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Box

In this topic

  1. Summary
  2. Discussion
  3. Syntax
  4. Properties
  5. Method Overview
  6. Methods
  7. Code sample

Summary

The Box class creates box plots. Box plots allow you to visualize and compare the distribution and central tendency of numeric values through their quartiles.

Learn more about box plots in ArcGIS AllSource

Discussion

When creating a chart object, optional arguments for the class constructor must be specified using the argument name; they cannot be specified by argument position. See the Code Samples section for an example of how to specify arguments using keywords.

Syntax

Box (y, {x}, {splitCategory}, {splitCategoryAsMeanLine}, {standardizeValues}, {showOutliers}, {rotated}, {title}, {description}, {xTitle}, {yTitle}, {dataSource}, {displaySize})
ParameterExplanationData Type
y

The fields to display as boxes. Provide a single field name or a list of field names.

String
x

The x-axis field is used to create multiple-series box plots by setting the category. See Box plots for more information.

String
splitCategory

A second categorical field that adds a separate series or box for each unique value in the field.

String
splitCategoryAsMeanLine

Specifies whether multiple-series box plots that are created with a split field will be displayed as mean lines or side-by-side boxes.

  • True—Display split multiple-series box plots as mean lines.
  • False—Display multiple-series box plots as side-by-side boxes.

(The default value is False)

Boolean
standardizeValues

Specifies whether box plots that are created from multiple fields will be standardized.

  • True—Display standardized values.
  • False—Display nonstandardized values.

(The default value is True)

Boolean
showOutliers

Specifies whether outliers will be shown as points extending beyond the whiskers.

  • True—Display outliers as points.
  • False—Include outliers in whiskers.

(The default value is False)

Boolean
rotated

Specifies whether boxes will be viewed vertically or horizontally.

  • True—The chart is rotated so that boxes will be displayed horizontally.
  • False—Boxes will be displayed vertically.

(The default value is False)

Boolean
title

The title of the chart. The title text appears at the top of the chart view and is used as the label for the chart in the Contents pane.

String
description

The description of the chart. The description text appears at the bottom of the chart view.

String
xTitle

The title of the x-axis of the chart.

String
yTitle

The title of the y-axis of the chart.

String
dataSource

The data source of the chart. When a chart is exported using the exportToSVG method or displayed in an ArcGIS Notebook, the data source will be read and rendered on the chart. Valid data sources include the following:

  • Paths to datasets, including local datasets, UNC paths, and service URLs
  • Arrow table objects
  • Layer or Table objects

Object
displaySize
[displaySize,...]

The size of the chart when exported using the exportToSVG method or displayed in an ArcGIS Notebook. The value must be specified as a two-item list in which the first item is the width of the chart and the second item is the height of the chart.

List

Properties

PropertyExplanationData Type
dataSource
(Read and Write)

The data source of the chart. When a chart is exported using the exportToSVG method or displayed in an ArcGIS notebook, the data source will be read and rendered on the chart. Valid data sources include the following:

  • Paths to datasets, including local datasets, UNC paths, and service URLs
  • Arrow table objects
  • Layer or Table objects

Object
description
(Read and Write)

The description of the chart. The description text appears at the bottom of the chart view.

String
displaySize
(Read and Write)

The size of the chart when exported using the exportToSVG method or displayed in an ArcGIS notebook. The value must be specified as a two-item list in which the first item is the width of the chart and the second item is the height of the chart.

List
legend
(Read and Write)

The properties of the chart legend.

  • alignment—Specifies the alignment of the legend. Alignment options are left, bottom, top, and right.
  • title—The title of the legend.
  • visible—Specifies whether the legend will be displayed in the chart view. True displays the legend, and False hides the legend.
Object
rotated
(Read and Write)

Specifies whether the chart will be displayed vertically or horizontally.

  • True—The chart will be displayed horizontally.
  • False—The chart will be displayed vertically.
Boolean
showOutliers
(Read and Write)

Specifies whether outliers will be shown as points extending beyond the whiskers.

  • True—Display outliers as points.
  • False—Include outliers in whiskers.
Boolean
splitCategory
(Read and Write)

A second categorical field that adds a separate series or box for each unique value in the field.

String
splitCategoryAsMeanLine
(Read and Write)

Specifies whether multiple-series box plots that are created with a split field will be displayed as mean lines or side-by-side boxes.

  • True—Display split multiple-series box plots as mean lines.
  • False—Display multiple-series box plots as side-by-side boxes.
Boolean
standardizeValues
(Read and Write)

Specifies whether box plots that are created from multiple fields will be standardized.

  • True—Display standardized values.
  • False—Display nonstandardized values.
Boolean
theme
(Read and Write)

The name of the theme that will be applied to the chart.

String
title
(Read and Write)

The title of the chart. The title text appears at the top of the chart view and is used as the label in the Contents pane on the List By Drawing Order tab List By Drawing Order.

