Displaying Images on Data Elements

You can place images on the bars in two-dimensional bar charts generated by the GCHART HBAR or VBAR statements. You can also place images on the bars of three-dimensional bar charts if you are using the ACTIVEX or the ACTXIMG device.

On the IMAGE= option of the PATTERN statement, specify either the path to the image file in quotation marks or a fileref that has been defined to point to the image file.

pattern image=fileref | "external-image-file";

By default, the image is tiled on the bar, which means that the image is copied as many times as needed to fill each bar. Specify IMAGESTYLE=FIT in the PATTERN statement to stretch the image as needed to fill each bar.

pattern image="external-image-file"
imagestyle=fit;

To tile subsequent images, reset the PATTERN statement or by specify IMAGESTYLE=TILE.

Note: Images are supported on bar charts generated by the HBAR and VBAR statements. If an image is specified on a PATTERN statement that is used with another type of chart, then the PATTERN statement is ignored and default pattern rotation is affected. If you submit a PIE statement when an image has been specified in the PATTERN= option, the default fill pattern is used for the pie slices. Each pie slice displays the same fill pattern.

The following example places an image on the bars of a vertical bar chart:

goptions reset=all htitle=1.25 colors=(yellow cxde7d6f);
title "Projected Automobile Sales";
data sales;
    input Month Amount;
    informat month monyy.;
   datalines;
jan08 200
feb08 145
mar08 220
apr08 180
may08 155
jun08 250
;
proc sort;
   by month;
pattern1 image="external-image-file";
proc gchart;
   format month monname8.;
   vbar month / discrete freq=amount inside=freq
               coutline=black;
 run;
quit;

The image is tiled to fill each bar.

If the PATTERN IMAGESTYLE=FIT option is used, the image is stretched to fill each bar.

 pattern=fileref | "external-image-file" imagestyle=fit;