Using Other Object Types in Reports

Use a Text Object

About Text Objects

Text objects display static text. You can use text to include company standards, such as text that indicates confidentiality, in your reports. You can have hyperlinks in text. For more information about links, see Create a Link from a Text Object. You can also use text to annotate other objects in a report.

Specify Text Object Properties

To specify the properties for a text object:

If it is not already selected, select the text object in the canvas that you want to update.
In the right pane, click the Properties tab.
Update the general properties for the text. You can update the Name, Title, Format (for the title's font style), and Description.
(Optional) Update the object-specific properties for the text object. By default, the Enable selection in the viewers property is not selected for text objects. This means that users who view the report in the web viewer or a mobile device cannot select the text in a report.

Specify Text Object Styles

You can use the floating toolbar to change the font, font size, text color, and text background color. You can specify whether the text is bold, italic, or underlined, and whether it is left-aligned, centered, or right-aligned. You can also use the floating toolbar to create a link from a text object. For more information, see Create a Link from a Text Object.

Tip

You can use the pop-up menu to cut, copy, and delete text. However, you have to use the keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+V) to paste text.

Note: You cannot change text styles using the Styles tab.

Use an Image

About Images

You can use images to include your corporate logo or other graphics in your reports. You can insert images from a repository or from your local machine. If you select an image from your local machine, it is saved to the repository. You can also add tooltip text to an image.

Insert an Image into a Report

To insert an image into a report:

Choose one of the following:
- Drag the from the Objects tab in the left pane and drop it onto the canvas. The Image Selection window is displayed.
- Select InsertOtherImage. The Image Selection window is displayed. The image object is automatically placed in the canvas. If you want the image to appear in a different location, then drag and drop it in a new location.
Select the image from one of the following locations:

Load from repository

Select this option to choose an image that is stored on the same server as the reports.

Load from local machine

Select this option to choose an image from your local machine. Click Browse to choose a file on your local machine. Specify a repository in the Save the local image to the repository field. If you click Browse, the Save As window is displayed. Select a folder and then click OK to return to the Image Selection window.

A preview of the image is displayed.
(Optional) Specify the Scale type:

None

The actual size of the image is maintained. The image might or might not fill the entire area of the image's visual container. If the image is larger than the visual container, then scroll bars are displayed.

Stretch

The height and width of image are set to the height and width of the image’s visual container. The image’s original aspect ratio is not maintained.

Fit All

The image is modified to fit best into the image's visual container. The image’s original aspect ratio is maintained.

Fit Width

The width of the image is set to the width of the image's visual container. The height maintains the image's original aspect ratio. Scroll bars are displayed if the set height of the image is greater than the height of the visual container.

Fit Height

The height of the image is set to the height of the image's visual container. The width maintains the image's original aspect ratio. Scroll bars are displayed if the set width of the image is greater than the width of the visual container.

Tile

The image is tiled in the visual container. The image’s original size is maintained. There are no scroll bars.
(Optional) Specify the Tooltip text.
Click OK.

Specify Image Properties

To specify the properties for an image:

If it is not already selected, select the image in the canvas that you want to update.
In the right pane, click the Properties tab.
Update the general properties for the image. You can update the Name, Title, and Description.
Update the properties specific for the image. Your choices are Location, Scale type, and Tooltip text.

By default, the Enable selection in the viewers property is not selected for images. This means that users who use the web viewer or a mobile device cannot select the image and click to see the image name.

Specify Image Styles

No styles are available for images.

Use a Stored Process

About Stored Processes

A stored process is a SAS program that is stored on a server and that can be executed as requested by client applications such as SAS Visual Analytics. The embedded SAS code can contain instructions for displaying report elements that include queries, prompted filters, titles, images, and statistical analyses.

You can add one or more stored processes to a report. You can edit the prompts for a stored process using the Properties tab in the designer. When you set the value for a prompt in the designer, that prompt value becomes the default value for the viewer.

You can also add a stored process report, which contains the predefined output from a stored process.

There are limitations to where stored processes can be used in the designer:

A stored process cannot be used in the precision layout.
A stored process cannot be the source or target of an interaction in a report.
A stored process cannot be added to a container.

Note: Users who view stored processes using SAS Mobile BI cannot be prompted. Instead, the stored process runs using the prompt values that were added when the report was created.

