Displaying OLAP data in a bar or column chart

You can display OLAP data in a bar or column chart by using a multidimensional query to obtain query results.

About this task

Bar or column charts that are run using multidimensional queries allow you to roll up data across one or more columns in the associated query result set. This allows users to drill down into specific data symbols to obtain only the data they need, without having to view the entire result set at once.

To insert a bar or column chart that displays OLAP data:

Procedure

  1. Double-click the Bar Chart or Column Chart object in the Layouts palette of the Palette view.
    The Bar Chart Wizard or Column Chart Wizard opens.
  2. In the All Data Sources tree, navigate to an OLAP query in the Multidimensional Data Sources folder that will be run to obtain the layout object's query result set and click Next.
    The Select the field(s) to be displayed as bars page opens.
  3. Select one or more columns in the Available fields list box and click the Move Right button to move them to the Fields to be displayed list box.
    This field lists the names of the columns of data that are included in the selected query result set. The columns that you move to the Fields to be displayed list box will be displayed as the bars along a labeled axis in the column or bar chart.
  4. Click Next.
    The Select dimension or hierarchy page opens.
  5. Select one or more dimensions of the cube model that you want to use to express the query results and click Next.
    Select more than one dimension by holding the Ctrl key and clicking the dimensions that you would like to use.
    The Set up labels and legend information for chart page opens.
  6. Select the Display the value of each bar check box to display the data value at the end of each value bar.
  7. Select the Stack bars when there are multiple series check box to stack value bars of different data series on the same line.
    The value bars representing the first data column in the Fields to be displayed list box are drawn first, and subsequent value bars start where the ones before them end.
    For example, if bar 1 has a value of 50 and bar 2 has a value of 20, bar 1 is displayed from 0 to 50 and bar 2 is displayed from 50 to 70.
  8. Click Finish.
    The wizard closes, and the bar or column chart is displayed in the editor window.