Working with Line Charts

About Line Charts

A line chart represents the values of category data by using a line that connects the data values. If you assign multiple measures to a line plot, then you can create separate Y axes for each measure.

Specify Properties for a Line Chart

On the Properties tab, you can specify the following options:

Name

specifies the name of the visualization.

Graph title

specifies the title that appears above the graph.

Note: The Graph title is disabled if you select Generate graph titles.

Generate graph titles

specifies that the graph title is generated automatically based on the data items in the visualization.

Show grid lines

displays grid lines for each tick on the response axis.

Overview

specifies whether the chart overview is enabled.

Measure layout

specifies whether the measures share a single response axis (Shared axis) or have separate response axes for each measure (Separate axes).

Note: The Measure layout option is disabled if your visualization contains exactly one measure.

Show markers

shows markers for the data points in the visualization.

Show data values

shows the data values as text in the visualization.

Note: You can always view the data values as data tips when you move the cursor over the graph.

Category label policy

specifies how the values for the category axis are displayed when there is not enough space. Select one of the following options:

Automatic

specifies that the visualization will select the best label policy according to your data and the space requirements.

Stagger

places the labels with an alternating vertical offset.

Thin

displays a subset of the labels.

Rotate

displays the labels at an angle

Data Roles for a Line Chart

The basic data roles for a line chart are categories and measures. You can assign one category only, and the values of the category are plotted on the category axis. You can assign many measures, and the measure values are plotted on the response axis.

In addition to the basic data roles, you can assign additional roles:

Group

groups the data according to the values of the category data item that you assign. A separate line is created for each value.

Note: Grouping is not available if you assign multiple measures to the visualization.

Lattice columns

creates a lattice of charts, with a column for each value of the category data item that you assign.

Lattice rows

creates a lattice of charts, with a row for each value of the category data item that you assign.

Sort Data Values

By default, a line chart is sorted alphabetically by the values of the category data item. To change the sorting, right-click the data item that you want to sort on, and then select Sort

[sort-method].

Note: Sorting is not available if a datetime data item is assigned to the Category role.