An Interactive Stacked Graph widget presents a combination of a check box list and an area graph. The graph allows a user to see the contribution of various metric series to the change in value of a larger set of data. By selecting individual attribute elements (for example, a list of years) using the check boxes, analysts determine what data is displayed on the area graph on the right. This widget allows you to visualize total metric values as one large stacked area, and the individual pieces of that total as smaller stacked areas within the large stacked area. You can quickly analyze how the individual parts make up the whole, which is useful when making percent-to-total comparisons.
The data requirements for this type of widget are as follows:
One attribute on the widget template's rows, which is displayed on the graph's X-axis. In the image below, this is the Month of Year attribute.
One attribute on the widget template's columns, which is represented by the check box list on the left. In the image below, this is the Region attribute.
One metric on the widget template's columns, which is displayed on the graph's Y-axis. In the image below, this is the Revenue metric.
Insert an Interactive Stacked Graph widget into the document. For steps, see Inserting a widget into a document
Add objects to the widget template. To do this, from the Dataset Objects panel on the left, select attributes and metrics and drag them on top of the widget, using the following requirements:
Place at least two attributes, one on the rows and one on the columns.
The attribute placed in the widget template's columns will appear in the list of check boxes on the left side of the widget. For example, if you place a Category attribute in the columns and then switch to Flash Mode, the list of categories is displayed on the left as check boxes. You can select each check box to show or hide that specific data on the area graph. Attributes placed on the columns must appear to the left of any metrics on the columns.
The attributes placed in the widget template's rows will appear on the X-axis at the bottom of the area graph in the widget. For example, if you place a Region attribute in the rows and then switch to Flash Mode, the regions are listed on the X-axis (the horizontal graph line) at the bottom of the area graph.
Place at least one metric on the columns, below the attribute in the columns. In Flash Mode, the metric values are displayed along the Y-axis (the vertical graph line).
View and test your results by selecting Flash Mode from the View menu.
If Flash Mode is not available in the View menu, you must make Flash Mode available in the document. For steps, see Defining which display modes are available to users.
In Flash Mode, right-click the widget and select Properties. The Graph Matrix widget dialog box opens. These are the options:
Inherit graph formatting: This option allows you to select whether the widget values -- the percentage or currency, for example -- display in the same format as they do in the graph from which they were added to the widget.
Aggregate area series color: This option allows you to display a background color for the overall sum total of the data on the graph.
Series line color: The series line represents the division between two values on the graph. Select a color in which to display it.
Selectable area: Select this option to add a selector to the widget. For more information about using selectors in widget, see To use the widget as a selector.
Change selection on mouse over: Select this option to be able to change what is displayed in the selectable area by mousing over the area you want to see.
Click OK to save your changes and close the dialog box.
In Flash Mode, you can interact with the widget to control targeted Grid/Graphs and panel stacks in the document.
The following parts of an Interactive Stacked Graph widget can be used as selectors to display data in Grid/Graphs and panel stacks in the document:
The attribute elements in the legend on the left can be used as selectors if one or more of the attributes on the columns of the Grid/Graph that contains the widget are enabled as selectors. A user can choose only one attribute element to update the target panel stacks and Grid/Graphs.
If more than one element is chosen, only data related to the last element selected is displayed in the target panel stacks and Grid/Graphs.
The area graphs can be used as selectors if the attribute used to generate the graph series is enabled as a selector. A user can select only one graph at a time.
For example, the Region attribute, as shown in the image above, in an Interactive Stacked Area widget is enabled as a selector. When you select a region from the widget, the target grid is updated with data related to that region.
In Design or Editable Mode, do one of the following:
Right-click the attribute, custom group, or consolidation in the Grid/Graph to use as the selector, and choose Edit Selector. The Configure Selector dialog box opens.
Right-click the Metrics column in the Grid/Graph, and choose Edit Selector. The Configure Selector dialog box opens.
Select the target Grid/Graph or panel stack in the list of available targets on the left. Click > to add it to the list of selected targets on the right. You can select multiple targets.
The attribute, custom group, or consolidation you selected in the Grid/Graph is the source, and the selected Grid/Graph is the target. The Action Type of the selector is set the Select Element.
To ensure that the user can select more than one element in the widget, select the Show option for All check box.
To ensure that the element displayed in the selector changes if an element is chosen in another selector, select Allow selection to be updated by other selectors.
Click OK to apply the changes and return to the document.
Related topics