Function Types

Function characteristics

A TeeChart Pro Function is a Series, that can be of almost any Series Type, to which an algebraic function is applied and for which the datasource is another Chart Series.

All Functions derive from the TTeeFunction Component and inherit TeeFunction's Period property.

TeeChart Pro includes the following list of predefined functions. Please see the TeeChart Editor Gallery and Helpfile for a full list of all Function Types:

Several Function types support only one input Series. However it is possible to chain link Functions, thus, for example, taking the average of several Series in your Chart to create an Average Function Series, then identify the Trend of the average by using the Average Function as the input to the Trend Function.

Adding a Function

With the Chart Editor, on the First Chart page, select the Add button as if to add a new Series to the Chart. In the TeeChart Gallery choose the Functions tab to select the Function you require. Each Function is presented as a Line Series, you may change the Series Type associated with the Function later by choosing the Change button on the first Chart Page. Function definitions are easily changed afterwards on the Datasource page of the Function Series. Here, just as easily, you may change the definition of a normal Series that you have added to the Chart to that of a Function (Function is really a definition of datasource, not a definition of Series Type).

The image below shows the Datasource page when editing a Function. The Line Series (Name "Series2", Title "Average") is defined. The left listbox at the bottom of the Datasource page shows other Series in the Chart available for input (here "Series1").

Assuming we start with a completely empty Chart here are the steps in code to build a simple Series-Function related Chart.

private void Load() {

//Add a data Series 
Line line1 = new Line(tChart1.getChart());

//Populate it with data (here random) 
line1.fillSampleValues(10); 

//Add a series to be used for an Average Function 
Line line2 = new Line(tChart1.getChart()); 

//Define the Function Type for the new Series 
com.steema.teechart.functions.Average average1 = new com.steema.teechart.functions.Average(); 
line2.setFunction(average1); 

//Define the Datasource for the new Function Series 
line2.setDataSource(line1); 

//*Note - When populating your input Series manually you will need to 
//use the Checkdatasource method 
//- See the section entitled 'Defining a Datasource' 
//Change the Period of the Function so that it groups averages 
//every 2 Points 
line2.getFunction().setPeriod(2); 
line2.checkDataSource();
}

We can add another Function to tell us something about the previous Function

public void button1_actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {

//Let's change to 2D for visibility 
tChart1.getAspect().setView3D(false); 
//Add another Series to be used for a 2nd Function 
Line line3 = new Line(tChart1.getChart()); 
//Define the Function Type for the new Series 
com.steema.teechart.functions.High high1 = new com.steema.teechart.functions.High(); 
line3.setFunction(high1); 
//Define the Datasource for the new Function Series 
//Use the existing Function (Series2) as input 
line3.setDataSource(tChart1.getSeries(1)); 
//Leave the Period at default 0 (No Period set) to draw 
//A line at Highest of all points of the Average Function 

Defining a datasource

The examples in the previous section highlight the use of Datasource for poulating a Function by code. Series use Datasource for defining the input for a Function or to define a Series TDataset datasource (see the Tutorial about accessing databases).

Using the Chart Editor, after adding a Function, the Function Series' Datasource page will show a list of available series for inclusion in the function definition. Here you may change the Function Type you wish to apply to the Series and select Series from the Left listBox "Available" and add them to the right Listbox,"Selected".

Datasource by code uses the Series.Datasource property.

Example

Suppose we have 2 data Series in a Chart added in at design-time via the TeeChart Editor. We add a Function composed of the average of the 2 Series:

private void Load() {
 tChart1.getAspect().setView3D(false); 
 bar1.fillSampleValues(10); 
 bar2.fillSampleValues(10); 
 }

public void button1_actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
 com.steema.teechart.styles.Line line1 = new 
 com.steema.teechart.styles.Line(tChart1.getChart()); 
 com.steema.teechart.functions.Average average3 = new 
 com.steema.teechart.functions.Average(); 
 Object[] tmpDataSource ={bar1,bar1};
 line1.setFunction(tmpDataSource); 
 line1.setDataSource(bar1); 

 line1.getMarks().setVisible(true);
}

We add points to the 2 Series:

public void button1_actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {

 java.util.Random rnd = new java.util.Random();
 for(int i = 0; i < 10; ++i) 
 bar1.add(rnd.nextInt(500)); 
 bar2.add(rnd.nextInt(500)); 
 }
}

Notice that the Function doesn't display. You need to use the checkDataSource method to read in values for the Function.

tChart1.getSeries(2).checkDataSource();

Function definitions may be changed at runtime to allocate a new Function to the Series simply by redefining the Series.DataSource method:

public void button3_actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
 com.steema.teechart.functions.Cumulative cumulative1 = new com.steema.teechart.functions.Cumulative(); 
 tChart1.getSeries(2).setFunction(cumulative1);

Function Period

Period is an important method for working with Functions because the Period defines the range of points across which a Function is cyclically applied.

