Graph Builder: Line - possibility to add breaks (:green_heart:)☑ cool new feature
☑ could help many users!
☑ removes a „bug“
☐ nice to have
☐ nobody needs it
#myTop10_2024
What inspired this wish list request?
For Line Graphs in Graph Builder, there is a cool feature row order.
If it's selected, the line doesn't connect data points from left to right in the graph - but along the order in which they appear in the data table.
Instead of this graph:
the user gets this graph:
Much better ...
But unfortunately, there are those nasty jumps "back" to the next curve.
Of course, for simple graphs, you can use a column (here "Station") as an overlay to produce 3 separate curves, without the zigzag.
But already with slightly more complicated graphs like this one here: Graph Builder. Combine Smoother and Line - how? the user reaches the limits of current Graph Builder (v17, v18).
What is the improvement you would like to see?
- With sorted data in the data table, a step from right to left indicates a new curve.
So, with row order enabled, there could be an additional option to draw lines "only left -> right".
If this option is enabled, line for steps from higher to lower values will disappear -> the jump back-lines are gone : )
- Fallback: Rows with missing y value could be used to add a break in line graphs (even somewhere in the center of the graph - cool, right?)
... if there was an option: *)
Why is this idea important?
a tiny change of the program - a tremendous improvement for the users:
dt =Open( "$SAMPLE_DATA/Functional Data/Weekly Weather Data.jmp" );
dt << New Column( "group",Character,"Nominal",Formula( Substr( :STATION, 8, 1 ) ));
Graph Builder(
Size( 523, 407 ),
Summary Statistic( "Median" ),
Graph Spacing( 4 ),
Variables( X( :DATE ), Y( :TAVG ), Overlay( :group ), Color( :group ) ),
Elements( Line( X, Y, Legend( 31 ), Row order( 1 ) ) ),
Local Data Filter(
Add Filter(
columns( :STATION ),
Where( :STATION == {"USW00003195", "USW00003868", "USW00003949"} ),
Display( :STATION, N Items( 15 ) )
)
)
)
more wishes by 
Data Exploration and VisualizationRe: Graph Builder: Line - possibility to add breaksOption (2) is already available in Jmp:
Nevertheless, option (1) is still the preferred solution - can solve the issues of the backward jumps without the need to add auxiliary rows to the data table:
Re: Graph Builder: Line - possibility to add breaksInteresting idea - if the X (or Y) order decreases, start a new line
Re: Graph Builder: Line - possibility to add breaksThanks @Craige_Hales
With some luck, a developer will find the wish and likes it ...
Re: Graph Builder: Line - possibility to add breaks@mia_stephens , easy to implement - could help a lot.
Till the new feature is available...
I just uploaded a new version of QuickSelect Toolbar .
It has a new function:
The idea:
Add dummy rows between every block of data - to add a break in the line plot.
It adds the new lines at the end of the table and uses a numeric column for sorting. Unfortunately, sorting a table is forbidden if reports are open (!)
-> will benefit from Sort data table + add rows + concatenate -- make it possible
But I hope that
will come first ...
Re: Graph Builder: Line - possibility to add breaksIn this case you can just create a new column (variable) for whatever's different between the lines, then drop that variable into Overlay, which breaks the lines correctly.
Re: Graph Builder: Line - possibility to add breaksI never have free Overlay Dropzones ; )
This is a very common use case in our company.
Here is an example with Weather data - in this case, the Overlay is used for the Smoother:
Graph Builder. Combine Smoother and Line - how?
Re: Graph Builder: Line - possibility to add breaks - Status changed to: AcknowledgedRe: Graph Builder: Line - possibility to add breaksHi @Sarah-Sylvestre , "removing the zig-zag" lines cold be combined with other options to facilitate the formatting of plots in Graph Builder:
Re: Graph Builder: Line - possibility to add breaks#DACH2024
Re: Graph Builder: Line - possibility to add breaksAnother work-around, in case it's useful. Assigning the backwards line segments their own legend color item with width 0.
dt = Open( "$SAMPLE_DATA/Functional Data/Weekly Weather Data.jmp" );
dt << New Column( "group", Character, "Nominal", Formula( Substr( :STATION, 8, 1 ) ) );
dt << New Column( "cgroup", Character, "Nominal",
Formula( If( Row() == 1 | Lag( :DATE ) > :DATE, "break", Substr( :STATION, 8, 1 ) ) )
);
Graph Builder(
Size( 523, 448 ),
Summary Statistic( "Median" ),
Graph Spacing( 4 ),
Variables( X( :DATE ), Y( :TAVG ), Overlay( :group, Overlay Encoding( "None" ) ), Color( :cgroup ) ),
Elements( Line( X, Y, Legend( 31 ), Row order( 1 ) ) ),
Local Data Filter(
Add Filter( columns( :STATION ),
Where(
:STATION == {"USW00012924", "USW00013733", "USW00013877", "USW00014751", "USW00014922", "USW00024024"}
),
Display( :STATION, N Items( 15 ) )
)
),
SendToReport(
Dispatch( {}, "400", ScaleBox,
{Legend Model( 31, Properties( 3, {Line Width( 0 )}, Item ID( "break", 1 ) ) )}
),
Dispatch( {}, "400", LegendBox, {Legend Position( {31, [0, 1, 2, -1, -4, -4, -4]} )} )
)
);Re: Graph Builder: Line - possibility to add breakswow, very elegant workaround 
Transfer the solution from Overlay to Color. Here we don't have the restriction of "one column only".
-> I will definitely use it in the future!
Unfortunately, won't work for many of my cases -- when the formatting options of Color Dropzone is needed to differentiate between entries along additional dimensions.
@XanGregg : Any chance that Graph Builder will be able to skip the backwards line segments ( via an option in the GUI)?
Re: Graph Builder: Line - possibility to add breaksMaybe even a setting in the preferences ?
see "Overlay limit" / from Graph Builder Problem with Lines
Re: Graph Builder: Line - possibility to add breaksRegarding skipping backwards line segment connections, there is a new Ordering option in the Line element called "Row Ascending" which addresses the issue for cases like this.
Re: Graph Builder: Line - possibility to add breaks@XanGregg wow, amazing! Thanks!
like a Christmas present.
Where can I find it - can you share an example ?
Re: Graph Builder: Line - possibility to add breaksOops! I lost track of the timing. It's really something you can try in the next EA. So not quite Christmas, early 2026. I'll see if I can edit my reply.
Re: Graph Builder: Line - possibility to add breaksAh, wonderful - definitely feels like a Christmas Present:
... some extra days of joyful anticipation ; )
Re: Graph Builder: Line - possibility to add breaksA tiny switch – and at the same time an enabler for a wide field of plots.
Re: Graph Builder: Line - possibility to add breaks - Status changed to: Yes, Stay Tuned!Hello! This feature will be available in JMP 20. In Graph Builder, row order breaks have been added for grouped spaghetti lines. If you’re an authorized JMP user, you can try it now in JMP 20 EA 1. You can request access to the program by visiting JMP.com/earlyadopter.
Re: Graph Builder: Line - possibility to add breaksWorks great - many, many thanks!
With the new option row ascending,
dt =Open( "$SAMPLE_DATA/Functional Data/Weekly Weather Data.jmp" );
dt << New Column( "group",Character,"Nominal",Formula( Substr( :STATION, 8, 1 ) ));
Graph Builder(
Variables( X( :DATE ), Y( :TAVG ), Overlay( :group ) ),
Elements( Line( X, Y, Ordering( "Row Ascending" ) ) )
);
JMP can now produce this graph :
instead of this one:
