consistent marker and style control - type properties

[#1]

I wished there was a consistent marker control in Graph Builder.

[#2]

The wish is from August (2025):consistent marker control in Graph Builder 


It seems that someone else had the same wish, because here it is [1st part]!

A new era of style control in Graph Builder / JMP19:

Names Default to Here(1);
dt = Open( "$SAMPLE_DATA/Big Class Families.jmp" );
Graph Builder(
	Size( 590, 412 ),
	Graph Spacing( 4 ),
	Variables( X( :name ), Y( :weight ), Y( :height ), Color( :sex ) ),
	Elements( Position( 1, 1 ), Points( X, Y, Legend( 1 ) ) ),
	Elements( Position( 1, 2 ), Points( X, Y, Legend( 2 ) ) ),
	Column Switcher( :sex, {:age, :sex} ),
	SendToReport(
		Dispatch( {}, "400", ScaleBox,
			{Legend Model(
				1,
				Type Properties( 0, "Marker", {Marker( "Circle" )} )
			), Legend Model(
				2,
				Type Properties( 0, "Marker", {Marker( "FilledCircle" )} )
			)}
		))
);

In the Scripting Index, I could not find further documentation about the new feature:
https://jsl.jmp.com/search.html?q=Type+Properties

I guessit works along the idea:  if all items of one plot type have the same setting, then this setting is saved via Type Properties() to the Legend Group.

Important: default settings (marker = dot, color=black, line style: solid) are not saved (!!)      * )

 
*) further details about this behavior can be found in a previous post:
https://community.jmp.com/t5/Discussions/Do-you-use-the-preferences/m-p/913487/highlight/true#M10733... 

[#3]

Not only for Marker Styles ; )

Graph Builder(
	Size( 466, 312 ),
	Show Control Panel( 0 ),
	Graph Spacing( 4 ),
	Variables( X( :name ), Y( :weight ), Y( :height ), Overlay( :sex ) ),
	Elements( Position( 1, 1 ), Line( X, Y, Legend( 3 ) ) ),
	Elements( Position( 1, 2 ), Line( X, Y, Legend( 4 ) ) ),
	Column Switcher( :sex, {:age, :sex} ),
	SendToReport(
		Dispatch( {}, "400", ScaleBox,
			{Legend Model(
				4,
				Base( 0, 0, 0, Item ID( "F", 1 ) ),
				Base( 1, 0, 1, Item ID( "M", 1 ) ),
				Type Properties( 0, "H Line", {Line Style( "Dashed" )} )
			)}
		)
	)
);

[#4]

The new feature for the lines is very helpful.

Looking at consistent marker control in Graph Builder , the new feature is exactly  proposed mode:

Very helpful will be the mode:

e.g. to generate the first graph with hollow markers and the second graph with filled markers.
or to use the left axis for hollow markers and the right axis for filled markers.

I just tried Type Properties( 0, "Marker", {Marker( "Hollow" )} ):
but it doesn't work.

[#5]

Type Properties(), in combination with colors: 
useful to batch assign a color to all entries - but one:

Names Default to Here(1);
dt = Open( "$SAMPLE_DATA/Big Class Families.jmp" );
Graph Builder(
	Variables( X( :name ), Y( :weight ), Color( :age ) ),
	Elements( Position( 1, 1 ), Points( X, Y, Legend( 1 ) ) ),

	SendToReport(
		Dispatch( {}, "400", ScaleBox,
			{
			Legend Model(
				1,
				Type Properties( 0, "Marker", { Line Color( 81 )} ),
				Properties( 1, {Line Color( 3 )}, Item ID( "15", 1 ) )
			)}
		))
);

[#6]

Hm, assign the same setting to all items?!?

In general, this is an unintended side effect of type properties - with significant harm!

The victim: exploratory data analysis in JMP

JMP18:

JMP19:


What happened?

• The user was not happy with the default settings and adjusted the color for one item in the legend.
  
  
• during the exploratory data analysis, the user restricts the view to the item with the special setting
  
  
• this is where the new feature gets activated:

from an earlier post:

---

 if all items of one plot type have the same setting, then this setting is saved via Type Properties() to the Legend Group.

---

• "all" -> even a single one (!)
  JMP saved the specific setting as the default for the whole plot.
• Later, when the user resets the selection in the data filter, this new setting is applied to all the other elements in the graph as well. By this inheritance of plot settings all elements get assimilated and share the same style:
  
  
  

In general, this is not what the users expect.

How can you escape the trap?
- To get rid of the Type Properties(), the user simply needs to revert (or overwrite) one of the settings:

- Even without the Type Properties() , the other items still share the inherited setting -  it is hard-coded for each of them in the Dispatch command. So, to remove the inherited setting from all items, the user has to revert * ) them all.

*) Caution with revert:
Items with reverted (=default) settings become susceptible to inheritance via the 'Type Properties' function again.

[#7]

Items with their own settings are protected from unwanted inheritance:

So, the user has to apply special settings to EVERY entry in the legend to protect them from the spillover.

important in this context:

---

default settings (marker = dot, color=black, line style: solid) are not saved * 

---

-> Standard dot, black and solid line? -> a big no-go until a bugfix is available.

[#8]

Interesting:

1. Settings for Bar Graphs  and Box Plots are  NOT stored to Type Properties().
   
   
2. Bar Graphs  and Box Plots  ignore Type Properties()
   [if a graph is changed from Marker to Bar Graph, there will be a setting like 
   Type Properties( 0, "Bar", {Fill Color( 43 )} ),
   but it's ignored by the Bar Graph]

[#9]

bug confirmed by JMP support [TS-00256956]

Important detail: The surprising behavior gets active when the graph is created via JSL.
It's not there the fist time when the graph is created via the GUI.