All scale labels denoting a date in the control can be formatted in two ways - Fixed and Unit Sensitive.
Fixed Date/Time Label Formatting
In this mode the date/time value will be formatted with a specified format string, which is not dependent on the date/time unit (minute, hour, day etc.) selected by the scale for decorating the date/time range displayed by the axis. This means that the label formatting will not change when you display data with different date time range. This type of formatting is useful when you have knowledge of the approximate date/time range of the data (for example monthly data, yearly data etc.).
Unit Sensitive Date/Time Label Formatting
In this mode the control will use date/time formatting depending on the date/time unit selected by the scale for decorating the date/time range displayed by the axis.
To better understand this type of date/time formatting consider that you display date/time data which is gathered from a real time device at 5 second intervals. In this case the scale will choose a smaller date time unit depending on the number of values - for example second or minute. Most likely you'll not need date information when you display data for one or two hours. On the other hand if you display data for monthly or yearly sales the scale will choose a bigger date time unit (week, month, quarter, half year or year) and chances are you'll not need time information.
In both modes if you do not specify a format string the control will use the default settings for fixed or per date/time unit formatting. Pressing the "Custom" button will show the "Date / Time Value Formatting Editor" that allows you to select a predefined date/time formatting string or create a custom formatting string.
Date / Time Value Formatting Editor
The editor can operate in two modes - Predefined and Custom, which you can switch by selecting the "Predefined" or "Custom" tab page at the top.
Predefined Formats
The following picture shows the predefined date time value formatting editor:
In this mode you can choose from several predefined formats:
| Predefined Format | Description |
|---|---|
| Short Date | Formats the date/time value using the short date pattern of the current culture. |
| Long Date | Formats the date/time value using the long date pattern of the current culture. |
| Short Time | Formats the date/time value using the short time pattern of the current culture. |
| Long Time | Formats the date/time value using the long time pattern of the current culture. |
| Long Date Short Time | Formats the date/time value using the long date pattern and short time pattern of the current culture. |
| Long Date long Time | Formats the date/time value using the long date pattern and long time pattern of the current culture. |
| Short Date Short Time | Formats the date/time value using the short date pattern and short time pattern of the current culture. |
| Short Date Long Time | Formats the date/time value using the short date pattern and short time pattern of the current culture. |
| Month Day | Formats the date/time value using the month day pattern of the current culture. |
| Year Month | Formats the date/time value using the year month pattern of the current culture. |
| RFC 1123 | Formats the date/time value using a predefined, RFC date time pattern, which is the same regardless of the current culture settings of the control. The pattern used is ""ddd, dd MMM yyyy HH':'mm':'ss 'GMT'". |
| Universal | Formats the date/time value using a predefined, universal date time pattern, which is the same regardless of the current culture settings of the control. The pattern used is "yyyy'-'MM'-'dd HH':'mm':'ss'Z'". |
| Universal Full | Formats the date/time value using a full date time format pattern. The pattern is the same as the "Long Date Long Time" pattern except that date time are formatted in their UTC equivalent. |
Custom Formats
The following picture shows the custom date time value formatting editor:
In this mode you can build a custom date time format string by selecting how different date time units within a date / time value should be formatted and ordered.
The "Unit Order" list box on the left shows the order of date time units. By default units are ordered in descending order. If you want to change the date time unit order (for example if you want to place month formatting before the day formatting) you have to select the date time unit and then press the up / down arrow at the bottom of the list box.
In the "Unit Formatting" group you can select how different units will be formatted. The following options are available:
| Date / Time Unit | Format |
|---|---|
| Year |
Defines how year number will be formatted. Possible options are: - None - do not display the year number. - Year Two Digit - the last two digits of the year - for example 08, 09 for 2008 and 2009. - Year Four Digits - the year is shown with four digits - for example 2008, 2009 etc. |
| Half Year |
Defines how year half will be formatted. Possible options are: - None - do not display the year half. - Year Half - display H1 or H2 depending on the year half of the date time value being formatted. Note that you can change the year half number format from the "Date Time Label Formatting Editor". By default the year half number format is "H{0}". |
| Quarter |
Defines how year quarter will be formatted. Possible options are: - None - do not display the year quarter. - Year Quarter - display Q1, Q2, Q3 or Q4 depending on the year quarter of the date time value being formatted. Note that you can change the year quarter number format from the "Date Time Label Formatting Editor". By default the quarter year number format is "Q{0}". |
| Month |
Defines how month will be formatted. Possible options are: - None - do not display the month. - Month One Digit - display the month using one or two digits - for example 1 for January, 2 for February, 11 for November. - Month Two Digit - display the month using two digits - for example 01 for January, 02 for February etc. - Month Abbreviated - display the abbreviated name of the month - for example Jan, Feb, Mar. Note that some cultures do not define abbreviated month names. For such cultures the effect of this setting is the same as "Month Full Name". - Month Full Name - display the full month name - for example January, February etc. |
| Week |
Defines how the week number will be formatted. Possible options are: - None - do not display the week. - Week Number - display the week number as defined by ISO 8601. Note that you can change the week number format from the "Date Time Label Formatting Editor". By default the week number format is "W{0}". |
| Week Day |
Defines how the week day will be formatted. Possible options are: - None - do not display the week day. - Week Day Abbreviated - display the abbreviated week day name as defined by the current culture. For example - Mon, Tue, Wed etc. - Week Day Full - display the full week day name as defined by the current culture. For example Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday etc. |
| Month Day |
Defines how the month day will be formatted. Possible options are: - None - do not display the month day. - Month Day One Digit - display the month day using one or two digits - for example 1, 11, 29. - Month Day Two Digit - display the month day using two digits - for example 01, 11, 29. |
| Half Day |
Defines how the half day will be formatted. Possible options are: - None - do not display the half day. - AMPM - display AM or PM. |
| Hour |
Defines how the hour will be formatted. Possible options are: - None - do not display the hour. - Hour 12 One Digit - display the hour in the range 1 - 12 (use 12 hour clock) using one or two digits - for example 1, 2, 11. - Hour 12 Two Digit - display the hour in the range 1 - 12 (use 12 hour clock) using two digits - for example 01, 02, 11. - Hour 24 One Digit - display the hour in the range 0 - 23 (use 24 hour clock) using one or two digits - for example 1, 2, 23. - Hour 24 Two Digit - display the hour in the range 0 - 23 (use 24 hour clock) using two digits - for example 01, 02, 23. |
| Minute |
Defines how the minute will be formatted. Possible options are: - None - do not display the minute. - Minute One Digit - display the minute in the range 0 - 59 using one or two digits. For example 1, 2, 59. - Minute Two Digit - display the minute in the range 0 - 59 using two digits. For example 01, 02, 59. |
| Second |
Defines how the second will be formatted. Possible options are: - None - do not display the second. - Second One Digit - display the second in the range 0 - 59 using one or two digits. For example 1, 2, 59. - Second Two Digit - display the second in the range 0 - 59 using two digits. For example 01, 02, 59. |
| Millisecond |
Defines how the millisecond will be formatted. Possible options are: - None - do not display the millisecond. - Millisecond Three Digit - display the millisecond in the range 0-999 using three digits. For example 123. |
Adjacent to each unit formatting combo is a separator combo box, which allows you to type a custom separator to appear after the formatted unit or select from ".", "," and "/". If the unit is the last unit in the unit formatting formatting order the separator is not appended to the resulting format.