Shared data series

Streamline data collection and processing by referencing the same data series in multiple Charts with shared data series.

A shared data series is a series that copies data from a series on another Chart in KaiNexus. As the data on that original Chart is updated, those changes will be reflected on every Chart that references it.

Data shared from one Chart to another can only be edited from the original Chart, so there's no risk of a data mismatch over time.

Annotations added to a series on one Chart will not be visible on any other Charts to which it was shared, keeping Charts from becoming cluttered with irrelevant Annotations.

By streamlining data collection in this way, visibility into data is increased and collaboration is simplified, all while maintaining data integrity.

What kinds of data series can be shared?

Any basic data series can be shared across Charts; Thresholds, Control Limits, and Bowling Series cannot.

When sharing a data series with another Chart, the Row Type of the series must match the Row Type of the Chart. For help diagnosing any Row Type-based errors, see the explanation of common errors below.

Who can share a series with a Chart?

To share a series with another Chart, you must have permission to edit the new Chart and view the original Chart.

Only the following people can edit the new Chart's data:

• Anyone on the Chart's Team except for Followers or Participants.
• Anyone with the “Edit” permission for Items in the Chart's Location(s).

Only the following people can view the original Chart:

• Anyone on the Chart's Team.
• If the Chart is not private and not in the New status, anyone with the "View" permission for Items in the Chart's Location(s).
• If the Chart is private, anyone with the "View Private" permission for Items in the Chart's Location(s).
• If the Chart is in the New status and is not private, anyone with the "View New" permission for Items in the Chart's Location(s).

Common questions

What happens when I copy a Chart that includes a shared series?

The shared series will be included in the new copy. You may need to save the new copy's data once before the shared series's data will populate, though.

What happens to my shared series if the original Chart is deleted?

If the original Chart is deleted, any shared series that pulled its data from that Chart will be deleted as well.

How do I spot a shared series on my Chart?

You'll be able to recognize a shared series in two ways:

• Its data will be grayed out and uneditable on the Edit Data window.
• Its name will be accompanied by a network icon in the Chart's legend. Clicking that icon will open the original Chart.

Create a shared series

To create a new shared data series, open the Chart with which you want to work, then:

• Click Actions in the top right corner of the page.

• Click Edit Chart in the resulting drop-down menu and the Chart's Edit Data window will open.

• Click Add Data Series. The "Add Data Series" window will open:
  
  • Name (required): The name will be used to identify this series.
  • Description: Enter an optional description in this field. The description will appear when hovering over the name of the series on both the Edit Data window and on the Chart's legend.
  • Format (required): Expand the drop-down to choose in which format you want data in this to be displayed. Once you've made a choice, the predefined format will appear in the field. Edit that predefined format to configure the appearance of this series's data further.
  • Under the Type header:
    
    • Click either the Line or Bar radio button to decide whether this series should be displayed as a line or as a bar.
  • Click the Appearance header to open that section. The options shown here will be largely determined by your choice of line or bar above.
    
    • If this is a line data series:
      
      • Bar/Line Color: Click inside the color code field to open the color picker, choose in which color this series will be displayed, then click Save on the color picker.
      • Line Width: The value (1–10) entered here will determine the width of this series's line on the Chart.
      • The Show Markers checkbox: When this box is checked, a round marker will appear at each data point on the series's line on the Chart.
      • The Show Values checkbox: When this box is checked, the value of each data point on this series will appear by its line on the Chart.

• • • • The Send to Back checkbox: When this box is checked, this series's line will be arranged behind any other series on the Chart.
      • The Dashed Line checkbox: When this box is checked, this series will be displayed as a dashed line rather than a solid line.
      • The Fill checkbox: When this box is checked, the space beneath the series's line will be filled in on the Chart. If enabled, the following options will appear beneath the checkbox:
        • Fill Color: Click inside the color code field to open the color picker, choose in which the fill for this series will be displayed, then click Save on the color picker.
        • Fill Opacity:  Expand the drop-down to choose with what opacity you want the fill to be displayed.
    • If this is a bar series:
      
      • Bar/Line Color: Click inside the color code field to open the color picker, choose in which color this series will be displayed, then click Save on the color picker.
      • The Show Values checkbox: When this box is checked, the value of each data point on this series will appear by its bar on the Chart.
  • Click the Y-Axis header to open that section.
    • Click either the Left or Right radio button to decide whether Y-axis for this series should be displayed on the left or right side of the Chart.
  • The Shared Series checkbox: Check this box to turn this series into a Shared series. The data on such a series will not be editable on this Chart but will reflect updates made to the data series on the original Chart. If checked, the additional fields will appear:
    
    • Chart: Use this field to search for the Chart which contains the series you want to have shared. Once you've selected a Chart, the next field will be enabled.
    • Series: Expand the drop-down to select which data series from the specified Chart you would like to add.
  • Click the Annotation Appearance header to open that section.
    
    • Click inside the color code field to open the color picker, choose in which color Annotations on this series will be displayed, then click Save on the color picker.
  • Click Save to create the data series and return to the Edit Data window.
  • Repeat this process for any additional data series you need to add.
  • Click Save on the Edit Data window to update the Chart.

Common errors

Every Chart in KaiNexus is configured with a Row Type — either dates or categories. When sharing a data series with another Chart, the Row Type of the series (and therefore of the original Chart) must match the Row Type of the new Chart. If these two Row Types don't match, one of the following errors will appear.

Mismatched Series Error

If you attempt to share a series that uses the wrong Row Type, you'll get a Mismatched Series Error. If you still want to share the series with the new Chart, you'll either need to:

• Change the new Chart's Row Type to match the original Chart, or
• Change the original Chart's Row Type to match the new Chart.

Row Type Error

If you attempt to change the Row Type of a Chart that already has a shared series on it, you may get a Row Type Error. If you still want to share the series with the new Chart, you'll need to:

• Remove the shared series from the new Chart.
• Change the Row Type on the new Chart as desired.
• Change the Row Type on the original Chart to match that of the new Chart.
• Reshare the series with the new Chart.

Circular Reference Error

A circular reference is created when one data series has already been shared from Chart A to Chart B, and you try to share a second series from Chart B to Chart A. When you attempt to save a Chart with a circular reference, you'll get a Circular Reference Error as the two Charts get stuck in an endless loop of referring to one another.

Due to the continuous self-referencing and potential for data loss, KaiNexus does not support the configuration for circular references within Charts. To fix this error, you'll need to remove one of those shared series.