Design a map using a color palette rule in Bold Reports®

You can design a map in the Bold Reports® Web Report Designer with a color palette rule and optimal distribution to display US presidential election results. Follow the steps in each section below.

How do I create the data set?

You create the data set for the map in the Bold Reports® Web Report Designer from a JSON file. Follow these steps:

  1. In the data panel, click New Data. New data
  2. Choose the JSON connection type. JSON connection
  3. Choose File as Type. Choose source type
  4. Click the upload button, then browse and upload the JSON file in the File Path field. Provide connection details
  5. Click the Connect button.
  6. In the query builder, the available fields in the JSON file are loaded under the default table name, Result. Enter query
  7. Drag and drop the Result table and execute. Execute table
  8. Modify the data set Name and click Finish. Data list

Download the US presidential election sample JSON file.

How do I add a map to the report design?

The Map report item in the Bold Reports® Web Report Designer is listed under the Data Regions category in the item panel.

Map listed in item panel

To add a Map report item to the report, drag the map from the item panel into the design area.

Drag map into design surface

The map item is rendered in the design area, and the map properties are listed in the properties panel.

Basic map rendering

By default, map report item renders with world map shapes.

How do I bind analytical and shape data?

You bind analytical and shape data in the Bold Reports® Web Report Designer from the Basic Settings category of the properties panel. Follow these steps:

  1. Under the Basic Settings category, set USA in the Shapes property and choose the data set in the DataSet property.

    Basic map rendering

  2. Click the edit icon for the Binding Data property under Basic Settings. Edit icon

  3. Match the analytical and shape data as described in Binding Data. Choose name in the Field Name drop-down and choose the =Fields!State.Value expression in Binding Expression.

    Edit icon

  4. Click Update.

    Edit icon

How do I customize the map appearance?

You customize the map name, title, legend, color settings, and other properties in the Bold Reports® Web Report Designer properties panel.

Name

The Name property in the Bold Reports® Web Report Designer gives a unique name to a specific map report item.

Set name

Appearance

Under the Appearance category in the Bold Reports® Web Report Designer, set the border width and color properties as required.

Edit icon

Title

Under the Title category in the Bold Reports® Web Report Designer, set the title text, position, and font properties for the map title. First, enable the Enable Title check box. Then, add the title and position. Title text

Legend

Under the Legend category in the Bold Reports® Web Report Designer, enable the Enable Legend check box. Set the background color as White and the position as BottomCenter. Remove the title text and set the legend mode as Default. Legend

Shape settings

Under the Shape Settings in the Bold Reports® Web Report Designer, set the following values:

  • Border color as #676767 and width as 0.667px.
  • Label text as =Fields!State.Value.
  • Tooltip as the ="Electors : " & Fields!Electors.Value expression.

Shape settings

Shape color rule

Under the Shape color rule category in the Bold Reports® Web Report Designer, enable the Enable Color Rule check box. Then, set the following values:

  • Choose the Candidate name in Data Value.
  • Choose Color Palette as the Type.
  • Choose Optimal for Distribution type. This type adjusts the size of data intervals to limit grouping errors. As a result, the map looks balanced, with only a few shapes in the highest class.

The shape color rule configuration looks like the following image.

shape-color-rule

The colors are now applied to the map shapes, but with sample data.

Initial design

To see the actual data on the map surface, preview the report. Before that, resize the width and height of the map so you can view the information clearly in preview.

Final design

Preview report

You can preview the report at design time using the built-in Bold Reports® Viewer to make sure the report design is as expected. The following snapshot shows the color distribution applied based on the candidate who won in each state.

Report preview

Download the color palette map report design (RDL) from GitHub.

See also