How to Use the Text Area

The text area is not a visualization as such, but it can be placed within a page just like a bar chart or scatter plot. The text area is where you can provide text, images and links or buttons that you think are helpful for other users opening your analysis. You can provide information on the purpose of a page, or maybe state the observations you have made so that other people can verify or comment on your findings. See Visualization Layout for more information on how to position the text area in a page.

There are several different types of content you can add to a text area:

• Text - text can be formatted to your liking, by changing the font, color, alignment, etc. You can also add links leading to an external web page.

• Images - images can be inserted into the text area in GIF, BMP, PNG or JPG format. Regular images are added using Insert Image, but you can also add images that behave like action controls when clicking on them, see below.

• Action controls - you can add links, buttons or images that perform a certain action or series of actions to the text area. For example, an action link can switch to a different page or apply a bookmark. It can also refresh a data function calculation or run a script. This could be very handy if you intend to share your analysis with other people. You could, for example, write instructions in a text area, and include links to any operations you want them to perform, such as: "...and when you are done filtering, refresh the calculation." And clicking on the link would launch a predefined data function calculation.

• Property controls - you can add a number of different items that control the values of selected properties. This could be drop-down lists, list boxes or sliders with predefined values. You can also add manual input fields where anything can be entered, or you could simply add a label displaying the value of a specified property.

• Filters - if you only want to display a few filters in your analysis, you can add those filters to a text area and save screen estate by closing the filters panel. Filters in the text area can also be set up to use a different filtering scheme than the one used on the rest of the page. This could be useful if you have selected to limit one or more visualizations on a page by some other filtering scheme than the one used on the page.

• Dynamic items - dynamic items are small "visualizations" that can live within a text area or in a graphical table. When included in a text area they represent an aggregated view of some data. For example, this could be a calculated value displaying the total sum of sales. The dynamic items can be set up to respond to the page filtering, some other filtering or no filtering. They can also be limited by markings in other visualizations, similar to details visualizations. Currently, the available dynamic items are sparklines, calculated values, icons and bullet graphs.

• To insert a text area on a page:

1. Click on the New Text Area button on the toolbar, .

   Comment: You can also select Insert > New Text Area from the menu.

   Response: A blank text area is created.

• To edit the text area:

1. Click on the Toggle Edit Mode button, , in the text area title bar.

   Comment: You can also right-click in the text area and select Edit Text Area from the pop-up menu.

   Response: The Text Area edit mode is toggled on and off.

2. You can now type text directly in the text area, or add any type of dynamic controls by clicking on the corresponding button in the text area toolbar.

   Comment: See Text Area Edit Mode for more information about the available tools. Double-clicking on a control while the text area is in edit mode opens the corresponding dialog for editing.

3. To edit the title and set whether or not to show the title bar, right-click and select Properties from the pop-up menu.

4. Click on the toggle edit mode button again when you are finished.

• To add an image to the text area:

1. Click on the Toggle Edit Mode button, , in the text area title bar.

2. Click on the Insert Image button, .

   Response: A dialog is opened where you can browse to the image of your choice.

3. Select an image and click Open.

   Comment: You can also copy and paste an image from another application.
   Comment: Remember that your internet options settings affect the text area, so if you have trouble viewing images, make sure that Show pictures is enabled in your web browser.

   Note: If you want to use the image as an action control you should follow the steps below instead.

• To add a property control to the text area:

1. Click on the Toggle Edit Mode button, , in the text area title bar.

2. Click on the Insert Property Control button, , and select which type of control to add.

   Comment: You can choose from a number of different controls.

   Response: The Property Control dialog is displayed. There you can select which property to work on and determine which options will be available for selection.

3. Now you can use the property in the analysis, such as on a visualization axis, for example. Each time the property control is changed, all visualizations that use the property will be updated.

   Note: Make sure that you type some information explaining what the property control will actually do if the analysis is going to be opened by other users (for example, in TIBCO Spotfire Web Player).

See Using Properties in the Analysis for examples of how you can use property controls.

• To add a web link to the text area:

1. Click on the Toggle Edit Mode button, , in the text area title bar.

2. Click on the Insert Web Link button, .

   Response: The Insert Web Link dialog is displayed.

3. Type a Text to display.

   Comment: If you had previously selected a text, then this text is already present in the dialog.

4. Type or paste a web address in the Address field.

   Comment: This could be either an ordinary web address, a mailto link opening an empty email for a specified person or a tibcospotfire link to a related analysis. If your company needs to link to something else an administrator has the possibility to modify the preferences Allow Additional Uri Schemes and  Additional Uri Schemes in the Administration Manager.

5. Click OK.

• To add a bookmark button, link or image action control to the text area:

1. Click on the Toggle Edit Mode button, , in the text area title bar.

2. Click on the Insert Action Control button, .

   Response: The Action Control dialog is displayed.

3. Click on Actions in the left-hand panel.

   Comment: On this page, you can add multiple actions to a single control, but you can also choose to add a single action, such as a bookmark or a page shift.

4. Type a Display text to be shown in the text area.

5. Select a Control type: Button, Link or Image.

6. In the Available actions list, click on the plus sign to expand the Bookmarks group.

7. Click to select the bookmark you wish to add, then click on Add.

   Comment: You can also double-click on the bookmark to add it to the Selected actions list.

   Comment: If you wish to add more items to the action control, select them in the Available actions list and click Add.

8. Click OK.

• To add a page-switch button, link or image action control to the text area:

1. Click on the Toggle Edit Mode button, , in the text area title bar.

2. Click on the Insert Action Control button, .

   Response: The Action Control dialog is displayed.

3. Click on Actions in the left-hand panel.

   Comment: On this page, you can add multiple actions to a single control, but you can also choose to add a single action, such as a bookmark or a page shift.

4. Type a Display text to be shown in the text area.

5. Select a Control type: Button, Link or Image.

6. In the Available actions list, click on the plus sign to expand the Pages and Visualizations group.

7. Click to select the page to which you wish to switch, then click on Add.

   Comment: If you wish to add more items to the action control, select them in the Available actions list and click Add.

8. Click OK.

• To add a multiple actions button, link or image action control to the text area:

You can add multiple actions from the Actions page to a single button or link. However, it is not possible to mix actions from different pages (actions, scripts and data functions) in one action control.

1. Click on the Toggle Edit Mode button, , in the text area title bar.

2. Click on the Insert Action Control button, .

   Response: The Action Control dialog is displayed.

3. Click on Actions in the left-hand panel.

4. Type a Display text to be shown in the text area.

5. Select a Control type: Button, Link or Image.

6. In the Available actions list, click on the plus sign to expand the group of interest.

7. Click to select the action you wish to add, then click on Add.

8. Repeat steps six and seven to add more actions.

   Comment: The actions will be performed in the order from top to bottom of the Selected actions list. It is possible to rearrange the actions in the list by clicking on them and selecting Move Up or Move Down.

9. Click OK.

• To add a script button, link or image action control to the text area:

1. Click on the Toggle Edit Mode button, , in the text area title bar.

2. Click on the Insert Action Control button, .

   Response: The Action Control dialog is displayed.

3. Click on Script in the left-hand panel.

4. Type a Display text to be shown in the text area.

5. Select a Control type: Button, Link or Image.

6. In the Available scripts list, click on the script of interest.

   Comment: To define a new script, click New.... For more information regarding scripts, see Using Scripts in the Text Area.

7. Click on each parameter (if there are any) in the Necessary input for the selected script field and specify the Input for the selected parameter.

   Comment: If the script needs some kind of input values, then these must be specified before the script can be executed. Examples of input could be a text value or a specification of a visualization or a page to work with.

8. When all script parameters have been defined, click OK.

   Response: The action control is added to the text area.

9. Click on the Toggle Edit Mode button, , in the text area title bar, to turn off the Edit mode.

• To add a data function button, link or image action control to the text area:

Once executed in the document, data functions can also be refreshed by an action link or button in a text area. This can be a way to make it easier for other users of the analysis to find and use the data function. For example, if the data function has been set up to work with filtered rows, many people can access the analysis, filter to their special area of interest and click on a button to receive calculation results relevant for them.

1. Create an analysis where the data function can be used and run the data function from the Insert menu as described in How to Use Data Functions.

   Comment: This is done in order to make the current document aware of the data function.

2. Create a text area and enter edit mode by clicking on the Toggle Edit Mode button, .

3. Click on the Insert Action Control button, .

   Response: The Action Control dialog is displayed.

4. Click on Data Function in the left-hand pane.

5. Type a Display text to use on the button or link.

6. Select the Control type to use: Button, Link or Image.

7. Click to select the data function of interest from the Available data functions list.

   Comment: Only data functions that have been executed from within the current document and do not use automatic refresh will be available.

8. Click OK.

   Response: The button or link is added to the text area.

• To add a filter to the text area:

1. Click on the Toggle Edit Mode button, , in the text area title bar.

2. Click on the Insert Filter button, .

   Response: The Insert Filter dialog is displayed.

3. Select the filtering scheme to use from the Filtering scheme drop-down list.

4. Select which filter to insert by clicking on it in the Filter list.

5. Click OK.

6. Click on the Toggle Edit Mode button, , in the text area title bar, to turn off the Edit mode.

Response: The filter is added to the text area.

• To add a sparkline, a calculated value, an icon, or a bullet graph to the text area:

1. Click on the Toggle Edit Mode button, , in the text area title bar.

2. Click on the Insert Dynamic Item button, , and select which item to add.

   Response: The Settings dialog for the selected item is displayed.

