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SAS/GRAPH Software: Reference

PATTERN Statement

The PATTERN statement defines the characteristics of patterns used in graphs.

Used by:
GCHART, GCONTOUR, GMAP, and GPLOT procedures; SYMBOL statement; Annotate facility

Global

Assigned by default

Description

PATTERN statements create PATTERN definitions that define the color and type of area fill for patterns used in graphs. These are the procedures and the graphics areas that they create that use PATTERN definitions:
GCHART 2D and 3D bars in bar charts, blocks in block charts, 2D and 3D pie slices in pie charts, and star slices in star charts
GCONTOUR contour levels in contour plots
GMAP map areas in choropleth, block, and prism maps; blocks in block maps
GPLOT areas beneath or between plotted lines.

In addition, the SYMBOL statement and certain Annotate facility functions and macros can use pattern specifications. For details see SYMBOL Statement and The Annotate Data Set.

You can use the PATTERN statement to control the fill and color of a pattern, and whether the pattern is repeated. There are three types of patterns:

Pattern fills can be solid or empty, or composed of parallel or crosshatched lines. In addition, you can specify device-dependent hardware patterns for rectangle, polygon, and pie fills on devices that support hardware patterns.

If you do not create PATTERN definitions, SAS/GRAPH software generates them as needed and assigns them to your graphs by default. Generally, the default behavior is to rotate a solid pattern through the current colors list. For details, see About Default Patterns.

Syntax

PATTERN<1...99>
<COLOR=pattern-color>
<REPEAT=number-of-times>
<VALUE=bar/block-pattern
| map/plot-pattern
| pie/star-pattern
| hardware-pattern>;


Options

COLOR=pattern-color
C=pattern-color
specifies the color of the fill. Pattern-color is any SAS/GRAPH color name. See SAS/GRAPH Colors for more information on specifying colors.

Using COLOR= with a null value cancels the color specified in a previous PATTERN statement of the same number without affecting the values of other options.

COLOR= overrides the CPATTERN= graphics option.

The CFILL= option in the PIE and STAR statements overrides COLOR=. For details, see Controlling Slice Patterns and Colors.

CAUTION:
Omitting COLOR= in a PATTERN statement may cause the PATTERN statement to generate multiple PATTERN definitions.   [cautionend]
If no color is specified for a PATTERN statement, that is, if neither COLOR= nor CPATTERN= is used, the PATTERN statement rotates the specified fill through each color in the colors list before the next PATTERN statement is used. For details, see Understanding Pattern Sequences.
See also: Working with PATTERN Statements
Featured in: Example 7. Using BY-group Processing to Generate a Series of Charts

REPEAT=number-of-times
R=number-of-times
specifies the number of times that a PATTERN definition is applied before the next PATTERN definition is used. By default, REPEAT=1.

The behavior of REPEAT= depends on the color specification:

Using REPEAT= with a null value cancels the repetition specified in a previous PATTERN statement of the same number without affecting the values of other options.
See also: Understanding Pattern Sequences

VALUE=bar/block-pattern
V=bar/block-pattern
specifies patterns for:

Values for bar/block-pattern are
EMPTY
E
an empty pattern.
SOLID
S
a solid pattern.
style<density> a shaded pattern.
Style specifies the direction of the lines:
L left-slanting lines.
R right-slanting lines.
X crosshatched lines.

Density specifies the density of the pattern's shading:
1...5 1 produces the lightest shading and 5 produces the heaviest shading.

Bar and Block Patterns shows all of the patterns available for bars and blocks.

Bar and Block Patterns

[IMAGE]

If no valid patterns are available, default bar and block fill patterns are selected in this order:

  1. SOLID

  2. X1- X5

  3. L1- L5

  4. R1- R5

Each fill is used once with every color in the colors list unless a pattern color is specified. The entire sequence is repeated as many times as required to provide the necessary number of patterns.

Note:   If the V6COMP graphics option is in effect, or if color is limited to a single color with the CPATTERN= or COLORS= graphics options, the order is X1- X5, L1- L5, R1- R5, S, and E.  [cautionend]

VALUE=map/plot-pattern
V=map/plot-pattern
specifies patterns for:

Values for map/plot-pattern are
MEMPTY
ME
an empty pattern. EMPTY or E are also valid aliases, except when used with the map areas in block maps created by the GMAP procedure.
MSOLID
MS
a solid pattern. SOLID or S are also valid aliases, except when used with the map areas in block maps created by the GMAP procedure.
Mdensity<style<angle>> a shaded pattern.
Density specifies the density of the pattern's shading:
1...5 1 produces the lightest shading and 5 produces the heaviest shading.

Style specifies the type of the pattern lines:
N parallel lines (the default).
X crosshatched lines.

