Optional Arguments

Options in a BLOCK statement affect all graphs produced by that statement. You can specify as many options as you want and list them in any order. For details about specifying colors, see Using Colors in SAS/GRAPH Programs. For a complete description of the graphics options, see Graphics Options and Device Parameters Dictionary.

ANNOTATE=Annotate-data-set

specifies a data set to annotate all graphs that are produced by the GCHART procedure. To annotate individual graphs, use the ANNOTATE= option in the action statement.

Alias:ANNO=

Note:Annotate coordinate systems 1, 2, 7, and 8 (data system coordinates) are not valid with block, pie, donut, or star charts.

See:Using Annotate Data Sets

BLOCKMAX=max-value

specifies the chart statistic value of the tallest block on the chart. This option lets you produce a series of block charts using the same scale. All blocks are rescaled using max-value as if it were the maximum value on the chart.

Restriction:Not supported by Java or ActiveX

CAXIS=grid-color

specifies the color for the midpoint grid. By default, the midpoint grid uses the color of the current style. However, if the NOGSTYLE option is specified, then the default color is black for the Java and ActiveX devices and the first color in the color list for all other devices.

Style reference:Color attribute of the GraphAxisLines element

COUTLINE=block-outline-color | SAME

outlines all blocks or all block segments and legend values in the subgroup legend (if it appears) using the specified color. SAME specifies that the outline color of a block or a block segment or a legend value is the same as the interior pattern color.

The default outline color depends on the use of the PATTERN statement:

• If you do not specify a PATTERN statement, the default outline color is the color of the current style.
• If you specify the NOGSTYLE option and no PATTERN statement, the default outline color is black for the Java or ActiveX devices. Otherwise, the default outline color is the foreground color. If you specify an EMPTY PATTERN statement, then the default outline color is the same as the fill color.

Style reference:Color attribute of the GraphOutlines element

Restriction:Partially supported by Java and ActiveX

See:Controlling Block Chart Patterns and Colors

About Patterns

Example:Grouping and Subgrouping a Block Chart

CTEXT=text-color

specifies a color for all text on the grid and legend. The GCHART procedure looks for the text color in the following order:

1. colors specified for labels and values on an assigned LEGEND statement, which override the CTEXT= option specified in the BLOCK statement.
2. the color specified by the CTEXT= option in the BLOCK statement.
3. the color specified by the CTEXT= option in a GOPTIONS statement.
4. the color specified in the current style. However, if the NOGSTYLE option is specified, then the default color is black for the Java and ActiveX devices and the first color in the color list for all other devices.

The LEGEND statement's VALUE= color is used for legend values, and its LABEL= color is used for legend labels.

Style reference:Color attribute of the GraphValueText and the GraphLabelText elements

Note:If you use a BY statement in the procedure, the color of the BY variable labels is controlled by the CBY= option in the GOPTIONS statement

DESCRIPTION=“description”

specifies a description of the output. The maximum length for description is 256 characters. The description does not appear in the output. The descriptive text is shown in each of the following:

• the chart description for Web output (depending on the device driver). See Chart Descriptions for Web Presentations for more information
• the Table of Contents that is generated when you use the CONTENTS= option on an ODS HTML statement, assuming that the output is generated while the contents page is open
• the description and the properties for the output in the Results window
• the description and properties for the catalog entry in the SAS Explorer
• the Description field of the PROC GREPLAY window

The description can include the #BYLINE, #BYVAL, and #BYVAR substitution options, which work as they do when used on statements such as TITLE, FOOTNOTE, and NOTE. Refer to Substituting BY Line Values in a Text String. The 256-character limit applies before the substitution takes place for these options. Thus, if in the SAS program the description text exceeds 256 characters, it is truncated to 256 characters, and then the substitution is performed.

Alias:DES=

Default:BLOCK CHART OF chart-variable

Style reference:Color attributes of the GraphValueText and the GraphLabelText elements

DISCRETE

treats a numeric chart variable as a discrete variable rather than as a continuous variable. The GCHART procedure creates a separate midpoint and, hence, a separate grid square and block for each unique value of the chart variable. If the chart variable has a format associated with it, then each formatted value is treated as a midpoint.

The LEVELS=number-of-midpoints option is ignored when you use the DISCRETE option. The MIDPOINTS= option overrides the DISCRETE option.

FREQ=numeric-variable

specifies a variable whose values weight the contribution of each observation in the computation of the chart statistic. Each observation is counted the number of times specified by the value of numeric-variable for that observation. If the value of numeric-variable is missing, 0, or negative, the observation is not used in the statistic calculation. Non-integer values of numeric-variable are truncated to integers.

FREQ= is valid with all chart statistics.

You cannot use the PERCENT, CPERCENT, FREQ, or CFREQ statistics with the SUMVAR= option. As a result, you must use the FREQ= option to calculate percentages, cumulative percentages, frequencies, or cumulative frequencies based on a sum.

The statistics are not affected by applying a format to numeric-variable.