Note: The stored process output in a report is rendered as HTML regardless of the requested output type.

For information about creating a stored process and registering it in metadata, see SAS Stored Processes: Developer's Guide.

Specify Stored Process Properties

To specify the properties for a stored process:

If it is not already selected, select the stored process in the canvas that you want to update.
In the right pane, click the Properties tab.
Update the general properties for the stored process. You can update the Name, Title, Format (for the title's font style), and Description.
Update the properties specific to the stored process. Your choices are Show metadata view and Show SAS log in the output. If the stored process contains prompts, the Edit Prompts button is displayed.

Click Edit Prompts to open a new window where you can edit the parameters for the stored process. Click OK to save your changes.

Selecting the Show metadata view check box can make it easier to work with the stored process while you are designing a report. In the metadata view, you can see information about when the stored process was created and last modified. You can also see the name of the stored process file.

Here is an example of the metadata view for a stored process:

Selecting the Show SAS log in the output option means that both the log output and the stored process output are displayed in the report. This can assist you in debugging problems.

Specify Stored Process Styles

No styles are available for stored processes.

Use a Geo Map

About Geo Maps

Many types of data have a spatial aspect, including demographics, marketing surveys, and customer addresses. For example, if a user needs to evaluate population data for U.S. Census tracts, a report designer could display the information in a table. However, it would be easier and more effective for the person using the report to see the information in the context of the geography of the tracts. When evaluating information that has a spatial component, users might find it easier to recognize relationships and trends in the data if they see the information in a spatial context.

A geo map overlays your data on a geographic map. You can add a geo map only if the report uses data items from a data source that is enabled for geographic mapping.

You can create a filter or brush interaction between a geo map and another report object in your report or dashboard. When you click on a specific region or city in the geo map, the other report object filters or highlights to show the same location.

The following geo maps are available in the designer:

Geo Bubble Map

A bubble plot that is overlaid on a geographic map. For a complete definition and picture of a geo bubble map, see Geo Maps.

A geo bubble map requires a geography variable with the role type of geography.

Geo Coordinate Map

A simple scatter plot that is overlaid on a geographic map. For a complete definition and picture of a geo coordinate map, see Geo Coordinate Maps.

A geo coordinate map requires a geography variable with the role type of geography.

Geo Region Map

A two-dimensional map that uses color combinations to represent different regions on the map. For a complete definition and picture of a geo region map, see Geo Maps.

A geo region map requires a geography variable with the role type of geography. However, it does not support custom geography data items.

Note: Certain geo maps that are exported from the explorer (for example, geo maps that use custom roles or data sets that have centroids) cannot be fully modified in the designer.

Specify Geo Map Properties

To specify the properties for a geo bubble map, geo coordinate map, or geo region map:

If it is not already selected, select the geo bubble map, geo coordinate map, or geo region map in the canvas that you want to update.
In the right pane, click the Properties tab.
Update the general properties for the geo bubble map, geo coordinate map, or geo region map. You can update the Name, Title, Format (for the title's font style), and Description.
Update the properties that are specific to the geo bubble map, geo coordinate map, or geo region map. You can update Show map navigation control, Transparency, and Show legend.
Here are some details about the properties for geo maps:
- Use the Map Service property to change the map provider for a geo bubble map, geo coordinate map, or geo region map after you have placed it on the canvas. This property changes the map type from OpenStreetMap to any available Esri service if an Esri service is available.
- For a geo bubble map, you select the Transparency for the bubble plot. For a geo coordinate map, you select the Transparency for the scatter plot. For a geo region map, you select the Transparency for the regions.

Specify Styles for Geo Maps

To specify styles for a geo bubble map, geo coordinate map, or geo region map:

If it is not already selected, select the geo bubble map, geo coordinate map, or geo region map in the canvas that you want to update.
In the right pane, click the Styles tab.
Update the styles for the geo bubble map, geo coordinate map, or geo region map. You can specify Data Styling, Frame Styling, Text Styling, and Data Colors for the geo bubble map, geo coordinate map, or geo region map.

Your custom colors are saved between SAS Visual Analytics sessions. Your custom colors are displayed in the color palette. For an example of the color palette, see A Color Palette in the Designer.