Angle specifies the angle of the pattern lines:
0...360 the degrees at which the parallel lines are drawn, measured from the horizontal. By default, angle is 0 (lines are horizontal).

Map and Plot Patterns shows some typical map and plot patterns.

Map and Plot Patterns

[IMAGE]

If no valid patterns are available, default map and plot fill patterns are selected in this order:

  1. MSOLID

  2. M2N0

  3. M2N90

  4. M2X45

  5. M4N0

  6. M4N90

  7. M4X90

Each fill is used once with every color in the colors list unless a pattern color is specified. The entire sequence is repeated as many times as required to provide the necessary number of patterns.

Note:   If the V6COMP graphics option is in effect, or if color is limited to a single color with the CPATTERN= or COLORS= graphics options, MSOLID is not used and the default fill list starts with M2N0.  [cautionend]

VALUE=pie/star-pattern
V=pie/star-pattern
specifies patterns for pie and star charts produced by the PIE and STAR statements in the GCHART procedure. Values for pie/star-pattern are
PEMPTY
PE
an empty pattern. EMPTY or E are also valid aliases.
PSOLID
PS
a solid pattern. SOLID or S are also valid aliases.
Pdensity<style<angle>> a shaded pattern.

Density specifies the density of the pattern's shading:
1...5 1 produces the lightest shading and 5 produces the heaviest shading.

Style specifies the type of the pattern lines:
N parallel lines (the default).
X crosshatched lines.

Angle specifies the angle of the pattern lines:
0...360 the angle of the lines, measured in degrees from perpendicular to the radius of the slice. By default, angle is 0.

The FILL= option in the PIE and STAR statements in the GCHART procedure overrides VALUE=.

Pie and Star Patterns shows some typical pie and star patterns.

Pie and Star Patterns

[IMAGE]

If no valid patterns are available, default pie and star fill patterns are selected in this order:

  1. PSOLID

  2. P2N0

  3. P2N90

  4. P2X45

  5. P4N0

  6. P4N90

  7. P4X90

Each fill is used once with every color in the colors list unless a pattern color is specified. The entire sequence is repeated as many times as required to provide the necessary number of patterns.

Note:   If the V6COMP graphics option is in effect, or if color is limited to a single color with the CPATTERN= or COLORS= graphic options, PSOLID is not used and the default fill list starts with P2N0.  [cautionend]

Note:   If you use hatch patterns and request a legend instead of slice labels, the patterns in the slices are oriented to be visually equivalent to the legend.  [cautionend]

VALUE=HWxxxnnn
specifies a hardware pattern where
HW identifies the pattern as a hardware pattern. The pattern name must begin with the characters HW.
xxx the last two or three characters of the module name in the Module field in the Detail window of your device entry. If the module name has eight characters (SASGDPSL, for example), use the last three characters (PSL). If the module name has only seven characters (SASGDVT, for example), use the last two characters (VT).
nnn the number the driver uses to identify the device-dependent pattern. Patterns and associated pattern numbers vary from device to device. See the documentation for your device for valid pattern numbers. For a brief description of some valid values for various devices, see Specifying Device-Dependent Hardware Patterns.

If you specify a hardware pattern for a device that does not support hardware patterns, or if you specify an invalid pattern number, a solid rectangle, polygon, or pie fill is substituted. A solid fill will also be used in place of a hardware pattern in certain types of clipped polygons. See the PCLIP and POLYGONCLIP options in Graphics Options and Device Parameters Dictionary for more information on using hardware patterns with clipped polygons.
See also: Specifying Device-Dependent Hardware Patterns


Using the PATTERN Statement

PATTERN statements can be located anywhere in your SAS program. They are global and remain in effect until redefined, canceled, or until the end of your SAS session.

You can define up to 99 different PATTERN statements. A PATTERN statement without a number is treated as a PATTERN1 statement.

PATTERN statements generate one or more PATTERN definitions, depending on how the COLOR= and VALUE= options are used. For information on PATTERN definitions, see Working with PATTERN Statements, as well as the description of COLOR= and VALUE=.

PATTERN definitions are generated in the order in which the statements are numbered, regardless of gaps in the numbering or the statement's position in the program. Although it is common practice, you do not have to start with PATTERN1, and you do not have to use sequential statement numbers.

PATTERN definitions are applied automatically to all areas of the graphics output that require patterns. When assigning PATTERN definitions, SAS/GRAPH starts with the lowest-numbered definition with an appropriate fill specification or with no fill specification. It continues to use the specified patterns until all valid PATTERN definitions have been used. Then, if more patterns are required, SAS/GRAPH returns to the default pattern rotation, but continues to outline the areas in the same color as the fill.

