5.4 Making Readable Charts

You must present the information in charts such that it is easily understood. Presenting the information clearly in a chart depends on how you set the properties for the chart. Before you save or deploy the report, experiment with the chart properties to ensure that you present the chart information in the best possible way for the intended audience.

Consider that you want to prepare an average memory usage over the past four weeks report, with data based on percentage values. If you retain the default settings for Automatic Minimum Axis Value and Automatic Maximum Axis Value options in the Primary Y-Axis Properties window (Report Properties > Axes > Primary Y-Axis Configure), then a chart similar to the following is displayed.

The maximum value for the Y-axis is calculated based upon the maximum value in the report. The above chart provides an accurate representation of the values. However, to provide a more meaningful context in which the information is presented, do the following to set the Y-axis of the grid to match the possible range of values (0% to 100%).

  1. Click Report Properties > Axes.

  2. In the Primary Y-Axis pane, select Enabled and click Configure.

  3. In the Primary Y-Axis Properties window, do the following:

    1. Deselect the Automatic Minimum Axis Value and Automatic Maximum Axis Value options.

    2. Set the Minimum Axis Value as 0.

    3. Set the Maximum Axis Value as 100.

    4. Click OK.

  4. Click OK.

The new Chart displays as follows and provides more easy and meaningful information about what percent of the maximum is being utilized.

To further enhance the clarity of the chart, you can edit the chart properties to limit the number of X-axis labels. In such a report, it might not be required that each date of the last four weeks is displayed. You can choose to display every seventh date:

  1. Click Report Properties > Axes.

  2. In the X-Axis pane, select Enabled and click Configure.

  3. In the General tab, do the following:

    1. Set the Label Interval Type to Data Point.

    2. Set the Label Interval to 7.

    3. Click OK.

  4. Click OK.

The new chart with every seventh date displayed:

If the labels are especially long, you can set the report properties to wrap the label:

  1. Click Report Properties > Axes.

  2. In the X-Axis pane, select Enabled and click Configure.

  3. In the X-Axis Properties window, do the following:

    1. Click the Labels tab.

    2. Select the Auto Fit option.

    3. In the Auto Fit Options, select Can Wrap.

    4. Click OK.

  4. Click OK.