String
type
(Read Only)

The string value indicating the chart type.

String
x
(Read and Write)

The field that will be used to create multiple-series box plots by setting the category. See Box plots for more information.

String
xAxis
(Read and Write)

The properties of the x-axis.

  • field—The field name used to create multiple-series box plots by setting the category.
  • logarithmic—This property is not supported for the Box class.
  • maximum—The maximum axis bound.
  • minimum—The minimum axis bound.
  • sort—The sort order applied to this axis. ASC is for ascending order and DESC is for descending order.
  • title—The label of the axis that displays on the chart.
Object
y
(Read and Write)

The field or fields that will be displayed as boxes. Provide a single field name or a list of field names.

String
yAxis
(Read and Write)

The properties of the y-axis.

  • addGuide—Adds a guide to the axis using a Guide object.
  • field—The field or fields that will be displayed as boxes. You must specify a single field name or a list of field names.
  • logarithmic—This property is not supported for the Box class.
  • maximum—The maximum axis bound.
  • minimum—The minimum axis bound.
  • sort—The sort order applied to this axis. MEAN_ASC and MEAN_DESC are used to sort the boxes by the mean values in ascending or descending order, respectively. MEDIAN_ASC and MEDIAN_DESC are used to sort the boxes by the median values in ascending or descending order, respectively.
  • title—The label of the axis that displays on the chart.
Object

Method Overview

MethodExplanation
addToLayer (layer_or_layerfile)

The addToLayer method adds the chart object to a layer or table view.

exportToSVG (path, width, height)

The exportToSVG method exports the chart to SVG format.

updateChart ()

The updateChart method updates chart properties to sync changes between the object and the chart previously added to a layer.

Methods

addToLayer (layer_or_layerfile)
ParameterExplanationData Type
layer_or_layerfile

The chart will be added to the target object. This argument can be a Layer or Table object.

Object

Adding the chart object to a layer or table using the addToLayer method is often the final step after defining chart properties.

Add a chart to an existing layer.

import arcpy

# Insert creation of chart object here
...

aprx = arcpy.mp.ArcGISProject("current")
map = aprx.listMaps()[0]
censusLayer = map.listLayers('Census Block Groups')[0]

# Add chart object to a layer
chart.addToLayer(censusLayer)
exportToSVG (path, width, height)
ParameterExplanationData Type
path

The path where the chart will be exported in SVG format.

String
width

The width of the output graphic.

Integer
height

The height of the output graphic.

Integer

In some cases, you may want to save the chart as a graphic that can be shared and viewed outside of ArcGIS AllSource. Exporting to the SVG graphic format is beneficial, as the chart elements and text are stored as vector elements that can be independently modified in vector graphics software. An SVG graphic can also be resized to any scale without pixelation or loss in quality.

Export a chart that has a project layer data source to an .svg file.

import arcpy

# Insert creation of chart object here
...

aprx = arcpy.mp.ArcGISProject('current')
censusLayer = aprx.listMaps()[0].listLayers('Census Block Groups')[0]

# Set data source of chart object to a layer in current project
chart.dataSource = censusLayer

# Save the chart to file with dimensions width=500, height=500
chart.exportToSVG('populationByState.svg', 500, 500)

Export a chart that has a feature service data source to an .svg file.

import arcpy

# Insert creation of chart object here
...

featureServiceURL = r'https://services1.arcgis.com/hLJbHVT9ZrDIzK0I/arcgis/rest/services/CrimesChiTheft/FeatureServer/0'

# Set data source of chart object to a feature service URL
chart.dataSource = featureServiceURL

# Save the chart to file with dimensions width=800, height=600
chart.exportToSVG('theftsPerBeat.svg', 800, 600)
updateChart ()

Adding the chart object to a layer using the addToLayer method is often the final step after defining chart properties.

You can also modify the properties of the original chart instead of starting with a new chart. You can then use the updateChart method to synchronize any changes into the chart that was added to the layer. This allows the changes you make to be presented in the Chart properties pane and chart view.

Use the updateChart method to synchronize chart property changes into a layer.

import arcpy

# Insert creation of chart object here
...

chart.addToLayer(myLayer)

# Further modification is necessary
chart.description = "Data from the U.S. Census Bureau"
chart.updateChart()

Code sample

Create a box plot using a .csv file and export the box plot to an .svg file.

import arcpy

chart = arcpy.charts.Box(y=["pct_diabetes", "pct_asthma", "pct_heart"], 
                         splitCategory="State", 
                         dataSource="chronic_health_conditions.csv")
chart.title = "Distribution of Chronic Health Conditions by State"
chart.exportToSVG("box.svg", width=700, height=600)

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In this topic
  1. Summary
  2. Discussion
  3. Syntax
  4. Properties
  5. Method Overview
  6. Methods
  7. Code sample