ChFormatMap Object

The ChFormatMap object allows formatting to represent a range of data values. The ChFormatMap object can be used provide visual cues that highlight certain portions of your data.

Using the ChFormatMap object

The FormatMap property of the ChSeries object returns a ChFormatMap object.

Format maps contain one or more ChSegment objects, each of which can be formatted independently.

The following example binds Chartspace1 to the Order Details table in the SQL Server Northwind database. Then, a format map is created. The smaller values are displayed in white, then larger values are displayed in a light shade of blue, and finally the largest values in the chart are displayed in dark blue.

Sub Window_Onload()

    Dim serSeries1
    Dim segSegment1
    Dim chConstants

    Set chConstants = ChartSpace1.Constants

    ' The following two lines of code bind Chartspace1 to the Order Details table in the
    ' Northwind SQL Server database.
    ChartSpace1.ConnectionString = "Provider=SQLOLEDB.1;Persist Security Info=TRUE;" & _
                                   "Integrated Security=SSPI;Initial Catalog=Northwind;" & _
                                   "Data Source=ServerName;"
    ChartSpace1.DataMember = "Order Details"

    ' The following two lines of code bind Chartspace1 to the Quantity and ProductID fields
    ' in the Order details table.
    ChartSpace1.SetData chConstants.chDimCategories, chConstants.chDataBound, "ProductID"
    ChartSpace1.SetData chConstants.chDimValues, chConstants.chDataBound, "Quantity"

    ' Create a format map.
    ChartSpace1.SetData chConstants.chDimFormatValues, chConstants.chDataBound, "Quantity"

    ' Set a variable to the first series in the first chart in Chartspace1.
    Set serSeries1 = ChartSpace1.Charts(0).SeriesCollection(0)

    ' Add a segment to the format map.
    Set segSegment1 = serSeries1.FormatMap.Segments.Add

    ' Specify that the divisions in formatting be created automatically.
    segSegment1.HasAutoDivisions = True

    ' Measure the segment boundaries based upon a percentage.
    segSegment1.Begin.ValueType = chConstants.chBoundaryValuePercent
    segSegment1.End.ValueType = chConstants.chBoundaryValuePercent

    ' Set the beginning value to 0%, and the ending value to 100%.
    segSegment1.Begin.Value = 0
    segSegment1.End.Value = 1

    ' Format the interior of the matching values.
    segSegment1.Begin.Interior.Color = "White"
    segSegment1.End.Interior.Color = "Blue"

End Sub
		

The following example binds Chartspace1 to the Order Details table in the Northwind database. Then, two segments are created. The first segment highlights the lowest 10% of values in the first series in the chart. The second segment highlights the top 20% of values in the first series in the chart.

Sub Window_Onload()

    Dim serseries1
    Dim segBottom10Pct
    Dim segTop20Pct
    Dim chConstants

    Set chConstants = ChartSpace1.Constants

   ' The following two lines of code bind Chartspace1 to the Order Details table in the
   ' Northwind SQL Server database.
   ChartSpace1.ConnectionString = "Provider=SQLOLEDB.1;Persist Security Info=TRUE;" & _
                                  "Integrated Security=SSPI;Initial Catalog=Northwind;" & _
                                  "Data Source=ServerName;"
   ChartSpace1.DataMember = "Order Details"

   ' The following two lines of code bind Chartspace1 to the Quantity and ProductID fields
   ' in the Order details table.
   ChartSpace1.SetData chConstants.chDimCategories, chConstants.chDataBound, "ProductID"
   ChartSpace1.SetData chConstants.chDimValues, chConstants.chDataBound, "Quantity"

   ' Create a format map.
   ChartSpace1.SetData chConstants.chDimFormatValues, chConstants.chDataBound, "Quantity"

   ' Set a variable to the first series in the first chart in Chartspace1.
   Set serseries1 = ChartSpace1.Charts(0).SeriesCollection(0)

   ' Add a segment to the format map. This segment will
   ' represent the bottom 10% of values in the chart.
   Set segBottom10Pct = serseries1.FormatMap.Segments.Add

   ' Measure the segment boundaries based upon a percentage.
   segBottom10Pct.Begin.ValueType = chConstants.chBoundaryValuePercent
   segBottom10Pct.End.ValueType = chConstants.chBoundaryValuePercent

   ' Set the beginning value to 0%, and the ending value to 10%.

   segBottom10Pct.Begin.Value = 0

   segBottom10Pct.End.Value = 0.1

   ' Format the interior of the matching values.
   segBottom10Pct.Begin.Interior.Color = "red"
   segBottom10Pct.End.Interior.Color = "red"

   ' Add a segment to the format map. This segment will
   ' represent the top 20% of values in the chart.
    Set segTop20Pct = serseries1.FormatMap.Segments.Add

    ' Measure the segment boundaries based upon a percentage.
    segTop20Pct.Begin.ValueType = chConstants.chBoundaryValuePercent
    segTop20Pct.End.ValueType = chConstants.chBoundaryValuePercent

    ' Set the beginning value to 80%, and the ending value to 100%.
    segTop20Pct.Begin.Value = 0.8
    segTop20Pct.End.Value = 1

    ' Format the interior of the matching values.
    segTop20Pct.Begin.Interior.Color = "green"
    segTop20Pct.End.Interior.Color = "green"

End Sub