Define an X-Axis for a Chart Widget

Use the X-Axis page (accessed from within the Chart Widget Properties window) to define how an x-axis looks and behaves in a Chart Widget. Properties include:

• Value Type: Date/Time, Number, Text, or Logical (True/False).
• Value Units (Date/Time value only): Days, Weeks, Months, Quarters, Years, Hours, Minutes, or Seconds.
• Label: Text to display on the x-axis.

Doughnut and Pie Charts only:

• Label Location: Where to place the labels on a Doughnut/Pie Chart (ex: Inside the slice, Outside the slice with a line connector, Outside Near the slice aligned in columns with a line connector).

Inside	Outside	Outside Near

Date/Time and Number values only:

• Axis Represents: Timeline or Numeric Sequence, with values distributed over time/number line: Distributes data points in order on a continuous timeline or numeric sequence (ex: Earliest to latest date for Date/Time values and 1-100 for Number values). For example, the following figures show Column, Line, and Scatter Charts that plot on a timeline (May through November) the # of Incidents and the # of Requests Resolved on First Call each month. Months with no data points (ex: August through October) ARE included in the timeline (x-axis).

  Timeline on Column Chart	Timeline on Line Chart
  Timeline on Scatter Chart

• Individual values, with data points next to one another: Plots Individual data points next to one another with time or numbers for reference. For example, the following figures show Column, Line, and Scatter Charts that plot the # of Incidents and the # of Requests resolved on First Call, with the month for reference. Note that months with no data (ex: Aug through October) are NOT included in the x-axis. Also note that a line is not drawn from one point to the next point in a series when there is a "missing" x-value between the points (ex: When two or more series do not have the same number of points, such as FCR Request not having a July data point).

  Individual Values on Column Chart	Individual Values on Line Chart
  Individual Values on Scatter Chart

  Note: The Chart Series window is accessed from within the Widget Manager when you create or edit a Chart Widget, and then add a Series.

Good to know:

• You can have multiple data series in a chart but all series must be the same Value Type (ex: All Date/Time).
• The x-axis values themselves are defined as part of the series (see Define a Series for a Chart Widget).
• In Column, Line, and Scatter Charts, the x-axis is the horizontal axis. In Bar Charts, the x-axis is the vertical axis because the bars go across the chart.
• Forecasting formulas (ex: Trend Lines) are not available when individual values are plotted next to one another in a chart.
• Prior to CSM 4.6, all charts plotted individual values on the x-axis (timeline was not available).

To define an x-axis for a Chart Widget:

1. Create a Widget.
2. In the Type drop-down, select Chart.
3. Click the x-axis page.

   

4. Define the following properties:
   1. X-Value Type: Select the type of data to display on the x-axis (you can have multiple data series but all series must be the same type of data):
      • DateTime
      • Number
      • Text
      • Logical (True/False)
   2. X-Value Units (Date/Time value only): Select the date/time units (ticks) to display on the x-axis (ex: Days, Weeks, Months, Quarters, Years, Hours, Minutes, or Seconds).
   3. Label: Provide the text to display on the x-axis.
      Tip: Typically, the x-axis is labeled with the name of the Field whose data it displays.
   4. Show Label for All Items: Select this check box to display a label for every tick on the x-axis. Otherwise, the chart only displays labels for some ticks to save space.
   5. Label Location (Doughnut/Pie Chart only): Select where to place the labels on a Doughnut/Pie Chart (ex: Inside, Outside, Outside Near).

      

   6. Axis represents (Date/Time and Number values only): Select one option:
      • Timeline or Numeric Sequence, with values distributed over time: Select this radio button to distribute data points in order on a continuous timeline or numeric sequence (ex: Earliest to latest date for Date/Time values and 1-100 for Number values).
      • Individual values, with data points next to one another: Select this radio button to plot individual data points next to one another with time or numbers for reference.

        

   7. Enable Custom Category Placement: Select this check box to enable the placement of one axis value at either the start or end of the x-axis:
      • Category Value: Provide the text of the axis label of the category that you want to match.
      • Placement: In the drop-down, select where on the x-axis to place the category value (either Start or End).
        Note: Custom Category Placement can be enabled for all charts except pie, doughnut, and pipeline, and does not work for continuous numeric or date/time axes.

5. Select OK.