Working with Gauge Data Regions

The Gauge data region is a one-dimensional data region that displays a single value in your dataset. An individual gauge is always positioned inside a gauge panel, where you can add child or adjacent gauges. You can use the gauge panel to create multiple gauges inside a single gauge panel that share common functions such as filtering, grouping, or sorting.

You can use gauges to perform many tasks in a report:

• Display key performance indicators (KPIs) in a single radial or linear gauge.

• Place a gauge inside a table or matrix to illustrate values inside each cell.

• Use multiple gauges in a single gauge panel to compare data between fields.

The following illustration shows the basic elements of a single gauge in the gauge panel.

Reporting Services provides two types of gauges: radial and linear. Unlike the chart types available in the Select Chart Type dialog box, the gauge types available in the Select Gauge Type dialog box are created by using a combination of gauge properties. Therefore, you cannot change the gauge type the same way you change a chart type. To change the gauge type, you must remove the gauge and re-add it to the design surface.

A radial gauge has at least one scale and one pointer. You can have multiple scales by right-clicking the gauge and selecting Add Scale. By default, this will create a smaller scale that is positioned inside the first scale. Radial gauges have three types of pointers: marker, bar, and needle. The needle pointer is only available for the radial gauge. You can have multiple pointers by right-clicking the gauge and selecting Add Pointer. This will create another pointer on the same scale, but if you have multiple scales, you can associate a pointer with any scale on the gauge.

The scale on a radial gauge is a circular scale that displays labels and tick marks. There are two sets of tick marks, minor and major.

A linear gauge functions the same as a radial gauge, except for its shape and orientation. Linear gauges are useful for integrating into the table or matrix data regions to show progress data.