See:Calculating Weighted Statistics

G100

calculates the percentage and cumulative percentage statistics separately for each group. When you use G100, the individual percentages reflect the contribution of the midpoint to the group and total 100% for each group. G100 is ignored unless you also use the GROUP= option.

By default, the individual percentages reflect the contribution of the midpoint to the entire chart and total 100% for the entire chart.

GROUP=group-variable

organizes the data according to the values of group-variable. Group-variable can be either character or numeric and is always treated as a discrete variable. The group variable can have up to 12 different values.

GROUP= produces a group grid that contains a separate row of blocks for each unique value of the group variable. Each row contains a square for each midpoint. The groups are arranged from front to back in ascending order of the group variable values. These values are printed to the left of each row; the group variable name or label is printed above the list of group values.

By default, each group includes all midpoints, even if no observations for the group fall within the midpoint range. Missing values for group-variable are treated as a valid group.

Example:Grouping and Subgrouping a Block Chart

HTML=variable

identifies the variable in the input data set whose values create links or data tips or both. The variable values are either links or data tips or both that are created in the HTML file generated by the ODS statement. The links are URLs pointing to Web pages to display when the user clicks (drills down) on elements in the graph. Data tips are detailed information or data values that are displayed as pop-up text when a mouse pointer is positioned over elements in the graph.

See:Data Tips for Web Presentations

Adding Links and Enhancements with the URL=, HTML=, and HTML_LEGEND= Options

HTML_LEGEND=variable

identifies the variable in the input data set whose values create links. Input data set variable values create links that are associated with a legend value and point to the URL to display when the user clicks (drills down) on the value.

Restriction:Not supported by Java or ActiveX

See:Adding Links and Enhancements with the URL=, HTML=, and HTML_LEGEND= Options

LEGEND=LEGEND<1...99>

assigns the specified LEGEND definition to the legend generated by the SUBGROUP= option. The LEGEND= option itself does not generate a legend.

LEGEND= is ignored if the following is true:

• SUBGROUP= is not used.
• The specified LEGEND definition is not in effect.
• The NOLEGEND option is used.
• The PATTERNID= option is set to any value other than SUBGROUP. That is, the value of PATTERNID= is BY or GROUP or MIDPOINT.

To create a legend based on the chart midpoints instead of the subgroups, use the chart variable as the subgroup variable:

block city / subgroup=city;

The Java and ActiveX devices do not support all LEGEND statement options. See the LEGEND Statement for more information.

Restriction:Partially supported by Java and ActiveX

See:SUBGROUP=subgroup-variable

LEGEND Statement

Example:Grouping and Subgrouping a Block Chart

LEVELS=number-of-midpoints | ALL

specifies the number of midpoints to be graphed for the chart variable. After you specify the number of midpoints that you want, the range for each midpoint is calculated automatically using the algorithm described in Terrell and Scott (1985). When you specify LEVELS=ALL up to 25 unique numeric or character midpoint values are graphed. LEVELS=ALL is ignored if more than 25 values are specified. The LEVELS=number-of-midpoints option is ignored if any of the following is true:

• The chart variable is character type.
• The DISCRETE option is used.
• The MIDPOINTS= option is used.

MIDPOINTS=value-list

specifies the midpoint values for the blocks. The way you specify value-list depends on the type of variable:

• For numeric chart variables, value-list is either an explicit list of values, or a starting and an ending value with an interval increment, or a combination of both forms:

  • n <...n>
  • n TO n <BY increment>
  • n <...n> TO n <BY increment> <n <...n>>

  If a numeric variable has an associated format, the specified values must be the unformatted values.

  If you omit the DISCRETE option, then numeric values are treated as continuous, which means that the following is true by default:

  • The lowest midpoint consolidates all data points from negative infinity to the median of the first two midpoints.
  • The highest midpoint consolidates all data points from the median of the last two midpoints up to infinity.
  • All other values in value-list specify the median of a range of values, and the GCHART procedure calculates the midpoint values.

  If you include the DISCRETE option, then each value in value-list specifies a unique numeric value.
• For character chart variables, value-list is a list of unique character values enclosed in quotation marks and separated by blanks:

  'value-1' <...'value-n'>

  If a character variable has an associated format, the specified values must be the formatted values.

For a complete description of value-list, see the value-list in the AXIS statement.

If value-list for either type of variable specifies so many midpoints that the axis values overwrite each other, then the values might be unreadable. In this case the procedure writes a warning to the SAS log. On many devices, you can correct crowded values by increasing the number of cells in your graphics is displayed using the HPOS= and VPOS= graphics options.

See:Understanding Midpoints

Example:Grouping and Subgrouping a Block Chart

MIDPOINTS=OLD

generates default midpoints using the Nelder algorithm (Applied Statistics 25:94–7, 1976). The MIDPOINTS=OLD option is ignored unless the chart variable is numeric.