Example

We have 6 data points (eg. bars of a Bar Series) with values:

3, 8, 6, 2, 9 and 12

We define a Function Series with Period 0 (default) the average drawn is:

6.667

With Period set to 2 we get 3 values of average as output from the function:

5.5, 4 and 10.5

These values will plot centrally in their period range, ie. The 1st value between bars 1 and 2 of the input series, 2nd value between bars 3 and 4, etc..

You may define Period by selecting the function in the Chart Editor or you may modify Period at runtime using FunctionType.

Eg. Where Series 2 is the function series:

line1.getFunction().setPeriod(2);

Below are 2 Charts that highlight the effect of an applied Period

Period Style

Period can be defined to be a range. This is very useful when using DateTime series and we want to express the "Period" of the function as a TimeStep. The property "PeriodStyle" controls how is "Period" expressed.

For example you can now plot the "monthly average of sales" function just using a normal "Average" function on a date-time source series and setting the function period to "one month":

private void Load() {
 //Add in a BarSeries and Average Function at design-time. 
 java.util.Random rnd = new java.util.Random(); 
 tChart1.getAspect().setView3D(false); 

 DateTime today = DateTime.getToday();
 
 bar1.getMarks().setVisible(false); 
 bar1.getXValues().setDateTime(true); 
 tChart1.getAxes().getBottom().getLabels().setAngle(90); 
 
 for(int i = 0; i < 60; ++i) 
 today = today.addDays(5); 
 bar1.add(today, rnd.nextInt(100),"",Color.red); 
 
 
 average1.setPeriodAlign(com.steema.teechart.functions.PeriodAligns.FIRST); 
 average1.setPeriodStyle(com.steema.teechart.functions.PeriodStyles.RANGE); 
 average1.setPeriod(30); 
 line1.setDataSource(bar1); 
 line1.checkDataSource();
}

This will result in several points, each one showing the "average" of each month of data in the BarSeries. It's mandatory that points in the source Series should be sorted by date when calculating functions on datetime periods. The range can also be used for non-datetime series:

for(int i = 0; i < 60; ++i) 
 bar1.add(new Double(i), rnd.nextInt(100),"",Color.red); 
 
 average1.setPeriodAlign(com.steema.teechart.functions.PeriodAligns.FIRST); 
 average1.setPeriodStyle(com.steema.teechart.functions.PeriodStyles.RANGE); 
 average1.setPeriod(6);

This will calculate an average for each group of points inside every "6" interval.
(Points with X >=6, X<6 will be used to calculate the first average, points with X >=6, X<12 will be used to calculate the second average and so on... ).
Notice this is different than calculating an average for every 6 points.

Use the Period Alignment property to align the function Points within the Series range. The following will plot the Function point at the end of a monthly Period:

 average1.setPeriodAlign(com.steema.teechart.functions.PeriodAligns.FIRST); 
 average1.setPeriodStyle(com.steema.teechart.functions.PeriodStyles.RANGE); 
 average1.setPeriod(com.steema.teechart.DateTime.getDaysInMonth(year,month));

Period = Month.TotalDays and PeriodAligns.First
As you can see from the picture below, the "average" is plotted at the end of the month.

Period = Month.TotalDays and PeriodAligns.Last
In this case the "average" is plotted at the beginning of the month.

Deriving custom functions

Creating a new Function component is simply creating a new component derived from Function class (it also can be derived from an existing function ). There are 2 important virtual methods in TTeeFunction that can be overridden to create a new Function type.

1) Function.Calculate: public virtual double Calculate(Series Source,int First,int Last)

2) Function.CalculateMany: public virtual double CalculateMany(ArrayList SourceSeries, int ValueIndex)

The Calculate method is used to calculate function result if only one series is datasource. CalculateMany is used to calculate function result if multiple series can be datasource.

Example : Creating new SquareSum Funtion.

Let’s decide we need a SquareSum Function to return the "sum of squares".

This function can have only one datasource or multiple datasources, so we'll override the Calculate and CalculateMany methods.

public class SquareSum extends Function {

 public SquareSum() {
 super();
 } 


 public SquareSum(com.steema.teechart.Chart c) {
 super(c);
 }

 public double calculate(Series sourceSeries,
 int firstIndex,
 int lastIndex) {
 ValueList v = valueList(sourceSeries);
 if (firstIndex == -1) {
 return v.getTotal();
 } else {
 double result = 0;
 for (int t = firstIndex; t <= lastIndex; t++) {
 result+=Math.sqrt(v.getValue(t));
 }
 return result;
 }
 }



 public double calculateMany(ArrayList sourceSeriesList,
 int valueIndex) {
 ValueList v;
 double result = 0;

 for (int t = 0; t < sourceSeriesList.size(); t++) {
 v = valueList((Series) sourceSeriesList.get(t));
 if (v.count > valueIndex) {
 result+=Math.sqrt(v.getValue(valueIndex));
 }
 }
 return result;
 }

The FirstIndex and EndIndex variables are used to "loop" all SourceSeries points to calculate the sum of squares.

The "ValueList" method is used to extract the mandatory Steema.TeeChart.ValueList to make the class work with Series types like HorizBarSeries where "XValues" holds the point values and not "YValues".