Charts by Date

Hello,

I need to create a chart that will use Dates to create a "Burn Rate Chart". I can't figure out how to do this and have tried multiple different ways. I am using dynamic data. I have a query that gives me a list of employees and when their funding will run out.

Employee column
Expected Date Funding will run out column
Task Column

I need to create a chart that will show for a filtered employee their Tasks and when those tasks will burn out. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. During my first attempts the left hand side of the chart appears to be numbers and I don't know how to change that.

Crystal

I really need some tech support. The product has no error messages so I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.

I bought the product based on the documentation that I could build charts using date fields. Some instructions would help. I never would have figured out how to get a simple pie chart to work if I didn't have coding experience. I have figured out that if I do something wrong, I simply see the file path to the data file instead of the chart. When I try to go back and edit using the wizard, I receive error messages and have to delete and start over.

I need to be able to use a Date Field on the Y Axis. I did find instructions on combining 2 charts so I can use that if I can figure out how to build one to show the data the way I need it.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Have you had a look at the getting started guide for this product? It can be found here on the support page:

dynamic-web-charts/


You can definitely use dates in the chart, have you setup access to the table in your db and specified the date column to use? What specifically have you tried that is not giving you the correct results? So long as you specify the proper column for the x and y axis you should be able to chart the info from those columns. Please post back with some more details and let us know a little more about how your data relates in regards to the dates.

Hello,

Thanks for the reply! I have attached a sample Excel Chart converted to pdf that shows what I'm trying to do. I actually calculate the working days and projected date thru a query.

Yes, I have read everything I can and tried this over 2 days. I have a query that I use to dynamically pull in the data. I don't care if I can't show the bar charts as they are in the example. I can reverse the charts or use a line chart but I can't figure out how to use the Task Identifier (which is a Text field) along with the Date field.

In the charts you will have two axes, the x and the y. The y is the vertical one with the y legend appearing on the left side of the chart. The x is the horizontal access and the legend for this appears on the bottom of the chart. Looking at the doc you sent I'm not sure how exactly you would like to chart this info. Would you like the dates to be charted vertically with the users charted along the x?

Also, if your data is coming from your db then you cannot create the recordset for this first. The data selection occurs from within the wizard, in here you specify the table that has the data and the columns to use for the x and y. The data should probably be ordered by the date. Have you setup a chart like this? If so what is the result you are getting with it? Please post back with this and any other info so that we can help you get this worked out.

Hello!

Thanks for the help. Any suggestions are appreciated!

I have a View in my SQL Database that contains the data for the chart. I can sort the data by Date. I can use the wizard to create the Recordset and have done that. I have created other charts using your product (Pie Charts) with success.

I have had success charting the data using Excel but really need to make this work using your product so that I can have the charts be dynamic for our Managers accessing the charts on our company intranet. I can do this using Excel but it is cumbersome to post to a website and the data is not dynamic for users offsite not on our network.

It doesn't appear that I can create Bar charts where the bars are horizontal, that is not a problem. I can just reverse the data for the axis. Using vertical bars, I would need the Date field to be the y axis (grouped by Week, etc) and the Task (varchar) field to be the x axis showing across the bottom of the chart. The bars would show vertically when the funding for the Task runs out. Then I'm hoping I can create a similiar chart showing vertically the Tasks across the bottom showing when the Tasks Expire. I will then try to combine the 2 charts (using your directions) to have an effect like the one I create in Excel. The chart shows the Tasks and vertically would show the difference between when their hours funded will run out compared to when the Tasks expire.

Again, thanks for the help! I use several webassist products.

Crystal

Ok, now I think I'm understanding the situation a little better, thanks for the extra info. You might have a problem with this using the view in your db. If you create the chart and select the info from the columns and need to update this to work with your view you could just update the DynamicWebCharts > pagename_data1.php file to update the query to work with your view.

You should try this if the problem is that you are not accessing the data correctly. If you are able to chart this same info in a pie chart then you should just be able to update the chart type to be a bar type. Have you done that? If you can do that and the result is bad there could be a problem elsewhere. Let me know about this and if you can get the data to chart one way but not the other we can open a ticket to take a look at things and help you get it worked out.

Perhaps I did not explain myself correctly. I can create pie charts and other charts using your product with other views successfully. What I can't do is create any type of chart using WebAssist to chart the data I need to for the chart I sent you as an example. I need to be able to use a Date field along with a Text Field so that the Date field
for the horizontal bar chart is on the left hand side with the Text field along the bottom.

I need the bars or I could use a line chart to show the Tasks along with the Date their funding runs out. The Task is a Text field while the projected date is a date field.

The data might look like this:

Task: ABC;123;XZY
Projected Date Funding Runs out: 3/31/2010;4/25/2010;12/31/2010

I need to see The Tasks (ABC, etc) across the bottom of the chart.
I need to see the Date Fields (3/31/2010) on the left hand side. The bars would show each Task with a bar stopping at that Tasks projected Funding Date. Then, I'll create a 2nd chart to show when the actual Tasks Expiration Date stops. I want to be able to compare funding with actual expiration dates showing visually how they relate.

I really DO appreciate your help and persistance. I am probably just overlooking something minor but believe me, I've tried this over and over again using different views and types of charts.

Thanks!
Crystal

It seems that there is some misunderstandings about what is being suggested and what has been tried, I'm not sure exactly what it is that you have tried in with Dynamic Web Charts that is not working. Have you successfully made pie and line type of charts with this data using Dynamic Web Charts? If so how have you setup these working charts? Please post back with this info. I would also like to know the exact steps and settings you are using for the bar chart that is not working. I think if we can compare the working to the non working one we will have a better idea of what is going wrong.

Hello,

The type of chart that I need to create is a bar chart using data much like the sample I sent previously. I have not been able to create a chart using this data. What I need to do is chart using data that looks like:

Task: ABC;123;XZY
Projected Date Funding Runs out: 3/31/2010;4/25/2010;12/31/2010

The Tasks would run across the bottom of the chart.
The Dates would be on the left-hand side.
I want the bar to stop for each task at the Projected Date.

I can't figure out how to chart this since I have to use a number field for the left-hand side or so it seems. It might not be possible. I can do this in Excel but not in Access or Cognos (another reporting tool we have).

What I meant when I said that I could create other charts is that I can successfully create charts using your program just not using data as my example above to create a 'Projected' Chart using a Date field along with a Text field where I don't need to sum the data.

Thanks for your persistance!