MISSING

accepts a missing value as a valid midpoint for the chart variable. By default, observations with missing values are ignored. Missing values are always valid for the group and subgroup variables.

NAME='entry-name'

specifies the name of the GRSEG catalog entry and the name of the graphics output file, if one is created. The name can be up to 256 characters long, but the GRSEG name is truncated to eight characters. Uppercase characters are converted to lowercase, and periods are converted to underscores. The default name is GCHART. If the name duplicates an existing name, then SAS/GRAPH adds a number to the name to create a unique name, An example is GCHART1.

If the name specified is exactly eight characters long, then the last character of the image output filename is replaced with a number. For example, myimages is changed to myimage1.

See:About Filename Indexing

NOHEADING

suppresses the heading describing the type of statistic. For the Java and ActiveX devices, NOHEADING is the default. For other devices, by default the heading is printed at the top of each block chart.

Restriction:Not supported by Java or ActiveX

Example:Grouping and Subgrouping a Block Chart

NOLEGEND

suppresses the legend automatically generated by the SUBGROUP= option. NOLEGEND is ignored if the SUBGROUP= option is not used.

PATTERNID=BY | GROUP | MIDPOINT | SUBGROUP

specifies how fill patterns are assigned. By default, PATTERNID=SUBGROUP. Values for PATTERNID= are as follows:

BY

changes patterns each time the value of the BY variable changes. All blocks use the same pattern if the GCHART procedure does not include a BY statement.

GROUP

changes patterns every time the value of the group variable changes. All blocks in each group (row) use the same pattern, but a different pattern is used for each group.

MIDPOINT

changes patterns every time the midpoint value changes. If you use the GROUP= option, the respective midpoint patterns are repeated for each group.

SUBGROUP

changes patterns every time the value of the subgroup variable changes. The blocks must be subdivided by the SUBGROUP= option for the SUBGROUP value to have an effect. Without the SUBGROUP= option, all block faces have the same pattern.

Note:If you use the SUBGROUP= option and specify a PATTERNID= value other than SUBGROUP, the block segments use the same pattern and are indistinguishable.

See:Controlling Block Chart Patterns and Colors

Example:Creating a Drill-Down HTML Presentation for the Web

SUBGROUP=subgroup-variable

divides the blocks into segments according to the values of subgroup-variable. Subgroup-variable can be either character or numeric and is always treated as a discrete variable. SUBGROUP= creates a separate segment within each block for every unique value of the subgroup variable for that midpoint.

If PATTERNID=SUBGROUP (the default setting), each segment is filled with a different pattern, and a legend providing a key to the patterns is automatically generated. If the value of PATTERNID= is anything other than SUBGROUP, the segments are all the same color, the legend is suppressed, and the subgrouping effect is lost.

By default the legend appears at the bottom of the chart. To modify the legend, assign a LEGEND definition with the LEGEND= option. To suppress the legend, specify NOLEGEND.

See:LEGEND Statement

Example:Grouping and Subgrouping a Block Chart

SUMVAR=numeric-variable

specifies a numeric variable for sum or mean calculations. The GCHART procedure calculates the sum or, if requested, the mean of numeric-variable for each midpoint. The resulting statistics are represented by the height of the blocks in each square. The values of a numeric variable used with the BLOCK statement have a maximum length of 8.

When you use the SUMVAR= option, the TYPE= option value must be either SUM or MEAN. With SUMVAR=, the default is TYPE=SUM.

Example:Specifying the Sum Statistic in a Block Chart

TYPE=statistic

specifies the chart statistic.

• If the SUMVAR= option is not used, statistic can be one of the following:

  FREQ

  frequency (the default)

  CFREQ

  cumulative frequency

  PERCENT PCT

  percentage

  CPERCENT CPCT

  cumulative percentage
• If SUMVAR= is used, statistic can be either:

  SUM

  sum (the default)

  MEAN

  mean

You cannot specify the statistics PERCENT, CPERCENT, FREQ, or CFREQ in conjunction with the SUMVAR= option. As a result, you must use FREQ= to calculate percentages, cumulative percentages, frequencies, or cumulative frequencies based on a sum. See also Calculating Weighted Statistics.

If you specify TYPE=MEAN and use the SUBGROUP= option, the height of the block represents the mean for the entire midpoint. The subgroup segments are proportional to the subgroup's contribution to the sum for the block.

See:About Chart Statistics

Example:Grouping and Subgrouping a Block Chart

URL=character-variable

specifies a character variable whose values are URLs. The variable values are URLs for Web pages to display when the user clicks (drills down) on elements in the graph.

Restriction: This option affects graphics output that is created through the ODS HTML destination only.

Interaction:If you specify both the HTML= and the URL= options, then the URL= option is ignored

See:Overview of Enhancing Web Presentations

Example: GIF Output with Drill-Down Links

WOUTLINE=block-outline-width

specifies the width of the block outline in pixels.

Style reference:LineThickness attribute of the GraphOutlines element

Restriction:Not supported by Java