Conditional charting

[victorthomas]

Happy Holidays everyone! I need some help!

I have to chart off numerical data in a database.

For the x-axis there are 3 different possible sets of data that can be "pulled" out of the database.

Data Sets
---------
1. Numerical value <> 0
2. Numerical value = 0
3. <NULL>

Data Set #1
-----------
Data set #1 is fine whenever there is a negative or positive number in the database not equal to zero it passes the value to the x-axis bar chart and life is good.

Data Set #2 and #3
------------------
This is the catch, I have to be able to VISUALLY display on the chart weather a charted x-axis value is a ZERO or a <NULL>.

Any ideas?

Thank you.

Victor Thomas

 

[synapsevampire]

How would a NULL be represented as opposed to a zero?

You're graphing on numeric values, null is not a numeric value, hence your dilema.

But you can't state that you want to use a non number with numbers and not state how that might be repesented diffferently from a zero...

Perhaps you can alter these values to -99999 or some such and use the formula instead of the field in your graph.

-k

 

[victorthomas]

My Client is adamant that I don't use a &quot;-99999&quot; or some other such identifier hence my dilema.

I did some CR KB surfing and found c2005689

http://support.crystaldecisions.com/library/kbase/articles/c2005689.asp

and of this code I did a spin off of sorts:

if Maximum ({@Oswestry Null Detector [713,718,719,720]}, {PATIENTS.LASTNAME}) = true then
lcase({PATIENTS.LASTNAME}) else
if Maximum ({@Oswestry Null Detector [713,718,719,720]}, {PATIENTS.LASTNAME}) = false then
ucase({PATIENTS.LASTNAME})

I discovered that I could intercept the x-axis values ({PATIENTS.LASTNAME}) and alter its appearance per numerical value Oswestry (measure of patient diability) using what I call a <NULL> detector.

I could assign ucase() or lcase() to ({PATIENTS.LASTNAME})if Oswestry was a null. That works fine, the graph prints and assigns an ucase() or lcase to the ({PATIENTS.LASTNAME}) in the x-axis.

BUT.... Client says it's TOO hard to read, which honestly it is especially on a busy chart.

My dilema is if I intercept and alter the actual content of ({PATIENTS.LASTNAME}) in anyway example:

if isnull(oswestry) then
x_axis_lastname := ({PATIENTS.LASTNAME}) + &quot;<NULL>&quot;

which will change the value of a string &quot;thomas&quot; to &quot;thomas <NULL>&quot;.

I found out that drives CR haywire and I get some nasty looking graphs.

Do you know any work around?