Oracle APEX provides a robust platform for building data-driven applications, and its seamless integration with JET Charts provides a robust toolkit for insightful data visualization. 

Effective data visualization is essential for Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA), allowing users to uncover hidden patterns, trends, and anomalies.

 This article explores key customization options within the Attributes > Settings section of Oracle APEX JET Charts, focusing on the configurations that empower insightful EDA. 

We'll delve into customizing popular EDA chart types, including Bar Charts, Histograms, Line Charts, Scatter Plots, and Box Plots. Learn how to leverage these settings to transform basic charts into powerful tools for data discovery. We'll cover critical aspects like animations and transitions, label and value presentation, zoom and scroll, tooltip customization, sorting, null value handling, and stacking.

Through practical examples and a detailed case study showcasing Scatter Chart and Histogram configurations, this article equips you with the knowledge to create compelling, informative visualizations that drive meaningful insights from your data. Unlock the full potential of your data with Oracle APEX and JET Charts!

1. Key Charts in Exploratory Data Analysis

EDA requires visualizing data in various ways to detect patterns and anomalies. The most commonly used charts are:

• Bar Chart: Compare frequencies or categorical values.
• Histogram: Analyze the distribution of a numerical variable.
• Line Chart: Visualize trends over time.
• Scatter Plot: Detects correlations between two variables.
• Box Plot: Identify outliers and data distribution.

Each of these charts can be enhanced by adjusting the Settings within APEX.

2. Key Configurations in Attributes > Settings

🔹 2.1 Animations and Transitions

• Animation on Display: Adds animation when the chart loads (Auto, None, Zoom, Fade).
• Animation on Data Change: Defines whether the chart updates with animations when data changes.

Example: In a line chart, enabling Zoom will make the values appear progressively.

🔹 2.2 Labels and Values

• Show Data Labels: Displays values above each bar, point, or section.
• Label Position: Defines the position (Auto, Above, Inside).
• Data Label Style: Customizes label size, color, and font.

Example: In a histogram, placing labels Inside improves readability.

🔹 2.3 Zoom and Scroll

• Zoom & Scroll: Enables zooming within the chart (Live, On Demand, Off).
• Scroll Direction: Defines whether scrolling is Horizontal, Vertical, or both.
• Zoom Direction: Specifies if zoom applies to X, Y, or both axes.

Example: In a line chart, enabling Zoom & Scroll on X allows exploring data over time.

🔹 2.4 Tooltip (Hover Information)

• Show Tooltip: Enables tooltips when hovering over data points.
• Tooltip Style: Customizes the tooltip appearance.

Example: In a scatter plot, displaying tooltips with X and Y values facilitates correlation analysis.

🔹 2.5 Other Relevant Settings

• Sorting: Sorts data in Ascending, Descending, or None.
• Show Null Values: Handles null values (Break Line, Ignore, Treat as Zero).
• Data Label Rotation: Rotates labels for better readability.
• Stacked: Enables stacking in bar charts (None, Normal, 100%).

Example: In a box plot, enabling Sorting by ascending values helps visualize distribution in an ordered manner.

3. Case Study: Configuring a Scatter Chart and Histogram in APEX

We configure:

1. Chart Type: Scatter Chart.
2. Zoom & Scroll: Live.

Time Axis Type: Automatic

With this scatterplot setting, we can zoom in on the points of the chart.

By selecting an area inside the chart, we can zoom into the new area.

Resulting in a more clear view of the points of the scatterplot.

We configure:

1. Chart Type: Histogram.
2. Zoom & Scroll: Live.
3. Time Axis Type: Automatic

Initial Zooming: None

We can also zoom-in on histograms - bar charts.

Now, we can see the labels of each bin with the zoom.

Mastering the configuration of JET charts in Oracle APEX unlocks a world of possibilities for effective data visualization and in-depth exploratory analysis. From subtle animations that elevate the user experience to interactive zoom and scroll controls for navigating complex datasets, each setting within the Attributes > Settings section plays a crucial role in clear and accurate data communication.

This article showcases practical examples and a case study, demonstrating how strategically combining configuration options can transform basic charts into powerful tools for knowledge discovery. By leveraging these capabilities, APEX developers can build applications that not only present data but also enable users to interact intuitively and extract valuable insights.

Hoping this article has served as a comprehensive guide to chart customization in Oracle APEX. We encourage you to explore the extensive possibilities of Oracle APEX and JET Charts to elevate your applications.

Share your creations and experiences with us! – let's learn and grow together!

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