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Ability to use Trend Line with Categorical Values in X-axis

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on 26 Sep 2016 21:17:59

Right now we can only use trend lines for continuous values in the x axis. It would be great if a categorical value could also be used, such as month name.

Comments (48)
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Justin Shands on 05 Jul 2020 23:38:16

RE: Ability to use Trend Line with Categorical Values in X-axis

I don't even understand why this doesn't work this way already. It makes sense that the value the trend line is mapping would need to be numerical, but what does it matter how it's split up? If I have 5 number values in a chart, you shouldn't need to know what I call those groups in order to calculate a trend line... it's already divided into 5 discrete datapoints which you can use to generate a trend line. If your calculation needs numbers to map against, just use the column number!

For example, if I have a chart that that shows Page Views for:
"March"(55)
"April"(65)
"Cucumber"(42)
"Pickle"(99)

You don't need to calculate the value of "Pickle" to map a trend line, just read those values in as (1,55) (2,65) (3,42) (4,99) and calculate the trend line!

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Lasse Sørensen on 05 Jul 2020 23:34:36

RE: Ability to use Trend Line with Categorical Values in X-axis

This should be no. 1

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Power BI User on 05 Jul 2020 23:32:32

RE: Ability to use Trend Line with Categorical Values in X-axis

Adding this functionality would greatly improve our dashboards.

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Kathy Walsh on 05 Jul 2020 23:32:32

RE: Ability to use Trend Line with Categorical Values in X-axis

Agreed... if this can be done in Excel, Power BI should as well.

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paula.bachtold@libertymutual.com on 05 Jul 2020 23:31:46

RE: Ability to use Trend Line with Categorical Values in X-axis

This is a must in our organization

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Alan Scholefield on 05 Jul 2020 23:31:41

RE: Ability to use Trend Line with Categorical Values in X-axis

Anything you can do in Excel, Power BI should be able to replicate.

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Wildmight on 05 Jul 2020 23:27:32

RE: Ability to use Trend Line with Categorical Values in X-axis

Users expect to be able to use that from the Excel.

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Power BI User on 05 Jul 2020 23:25:04

RE: Ability to use Trend Line with Categorical Values in X-axis

Trend line for week should be available.

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Allan Morris on 05 Jul 2020 23:21:18

RE: Ability to use Trend Line with Categorical Values in X-axis

Definitely a requirement for categorical value. Having to resort to Excel for certain visuals with trend lines which I really want to get away from.

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Matt Kowalski on 05 Jul 2020 23:09:23

RE: Ability to use Trend Line with Categorical Values in X-axis

Shocked to learn I can't have a trend line for a date hierarchy of Year, Quarter, Month. If I start on Year show the trend line for the years and then show trend line as I drill down to Quarter and Month. Please implement this!