3. Make the necessary changes to set up the dynamic item the way you want it.

Comment: See How to Use Sparklines, How to Use Calculated Values, How to Use Icons, or How to Use Bullet Graphs for more details.

4. Click OK.

Response: The settings dialog is closed, and the dynamic item is added to the text area. For sparklines, icons, and bullet graphs, a gray edit box representing the placement and size of the dynamic item is shown in the text area. The name and type of the dynamic item is displayed in the edit box to help identifying those items.

5. Click on the Toggle Edit Mode button, , in the text area title bar, to exit Edit mode.

Response: The item is shown in the text area.

• To change the font, style and size of text in the text area:

To change the appearance of text that is typed directly in the text area and web links, use the text area toolbar. Other texts, such as the texts included in property controls, action controls, or dynamic items are modified from the Format Control dialog. Which settings are available in the dialog depends on the type of control or item. Note that text in filters and sliders cannot be edited.

1. Click on the Toggle Edit Mode button, , in the text area title bar.

2. Right-click on the control or item of interest, and select Format Control... from the pop-up menu.

Response: The Format Control dialog is opened.

3. Adjust the settings in the dialog to your liking.

4. Click OK.

Response: The new settings are applied to the selected control or item.

5. Click on the Toggle Edit Mode button, , in the text area title bar, to exit the Edit mode.

Response: The Edit mode is closed and you see the final result.

Note: When working with calculated values, make sure you do not unintentionally override any font style settings that have been defined in a rule.

• To change the size of a sparkline, an icon, or a bullet graph in the text area:

1. Click on the Toggle Edit Mode button, , in the text area title bar.

Response: The outline of the sparkline, icon, or bullet graph is shown as a gray box.

2. Click on the gray edit box to select it and drag either of the corners to resize the box.

Comment: The size slider within the Icons page of the Icon Settings dialog can only resize the icon within the current edit box.

3. Click on the Toggle Edit Mode button, , in the text area title bar again.

Response: The Edit mode is closed and you see the final result.

Comment: You can always reset the size of the sparkline, icon, or bullet graph to the original size if you change your mind. Just open the Format Control dialog by right-clicking on the gray box, click on the Reset button and then OK, and the size will be reset.

• To change the size of filters and controls in the text area:

1. Click on the Toggle Edit Mode button, , in the text area title bar.

2. Click on the control (if it is a filter, click on the gray edit box representing the filter) to select it and drag either of the corners to resize the box.

Comment: Filters cannot be resized in the vertical direction, only the width will be changed.

3. Click on the Toggle Edit Mode button, , in the text area title bar again.

Response: The Edit mode is closed and you see the final result.

Comment: You can always reset the size of the filter or control to the original size if you change your mind. Just open the Format Control dialog by right-clicking on the filter or control, click on the Reset button and then OK, and the size will be reset.

• To change the default font, style and size for the text area:

The default font is used in the property controls and on action buttons.

1. Select Tools > Options.

   Response: The Options dialog is displayed.

2. Click on Fonts.

3. Under Settings for, click to select Text area content.

4. Select a Font.

5. Select a Size.

6. Click OK.

   Response: Property controls and action buttons in all new text areas will use the new default font. Note that previously created text areas in your document will not be affected by this change.

Comment: To apply the font settings to already existing texts, you can click on the Apply to Document... button to open the Apply Font Settings to Document dialog. The dialog allows you to update the text styles in all visualizations on one or more pages at the same time. Using this dialog to adjust the fonts in the analysis will override any settings you may have made directly in a visualization.

• To use the 3.0 text area:

In TIBCO Spotfire 3.1, a new version of the text area was created in order to allow the use of property controls and script actions in the text area. However, the function links to tools previously available in the text area can no longer be added to a version 3.1 text area. If you need that type of functionality, for example, to use some of the tools of the TIBCO Spotfire Connector for Pipeline Pilot, you can revert to using 3.0 text areas in your document.

1. Select Tools > Options.

   Response: The Options dialog is displayed.

2. Click on Compatibility.

3. Select the Use 3.0 text area check box.

   Comment: Note that while this check box is selected you cannot add script action controls and property controls in new text areas. See the 3.0 Text Area help section for an explanation of the available functionality.

4. Click OK.

   Response: All new text areas created in the document will be of the 3.0 version. Note that previously created text areas in your document will not be affected by this change. This means that you can create documents where some text areas use the old style and some use the new style.

• To migrate content between different text area versions:

If you use an analysis file created before version 3.1, then the text area will be of the old 3.0 style. You cannot convert a text area from one text area version to another directly, but it is possible to use the check box described above to switch between the versions when creating new text areas. This way, you can create a new text area, copy the text and images used in the first version and paste it in a text area of the other version.

See also:

Text Area Edit Mode

Details on Action Control

Details on Property Control

What is a Guided Analysis?