Working with Chart Data Regions
A chart is a data region that displays a graphical representation of the data in a report. You can add charts of different types and specify values and category and series groups. You can also change the style of the chart to include different colors, symbols, and 3D effects. For a discussion of the various chart types and their suitability for various types of data, see "Choosing a Chart Type" later in this topic.
Note
The Chart control used in Reporting Services is licensed from Dundas Software. For more information about charting functionality available from Dundas Software, visit the company Web site at www.dundas.com.
Chart Data
Data for charts in Reporting Services is organized into three areas: values, category groups, and series groups.
.gif "Basic Chart data region")
When you click on the chart, Report Designer displays three drop zones, one for each of these areas. You can drag fields from the fields list onto each of these drop zones.
Chart areas are similar to groups in a matrix. Chart values, also called value series or static series, are similar to a static row or column group in a matrix. A chart category group is similar to a matrix dynamic column group. A chart series group is similar to a matrix dynamic row group.
Values
When you define a chart, you add at least one value series to the chart. Values determine the size of the chart element for each category group. For example, values determine the height of a column in a column chart and the size of a slice in a pie chart.
Value series are static. If you define a single value series and no series groups, a single chart element is displayed for each category group. For example, a simple column chart with one value series displays a single column for each category group. If you define multiple values, the chart will display a chart element for each value series. If there are multiple value series, the chart legend displays the name of each value series.
In most charts, you will group data by category. In this case, you must use an aggregate expression for the value expressions in the chart. You do not need an aggregate expression if you are not grouping data because there is one category value for each value in the dataset. However, you do need an aggregate expression if you are using series groups.
Categories
Use categories to group data. Categories provide the labels for chart elements. For example, in a column chart, category labels are placed on the x-axis of the chart, one for each set of columns.
You can nest categories. When you define multiple categories, each category is nested within another category. For example, in a column chart that displays products by model, the first category group would be model, and the second category group would be product. The column chart would display groupings of products by model on the x-axis.
Series Groups
Series groups are optional. You can define a series group to add an additional dimension of data to a report. For example, in a column chart that displays sales by product, you can add a series group to display sales by year for each product. Series group labels are placed in the legend of the chart.
Series groups are dynamic. A chart that uses series groups displays a chart element for each series group for each category.
Choosing a Chart Type
Reporting Services supports the following chart types: column, bar, line, pie, scatter, bubble, area, doughnut, and stock.
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
Describes column charts. Column charts display data as sets of vertical columns. Includes information about hybrid column/line charts. |
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Describes bar charts. Bar charts display data as sets of horizontal bars. |
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Describes line charts. Line charts display data as a set of points connected by a line. |
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Describes pie charts Pie charts display data as percentages of the whole. |
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Describes XY (scatter) charts. XY charts display data as a set of points in space. |
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Describes bubble charts. Bubble charts display set of symbols whose position and size are based on the data in the chart. |
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Describes area charts. Area charts display data as a set of points connected by a line, with a filled-in area below the line. |
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Describes doughnut charts. Doughnut charts display data as percentages of the whole. |
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Describes stock charts. Stock charts display data as a set of lines with markers for high, low, close, and open values. |
External Resources
Get More Out Of SQL Server Reporting Services Charts
See Also
Tasks
How to: Add Data to a Chart (Report Designer)
How to: Add, Move, or Delete a Chart (Report Designer)
How to: Associate a Data Region with a Dataset (Report Designer)
How to: Style a Chart Element (Report Designer)
Concepts
Working with Data Regions
Working with Chart Data Regions