Altering or Canceling PATTERN Statements

PATTERN statements are additive. If you define a PATTERN statement and later submit another PATTERN statement with the same number, the new PATTERN statement redefines or cancels only the options that are included in the new statement. Options not included in the new statement are not changed and remain in effect. For example, assume you define PATTERN4 as

pattern4 value=x3 color=red repeat=2;

This statement cancels only REPEAT= without affecting the rest of the definition:

pattern4 repeat=;

Add or change options in the same way. This statement changes the color of the pattern from red to blue:

pattern4 color=blue;

After all these modifications, PATTERN4 has these characteristics:

pattern4 value=x3 color=blue;

Cancel individual PATTERN statements by defining a PATTERN statement of the same number without options (a null statement):

pattern4;

Canceling one PATTERN statement does not affect any other PATTERN definitions. To cancel all current PATTERN statements, use the RESET= option in a GOPTIONS statement:

goptions reset=pattern;

Specifying RESET=GLOBAL or RESET=ALL cancels all current PATTERN definitions as well as other settings.

To display a list of current PATTERN definitions in the LOG window, use the GOPTIONS procedure with the PATTERN option:

proc goptions pattern nolist;
run;


About Default Patterns

When a procedure produces a graph that needs one or more patterns, SAS/GRAPH either

In order to understand how SAS/GRAPH generates and assigns patterns defined with PATTERN statements it is helpful to understand how it generates and assigns default patterns. The following sections describe the default pattern behavior for all procedures. See Working with PATTERN Statements for details about defining patterns.

How Default Patterns and Outlines Are Generated

In general, SAS/GRAPH uses default patterns when no PATTERN statements are defined. Typically, the default pattern that SAS/GRAPH uses is a solid fill that it rotates once through the colors list, skipping the foreground color. By default, SAS/GRAPH also outlines all areas in the foreground color. (Typically, the foreground color is the first color in the device's colors list.)

Specifically, SAS/GRAPH uses default patterns and outlines when you

If all of these conditions are true, then SAS/GRAPH

For example, the default colors list for the PSCOLOR device contains BLACK, RED, GREEN, BLUE, CYAN, MAGENTA, YELLOW, and GRAY. Therefore, for this device, the first five default patterns are solid red, solid green, solid blue, solid cyan, and solid magenta. These patterns are all outlined in black, the first color in the colors list.

If a procedure needs additional patterns, SAS/GRAPH selects the next default pattern fill appropriate to the graph and rotates it through the colors list, skipping the foreground color as before. SAS/GRAPH continues in this fashion until it has generated enough patterns for the chart.

Things That Affect Default Patterns

Changing any of these conditions may change or override the default behavior:

For a description of these graphics options, see Graphics Options and Device Parameters Dictionary.


Working with PATTERN Statements

With PATTERN statements, you can specify

You can also use procedure options to specify the pattern outline color and the CPATTERN= graphics option to specify a default color for all patterns.

Whether you use PATTERN statement options alone or with each other affects the number and kind of patterns your PATTERN statements generate. Depending on the options you use, you can explicitly specify every pattern used by your graphs or you can let the PATTERN statement generate a series of pattern definitions using either the colors list or the list of default fills.

Explicitly Specifying Patterns

To explicitly specify all the patterns in your graph, you need to do one of the following for every pattern your graph requires:

Including COLOR= in the PATTERN statement is the simplest way to assure that you get exactly the patterns you want. When you use the COLOR= option, the PATTERN statement generates exactly one PATTERN definition for that statement. If you also use the REPEAT= option, the PATTERN definition is repeated the specified number of times.

Generating Multiple Pattern Definitions

You can also use PATTERN statements to generate multiple PATTERN definitions. To do this use the VALUE= option to specify the type of fill you want but omit the COLOR= option - for example

pattern1 value=r3;

In this case, the PATTERN statement rotates the R3 fill through all the colors in the colors list. For more information on pattern rotation, see Understanding Pattern Sequences.

Selecting an Appropriate Pattern

The type of fill you specify depends on the type of graph you are producing:

With... Use...
bar and block charts (PROC GCHART), block maps (PROC GMAP) VALUE= bar/block-pattern
contour plots (PROC GCONTOUR), map area surfaces (PROC GMAP) VALUE=map/plot-pattern
pie and star charts (PROC GCHART) VALUE=pie/star-pattern

Note:   If you specify a fill that is inappropriate for the type of graph you are generating (for example, if you specify VALUE=L1 in a PATTERN statement for a choropleth map), SAS/GRAPH ignores the PATTERN statement and continues searching for a valid pattern. If it does not find a definition with a valid fill specification, it uses default patterns instead.  [cautionend]

Controlling Outline Colors

Whenever you use PATTERN statements, the default outline color is the same as the fill color, for example, a blue bar has a blue outline. The effect is the same as specifying COUTLINE=SAME. Even when the procedure runs out of user-defined patterns and generates default patterns, the outlines continue to match the interior fill color.

