Graphs: additional Enlarge/Reduce X-axis commands

[Djobydjoba]

Mark,

The keyboard shortcuts to handle the X axis in graphs are almost exhaustive, yet a feature is missing:

- enlarge/reduce (eg. by 10%) the date range, the end date is fixed
- enlarge/reduce (eg. by 10%) the date range, the start date is fixed

So the request is to add four additional commands to manipulate the X axis.

This feature is implemented in all chart programs I think. It is used very intuitively in most programs:

https://i.ibb.co/1JnFwX6/X-Axis-Feature.gif

IMO these commands are more useful than the 'Zoom in /out the X axis 10%' commands. The "problem" with the zoom commands is that the resizing is done from the center of the date range. Sure sometimes it can be useful (I'm not asking to replace the zoom commands!), but generally it is more wanted to resize the date range while keeping one of the date fixed. The desired range can be controlled this way more easily and precisely.

As a side note, currently, when the graph option "Zooming or Scrolling X Axis limited to Data Range" is checked AND when the end date is the last available data, "Zoom out the X axis 10%" enlarges the date range with the end date fixed. So in this very specific situation the 'zoom out' command works as one of the additional requested commands (but notice that, following the zoom out, it is not possible then to reduce back the date range with a zoom in while maintaining the end date)

With these four new commands, the controls to handle the X axis in graphs would be then fully exhaustive. Without them the date range can't be totally manipulated the way we want.

I don't use much the Y axis commands, but I guess the similar 4 commands for the Y axis would have to be added too:
- enlarge/reduce (eg. by 10%) the Y-axis, the upper value is fixed
- enlarge/reduce (eg. by 10%) the Y-axis, the lower value is fixed

https://i.ibb.co/sWX8Zw8/Y-Axis-Feature.gif

Thanks much for considering.

[Mark]

Hi Djobydjoba,

Understood, thanks for the feedback. This makes good sense. I'll see what we can do here.

[Mark]

Hi Djobydjoba,

In the just released Beta 4 version we've added "modifiers" to allow you to control whether both, only beginning, or only ending date are zoomed/scrolled. Same for Y axis. Modifiers are something new, but were necessary as we were out of available keyboard shortcuts. See "Help / Keyboard..." for an explanation of how to use them. Basically you press the number 2 or 3 before the desired shortcut. Without the modifier, both dates are scrolled/zoomed. With 2 the end is fixed, with 3 the beginning is fixed. It works the Y axis the same way.

[Djobydjoba]

Wow, many thanks for having implemented this in the 2024 release!! The modifier approach to use with all the existing scrolling / zooming commands is great!

I have a feedback:

For example, pressing the '2' key and then pressing the 'd' key within 2 seconds will scroll only the beginning X axis date one day earlier, leaving the ending date un-changed.

With the same example, if we want to scroll multiple times (eg. 5 times) only the beginning X axis date one day earlier, we have to press each time the modifier before each "d" key:
2-d-2-d-2-d-2-d-2-d

I wonder if it could be possible to press only one time the modifier, ie:
2-d-d-d-d-d
The modifier would remain active for each new "d" (and each new other compatible scrolling / zooming keyboard shortcut) if pressed within 2 seconds prior to the previous keyboard shortcut. That is, the modifier would remain effective for each additional scrolling / zooming keyboard shortcut pressed quickly enough.
?

[Mark]

Hi Djobydjoba,

That's a good idea, thank you.

[Djobydjoba]

Mark,

Let's say we press "o" key repeatedly with the "2" modifier. So it scrolls repeatedly the beginning X axis date one month later, leaving the ending date un-changed.
When we arrive to the point where the date range is less that 1 month long, the behavior with the next scrolls seems strange, not correct. The ending date begins to change, but it should not, right?
In fact, when we arrive to the point where the date range is less that 1 month long, "o" key with the "2" modifier shouldn't have any action at all, because the date range can't be reduced further, right?

Also, with the same example, when the ending date is the last data available, the ending date begins to change outside the data range, even though the option "Zooming or Scrolling X Axis Limited to Data Range" is checked. So it looks like a problem here too.

This was just an example. The problem seems the same with other scrolling / zooming shortcuts with the "2" and "3" modifiers: when we activate a shortcut to reduce the date range and with a modifier to fix a date, but the current date range is not long enough to apply the reduction, in this case it seems logical that the shortcut shouldn't have any action at all, correct?

[Mark]

Hi Djobydjoba,

Thanks for all your help. The just released Beta 5 adds the "2-d-d-d-d-d" feature, and also fixes the other issue you brought up with locked dates getting moved when they shouldn't. You can get Beta 5 here:

https://www.fundmanagersoftware.com/fm2024beta.html

[Djobydjoba]

That's great!!

Maybe one point to fix:

2-d-d-d-3-d-d-d

The "3" modifier, if pressed within 2 seconds of the prior shortcut, is not activated ("2" remains the active modifier)

[Mark]

Hi Djobydjoba,

Okay, good point, we'll fix this.