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.

Title

specifies the title that appears above the graph.

Note: The Title option 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.

Frequency

specifies whether the frequency is displayed as a count (Count) or as a percentage (Percent).

Note: This option has no effect if a measure is assigned to the visualization.

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.

Overview

specifies whether the chart overview is enabled.

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.

Rotate axis labels

displays the category labels at an angle.

Duration (if forecasting is enabled)

specifies the number of data intervals to forecast.

Note: This option is available only if forecasting is enabled for the visualization.

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. If you do not assign a measure, then the frequency is 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

For category data, a line chart is sorted in descending order by the value of the first measure. 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.

Forecasting

About Forecasting

Forecasting uses the statistical trends in your data source to predict future data values. Forecasting is available only if a date, time, or datetime data item is assigned to the visualization.

In addition to the predicted data points, the forecast displays a confidence band. For more information, see Forecasting.

Enable Forecasting

To add data analysis to a line chart, select Options

from the visualization toolbar and then select Show Forecast.

Note: The line chart must contain a date, time, or datetime item to apply forecasting.

On the Properties tab for the line chart visualization, you can adjust the number of data points to predict by using the Duration option.