Pie chart data settings

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A pie chart is a circular chart divided into variably-sized colored sectors, which represent are sized in proportion to the represented data.

Pie charts are generally used to show percentage or proportional data for a single whole entity. Pie charts are good for displaying data for around 6 categories or fewer. When there are more categories it is difficult to distinguish between the relative sizes of the different sectors.

Required parameters

Important: Required and optional parameters vary by data set and there may be additional fields provided, which are not possible to document. Only those fields that are common to all data sets are described.

In edit mode, pie charts can be configured in two ways:

  • Plot for two data columns whereby one column is used for the pie slice name (or label) and the other column for pie slice value. In this configuration, a slice is created for each row in dataset with its value dictating the size of the slice. In this case, select a data column for the label in the Pie slice name field and select a data column for the slice values in the Pie slice field. For this method, pie charts render best from data sets that contain six or less rows of data, or against data generated by a query that returns six or less rows.
  • Plot for data columns where each selected data column name is used to label each slice, and its value determines the slice size. Slices associated with a particular data column share the same color. In this case, select a data column in the Pie slice field, click Add to select additional columns. For this method, pie charts render best from data sets that contain one row of data, or against data generated by a query returns one row.
    Important: When you add multiple columns for the Pie slice field, the Pie slice name drop-down list is disabled and set to None.

Optional parameters

  • Title
    • Description: A custom title for the Data Visualization chart.
    • Data types: User-provided text string.
  • Custom Help URL
    • Description: A URL that references a custom help topic help for the chart instance. The help page is displayed when a user clicks the help icon (widget help icon) on the chart's toolbar.
    • Data types: Text string forming a fully qualified URL (that is, include http:// or https://).
  • Page to launch
    • Description: Select a dashboard or page from a drop-down list. The selected page or dashboard is displayed when a user clicks the chart.
    • Data types: User selection.

Visualization options

  • Sort-By Column
    • Description: The column heading that is used to sort the data on retrieval from the data set.
    • Data types: User selection.
  • Sort Order
    • Description: The order in which values from the Sort-By Column selection are displayed, that is, in either ascending or descending order.
    • Data types: User selection.
  • Query Condition
    Use the Query Condition field to specify a filter for the request that cannot be expressed with the data set's defined parameters. Only items that match the specified filter are returned. Filters strings are formatted as ColumnName operator value, where:
    • ColumnName is the name of a data column. The name of the column is not the column's label that is shown in the user interface column choice drop-down list, so you must be familiar with the data set.
    • operator is the comparison that is being performed.
      • Available operators on string columns include contains, starts, ends, isNull, and =. Each operator can be preceded by a ! to negate it (for example, the following operator specifies is not equal to: !=).
      • Available operators on numeric and date columns include =, <, <=, >, and >=.
      • Available operators on boolean and enumerated value columns include = and !=.
    • value is the value each item in the column is to be tested against. String values must be enclosed in single quotes.

    Filter conditions may be grouped using parentheses and combined using and and or. For example:
    (NAME contains 'abcd') or ((DATE >= '2014-01-01') and (DATE < '2014-06-01'))

    Only those records matching the query condition filter are returned and plotted on the chart.

    If a dataset defines a column as a parameter, it is more efficient to filter on that column using the parameter rather than specifying a query condition. If you specify a data set parameter and a query condition, the resulting records must match both conditions.

  • Color Palette
    • Description: The color collection to be used for the current chart.
    • Data types: User selection.
  • First Color
    • Description: A color palette or collection can be thought of as circular list of colors. The First Color selection specifies where to start the list of colors.
    • Data types: User selection.

Chart customizations

  • Legend
    • Description: You can optionally place a legend at the top, bottom or side of the chart.
    • Data types: User selection.