Highchart area code sample

Use an area visualization to emphasize the magnitude of change over time by using the Highchart API.

About this task

For more information about the Highchart area custom visualization code sample on IBM Accelerator Catalog, see https://community.ibm.com/accelerators/catalog/content/Highchart-area.

Note: This sample custom visualization provides a way to show how to use an Highchart area chart as a custom visualization in IBM® Cognos® Analytics. This sample can be used at no cost, but moving it into production would require a license from Highchart.
Note: This code sample is intended for an advanced custom visualization developer. It provides an opportunity for developers to extend their visualizations. If you are not a visualization developer, IBM Cognos Analytics comes with a full set of powerful visualizations that are ready to use.
Note: We have enabled a number of properties. You can enable more properties if the chart engine supports that.

Highcharts area charts are supported as of IBM Cognos Analytics 11.1.7

This custom visualization code sample provides a way to show how to use Highcharts as custom visualization in IBM Cognos Analytics. This code sample explains how to integrate a HighChart area chart but similar code can be used to integrate other HighCharts.

There are code samples available for developers of custom visualizations. The code samples illustrate certain aspects of the customvis library and tools. The main focus of each sample is not the completeness of the visualization, but rather to demonstrate how specific features work.

To view the source code and packed bundle (.zip file) for the Highchart area chart sample, go to this public GitHub repository. To download the files, browse to the root of this directory and click Clone or download.

For more information, see Custom visualizations code samples.

For more information about custom visualizations, see Developing custom visualizations. For an excellent tutorial to get you started, see Custom visualizations - tutorial.

There are three ways to use this sample custom visualization.
  • You can upload the packed bundle (.zip file).

    For more information, see Packaging the custom visualization.

  • You can package a sample with customvis pack and upload the bundle (zip file) to IBM Cognos Analytics

    For more information, see Packaging the custom visualization.

  • You can run any sample locally by running customvis start inside the folder that contains the sample. After that, you can use the Preview Vis in IBM Cognos Analytics Dashboard or Reporting to insert the custom visualization in your dashboard or report.

    For more information, see Using a D3 sample in your custom visualization.

The following steps demonstrate how to use the Highchart area chart and populate it with data.

Procedure

  1. Create a dashboard and click the Visualization Change visualization icon icon in the toolbar.
  2. Click the Custom tab.
    If there are no custom visuals available, then you can add a custom visual by clicking the Add a custom visual Add a custom visual icon on the Custom tab.
  3. From the Custom visuals pane, select the Highchart area visualization.
  4. Use the Customer Analysis sample data source.
  5. Create the Highchart area visualization by dragging the following data items from the Customer Analysis sample data source in the Sources pane Data icon:
    • Drag Expire Month onto the Categories field.
    • Drag Vehicle Class onto the Series field.
    • Drag Total Claim Amount onto the Values field.

    This sample Highchart area visualization displays data from a fictional insurance company.

    Highchart area visualization