Skip to Content
Information
This documentation supports the 23.3 version of BMC Helix ITSM.To view an earlier version, select the version from the Product version menu.

Using time series options in charts

By using the time series in charts you can present information as a series of data points, with the X-axis displaying time in uniform intervals. As opposed to categorical charts, the time series charts use these uniform time intervals to effectively show any gaps in data. If you have a date or timestamp field as a label in a chart, and you enable the time series option, the following additional functionalities are available:

  • Yearly Comparison
  • Units
  • Visible Unit Selection
  • Date Slider

<Can you select all functionalities together, or only one at a time?>

The following table provides information about enabling the time series option and using the additional functionalities it provides:

Action

Additional information

Steps

Enable the time series option

<Add info>

  • Which charts can you have time series option?
  • Any difference in the way chart plots the data?
  • What if you enable the option, but do not enable any of the additional functions?

01enableTimeSeries.png

<Add info>

Enable the Yearly Comparison functionality

If you have a line chart with a time series spanning a range of more than one year, you can enable this functionality to split the line into multiple lines, one for each year. Each line spans across 12 months and provides an easy for way yearly or monthly comparison. Each line has a different color for easy identification.

Example:

03yearlyComparison.png

The chart displays Sum of Invoiced Amount for years 2007 to 2014 as separate lines, and each line colored differently.

  1. Enable the time series option. <Verify?>
  2. From Chart Setting > Time Format, set Yearly Comparison to On.

Select Units for  granular data

By selecting a unit of time that gives more or less granularity than the table on your report, you can view different levels of data.

<How is it different from Visible Unit Selection?>

<Is the screenshot correct? It does not have any Unit field?

05enableUnitSelection.png

  1. Enable the time series option. <Verify?>
  2. From Chart Setting > Interaction, select the desired Units.

Enable Visible Unit Selection functionality

If you have charts that has data with different levels of time granularity such as Day, Week, Month, Quarter, and Year, you can enable this functionality to let report users select the time granularity while viewing the report.

Example:

06unitSelection.png

The chart shows the Sum Invoiced Amount for monthly intervals. Options to select a different time granularity are available on the chart.

  1. Enable the time series option. <Verify?>
  2. From Chart Setting > Interaction, set Visible Unit Selection to On.

Enable the Date Slider functionality

If you have charts that have data spanning across a large time period, you can enable this functionality to let report users zoom in and out of different time bands on the report. You can also specify the slider position on the report, and an initial date range

As the report users slide the date slider, the chart refreshes and displays data only for the selected date range.

Example:

08dateSlider.png

Currently the chart displays Sum Invoiced Amount from year 2007 to 2011. You can click to zoom on a particular year, such as 2012, or drag the slider to increase or decrease the date range. <Verify?>

  1. Enable the time series option. <Verify?>
  2. From Chart Setting > Interaction, set Date Slider to On.

 

Tip: For faster searching, add an asterisk to the end of your partial query. Example: cert*

BMC Helix ITSM 23.3