patterns that can be
used with the GTL.
In the
following template definition, the LINEPARM statement’s LINEATTRS=
option overrides the default line pattern by specifying PATTERN=DASH:
proc template;
define statgraph patternchange;
begingraph;
layout overlay;
scatterplot y=height x=weight;
lineparm yintercept=intercept slope=slope /
lineattrs=(pattern=dash);
endlayout;
endgraph;
end;
Other display options can
be managed the same way. For example, the SCATTERPLOT statement provides
a MARKERATTRS= option that specifies the color, size, symbol, and
weight of the plot data markers. For non-grouped data, if you do not
set a marker symbol in your template, then the default marker symbol
is obtained from the GraphDataDefault:MarkerSymbol style reference.
To change
the default marker symbol, a SYMBOL= suboption on MARKERATTRS= is
available. "Marker Symbols" shows the marker
symbols available for the SYMBOL= suboption.
Display Attributes for Grouped Data
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 can 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.
"Common Line Patterns" shows the common line patterns
available, and "Marker Symbols" 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 Overlaid Plots, other plot
settings might 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 uses dashed lines for all of
the plots, 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.
To do so, set 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 are
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;
Cycling Through Group Attributes in Overlaid Plots
Overlay-type layouts
provide the CYCLEATTRS= options that specifies whether the default
visual attributes of lines, marker symbols, and area fills in nested
plot statements automatically change from plot to plot. When CYCLEATTRS=TRUE,
all applicable plot statements (SCATTERPLOT, SERIESPLOT, and others)
are sequentially assigned the next unused GraphDataN style element.
(The sequence is overridden for plot statements that have an explicit
setting, either through a style element assignment or option settings.)
No plot retains its default (implicit) style element.
In the
following example, assuming ungrouped data, the series plots are assigned
line properties based on the GraphData1, GraphData2, and GraphData3
style elements. The reference line uses GraphReference, not GraphData4.
layout overlay / cycleattrs=true; seriesplot x=date y=var1; seriesplot x=date y=var2; seriesplot x=date y=var3; referenceline x=cutoff / lineattrs=GraphReference; endlayout;
If one
of the plots in this example uses grouped data, the grouped plots
also participate in the default cycles. For example, if the second
plot has three groups, it generates three plots, which are assigned
line properties based on the GraphData2, GraphData3, and GraphData4
style elements.
If the
plot statement that uses grouped data also uses the INDEX= option
to manage the group values (see Remapping Groups for Grouped Data), the INDEX= option overrides the
default behavior. In that case, the grouped plots do not participate
in the default cycling.
Remapping Groups for Grouped Data
Indexing can be used to collapse the number of groups
that are represented in a graph. For example, if 10 groups are in
the data, indexes 1 and 2 can be assigned to the first two groups,
and index 3 can be assigned to all other groups. The third through
tenth data groups are treated as a single group in the graph.
Indexing
can control the order in which colors, area fills, marker symbols,
and line styles are mapped to group values in a graph. This ordering
method is needed only for coordinating the data display of multiple
graphs when the default mapping would cause group values to be mismatched
between graphs.
For example,
consider two studies of three drugs, A, B, and C. If Study 1 uses
all three drugs, then the first combination of color and marker symbol
is mapped to Drug A. The second combination of color and marker symbol
is mapped to Drug B, and the third is mapped to Drug C. If Study 2
omits Drug A, then the first combination of color and marker symbol
is mapped to Drug B, and the second is mapped to Drug C. If the two
graphs are viewed together, then this default mapping causes the group
values to be mismatched. The visual attributes that represent Drug
A in the first graph represent Drug B in the second graph. Those that
represent Drug B in the first graph represent Drug C in the second
group.
Interactions Between Options
When you use GTL statement options to manage the graph
display, interactions between options might cause some option settings
to be ignored. For example, an ENTRYTITLE statement provides BORDER=
and BORDERATTRS= options for managing a border line around the graph
title. Border attributes that are set on the BORDERATTRS= option have
no effect on the graph title unless the title border line is displayed
by setting BORDER=TRUE.
Similarly,
if a BOXPLOT statement’s DISPLAY= option suppresses the display
of outliers in a box plot, then using the OUTLIERATTRS= option to
set outlier attributes has no effect. The OUTLIERATTRS= settings only
take effect if DISPLAY= enables the display of outliers.