Charting Settings

Basic options for charting in Analyst's Notebook. These settings can be changed in Analyst's Notebook.

  • Chart entity/link attributes

    When a record is added to a chart to become a chart item, determines whether chart attributes are added or not.

    This setting applies to particular entity or link types:

    • If chart attributes are defined for the entity or link type in the database design.

    • If it is not overridden in the charting scheme by the Chart Attributes option settings (for the entity or link type or 'Defaults').

    As an alternative to using attributes, you can use cards or data records.

  • Chart pictures to represent entities instead of their icons

    When an entity is added to a chart and the entity has a Picture type field, determines whether this picture field value is used to represent the chart item.

    This setting applies if there are no applicable Chart Picture options settings in the charting scheme (for the entity type or 'Default') that have a non-'Blank' setting.

    If there is more than one picture type field, the top field when you open the entity is the one used. If you are in doubt, contact your system administrator.

  • Rearrange new items added to a chart (not the whole chart)

    Determines how much a chart is rearranged to accommodate newly added items.

  • Show toolbar in Analyst's Notebook

    Determines whether the iBase toolbar is displayed when charting iBase data.

  • Default Link Label

    Determines the labels for chart links added from iBase. The selected option becomes the default selection for Charting Settings.

  • Multiple Link Style

    Determines how iBase links are represented on the chart. The selected option is the default selection in the Charting Settings.

Setting the link style

You can specify the type of labeling on links and how multiple links between entities are displayed.

  1. In the Charting Settings dialog, click the Link Style tab to display the Link Style page.

  2. In the Link label area, decide how you want to label the links on the chart:

    • From database

      The label for the chart link is the chart label as specified in the default labeling scheme.

    • Type name

      The label for the chart link is the source iBase record link type.

    • Occurrences

      The label for the chart link is the number of iBase links that it represents.

      This is only relevant when Multiple Link Style is set to Single or Directed, when a chart link might represent several iBase links.

    • Sum numeric

      If the iBase label for a link has a numerical component, then the values of this component, for all the iBase links represented by the chart link, are summed. The resulting number is used as the chart link label. The direction of links is taken into account; values are added if the links are in the same direction, or subtracted if they are in opposite directions.

      For example, Financial Transaction links might have an iBase label containing the value of the transaction, and there may be two links of this type between two bank account entities, one of $2000 and one of $1000. On the chart both of these links might be represented by one link, which will have a label of either $3000 (if both links are in the same direction), or $1000 if the links are in opposite directions.

      This option becomes relevant when Multiple Link Style is set to Single or Directed, when a chart link might represent several iBase links.

  3. In the Multiple Links area, decide how you want to handle multiple links between entities:

    • Single

      One link on the chart between two entities can represent many iBase links between the entities. It represents all the iBase links of a particular type.

      If the chart link has an arrowhead, it indicates that at least one of the represented iBase links is in that direction (it may have two arrowheads showing there is a bidirectional link, or two links; one in each direction).

    • Directed

      One link on the chart between two entities can represent many iBase links between the entities. It represents all the iBase links of a particular type that are in the chart link's direction.

      The possible directions are: no direction, an arrowhead at one end, and an arrowhead at both ends.

    • Multiple

      Each chart link only ever represents one iBase link.

Note: There are two limitations when charting multiple links that use the Single or Directed options. For example, on association charts, the grades, dates and times, and source references given to the compressed link can be taken from an arbitrary constituent link. Also, these options do not display attributes for link fields that are defined as chart attributes.