ActiveReports 11
Data Bar
ActiveReports 11 > ActiveReports User Guide > Concepts > Page Report/RDL Report Concepts > Data Visualizers > Data Bar

The Data Bar data visualization displays a 96 by 96 dpi bar image. The colored bar fills the Image top to bottom, while the Value argument determines the amount of colored bar to render to the right of the Zero argument (or to the left in the case of a negative value).

The Minimum and Maximum arguments determine the range of data. The area between the Value argument and the Maximum argument is transparent (or between the Value and the Minimum in the case of a negative value).

Parameters

Select the Use Alternate Color when Value is less than Zero Value check box to enable the Alternate Color parameter. You can use static values or aggregate functions (e.g. Min or Max) to set parameters. For more information on these and other aggregate functions, see the Common Functions topic.

Syntax

=DataBar(Value, Minimum, Maximum, Zero, Color)
=DataBar(Value, Minimum, Maximum, Zero, Color, Alternate Color)

Usage

Use an expression with this syntax in either the BackgroundImage Value property of a TextBox or the Value property of an Image. This renders a bar in the color specified, the length of which changes depending on the number returned by the Value parameter, in the case of the simple example, InStock. If your data contains only positive values, Zero corresponds with Minimum at the left edge of the Data Bar. The area between the Value and the Maximum is transparent.

Simple Example

Set the Value parameter to the value of a field in your dataset to display the field values visually.

Paste into the BackgroundImage Value property of a TextBox
Copy Code
=DataBar(Fields!InStock.Value,0,20,0,"BlueViolet")

Example Using Negative Values

When your data contains negative as well as positive values, you can select the Use Alternate Color when Value is less than Zero Value check box, and then select an Alternate Color. In this example, if the Difference value is negative, it is rendered in Crimson, while positive values are rendered in BlueViolet. You can also see that negative values are rendered to the left of Zero and positive values are rendered to the right.

Paste in the BackgroundImage Value property of a TextBox
Copy Code
=DataBar(Fields!Difference.Value,-10,20,0,"BlueViolet","Crimson")

Default Behavior

The function returns null (i.e. no image is rendered) in any of the following cases:

  1. The Maximum is less than or equal to the Minimum.
  2. The expression is placed in a property which does not take an image.
  3. The Source property of the image is not set to Database.

If the argument for any of the parameters cannot be converted to the required data type, the default value is used instead.

Parameter Default Value
Value 0
Minimum 0
Maximum 0
Zero 0
Color Green
Alternate Color null

Dialog

When you select a TextBox control on your report, in the Properties window or Properties dialog, you can drop down the BackGroundImage Value property and select <Data Visualizer...> to launch the dialog. The same is true if you select an Image control and drop down the Value property. To build the data visualizer expression, select the appropriate values for each of the options in the dialog.

Data Bar Data Visualizer dialog

See Also

How To