To change the outline color of any pattern, whether default or user-defined, use the COUTLINE= option in the action statement that generates the chart.

The Effect of the CPATTERN= Graphics Option

Although the CPATTERN= graphics option is used most often with default patterns, it does affect the PATTERN statement. With default patterns (no PATTERN statements specified) it

In conjunction with the PATTERN statement it does the following:

See also the description of CPATTERN=.

Specifying Version 6 Patterns

If you specify the V6COMP graphics option, SAS/GRAPH generates patterns by rotating the appropriate Version 6 default patterns through all the colors in the colors list. With V6COMP, all patterns are outlined in the same color as the fill.


Specifying Device-Dependent Hardware Patterns

You can specify device-dependent hardware patterns with the types of device drivers described in this section.

GDDM Drivers

GDDM drivers include several sets of hardware patterns. These patterns include both predefined and user-defined (device-dependent) fill patterns. When you use a hardware pattern with a GDDM driver, specify the name of the device-dependent pattern set you want the driver to use. This name will be stored in the GPROLOG string in the device entry for the driver. Specify the name of the pattern set in either of these ways:

If you do not specify a pattern set name, the device uses a predefined pattern.

Values for nnn for predefined patterns are 1 through 16. Values for nnn for device-dependent patterns are 65 through 128.

Information regarding both types of fill patterns can be found in GDDM Application Programming Guide. For additional information on specifying hardware patterns with GDDM drivers, see also the GDDM Base Programming Reference.

TEK42xx Series Terminal Drivers

TEK42xx series terminal drivers support the predefined fill patterns found in the Technical Reference Guide for each terminal. These drivers can also support user-defined fill patterns. Values for nnn for these drivers are numbers less than 175.

HPLJxxxx Drivers

HPLJxxxx drivers for the HP LaserJet support the predefined shading levels and predefined fill patterns for rectangle fill only. These patterns are documented in the appropriate HP LaserJet technical manual. Values for nnn for shading levels are 001 through 008. Values for fill patterns are 009 through 014.

Metagraphics Drivers

Metagraphics drivers can use the hardware patterns supported by the device for which they are written. When you specify hardware patterns for a metagraphics driver, values of nnn can range from 0 through 999.


Understanding Pattern Sequences

Pattern sequences are sets of PATTERN definitions that SAS/GRAPH automatically generates when a PATTERN statement specifies a fill but not a color. In this case, the specified fill is used once with every color in the colors list. If REPEAT= is also used, the resulting PATTERN definitions are repeated the specified number of times.

Generating Pattern Sequences

SAS/GRAPH generates pattern sequences when a PATTERN statement uses VALUE= to specify a fill and all of the following conditions are also true:

In this case, the PATTERN statement rotates the fill specified by VALUE= through every color in the colors list, generating one PATTERN definition for every color in the list. After every color has been used once, SAS/GRAPH goes to the next PATTERN statement. For example, suppose you specified the following colors list and PATTERN statements for bar/block patterns:

goptions colors=(blue red green) ctext=black;
pattern1 color=red   value=x3;
pattern2 value=r3;
pattern3 color=blue  value=l3;

Here, PATTERN1 generates the first PATTERN definition. PATTERN2 omits COLOR=, so the specified fill is rotated through all three colors in the colors list before the PATTERN3 statement is used. This table shows the color and fill of the PATTERN definitions that would be generated if nine patterns were required:

Definition Number Source Characteristics: Color Fill
1 PATTERN1 red x3
2 PATTERN2 blue r3
3 PATTERN2 red r3
4 PATTERN2 green r3
5 PATTERN3 blue l3
6 first default blue solid
7 first default red solid
8 first default green solid
9 second default blue x1

Notice that after all the PATTERN statements are exhausted, the procedure begins using the default bar and block patterns, beginning with SOLID. Each fill from the default list is rotated through all three colors in the colors list before the next default fill is used.

Repeating Pattern Sequences

If you use REPEAT= but not COLOR=, the sequence generated by cycling the definition through the colors list is repeated the number of times specified by REPEAT=. For example, these statements illustrate the effect of REPEAT= on PATTERN statements both with and without explicit color specifications:

goptions colors=(red blue green);
pattern1 color=gold repeat=2;
pattern2 value=x1 repeat=2;

Here, PATTERN1 is used twice and PATTERN2 cycles through the list of three colors and then repeats this cycle a second time:

Sequence Number Source Characteristics: Color Fill
1 PATTERN1 gold solid (first default)
2 PATTERN1 gold solid (first default)
3 PATTERN2 red x1
4 PATTERN2 blue x1
5 PATTERN2 green x1
6 PATTERN2 red x1
7 PATTERN2 blue x1
8 PATTERN2 green x1


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Copyright 1999 by SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA. All rights reserved.