Search icon CANCEL
Subscription
0
Cart icon
Your Cart (0 item)
Close icon
You have no products in your basket yet
Arrow left icon
Explore Products
Best Sellers
New Releases
Books
Videos
Audiobooks
Learning Hub
Free Learning
Arrow right icon
Mastering Data Visualization with Microsoft Visio Professional 2016
Mastering Data Visualization with Microsoft Visio Professional 2016

Mastering Data Visualization with Microsoft Visio Professional 2016: Master the art of presenting information visually using Microsoft Visio Professional 2016 and Visio Pro for Office365

eBook
$9.99 $47.99
Paperback
$60.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at $19.99p/m

What do you get with eBook?

Product feature icon Instant access to your Digital eBook purchase
Product feature icon Download this book in EPUB and PDF formats
Product feature icon Access this title in our online reader with advanced features
Product feature icon DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want
OR
Modal Close icon
Payment Processing...
tick Completed

Billing Address

Table of content icon View table of contents Preview book icon Preview Book

Mastering Data Visualization with Microsoft Visio Professional 2016

Chapter 2. Understanding How Data Is Stored within Visio

A Visio user may choose to create a drawing from one of the many Microsoft templates, or even from a custom one. In each case, the user sees that a Visio document can have many pages. Each page can contain many shapes. The Visio user interface normally presents many shapes on stencils that the user can drag and drop onto a page. A user may also use the drawing tools to draw rectangles, ellipses, lines, or just add text. The user may use the ribbon buttons to add containers, callouts or connectors.

Data can be stored in Visio in many ways, and the developer chooses the way according to the needs of the usage scenario. This chapter will describe the important parts of the rich Visio object model so that a power user who writes macros, or a developer who writes add-ins, will know how to navigate around the various elements. It will also describe the important sections of the programmable ShapeSheet that is behind every shape...

A very quick introduction to data in Visio

There are many templates and tools within Visio that either import or export data.

The following diagram shows the various data sources or targets listed vertically in the center. The Visio features that can import data are on the left-hand side, and the features that export are on the right. There are many features that use data, but the most relevant features and data sources are enhanced with a thicker outline:

A very quick introduction to data in Visio

I have omitted SharePoint workflows from this diagram because it is so specialized.

Most of these features utilize the Shape Data capability of Visio shapes, pages, and documents. The following table lists the Visio features that import values into Shape Data rows:

A very quick introduction to data in Visio

Note

SQL Server stored procedures can also be used as a data source in code in addition to the tables and views that are accessible from...

Understanding the Visio object model

An object model defines how the various objects and collections relate to each other, and their properties, methods, and events. Knowing how to navigate around it is essential for writing quick code in VBA, or more capable code for an add-in or add-on.

Starting with the Application object

The top-level object is the Visio Application object itself. This object contains a collection of documents that are currently open.

Note

Actually, there is also the InvisibleApp object, which a developer can use to interact with a diagram without the Visio application interface appearing on the screen.

Templates, drawings, and stencils are all types of Visio documents, although the user only sees stencils on the panels of shapes on the left of the drawing page. A drawing is usually created from a template document. However, a drawing can also be created from any existing drawing.

A drawing document consists of a collection of pages, each of which can contain a collection...

Getting to grips with the ShapeSheet

Every document, page, and shape has a ShapeSheet that contains a number of sections, rows, and cells. Cells contain formulas that produce a resultant value.

The document ShapeSheet is known as the DocumentSheet in the object model, but it can be referenced as TheDoc in a cell formula. Similarly, the page ShapeSheet is known as PageSheet in the object model, but it is referred to as ThePage in cell formulas.

There are a lot of mandatory sections in the ShapeSheet, and some of them do not even have their own enumerator in visSectionIndices. Instead, they come under visSectionIndices.visSectionObject. In fact, there are 38 shown on the View Sections dialog, but with only 24 section constants:

Getting to grips with the ShapeSheet

It is more efficient to reference a cell by its SRC (Section, Row, Cell) values than by its name. However, there are times when using the name is unavoidable.

If the ShapeSheet is open in the UI, then you can easily find the name of a cell by clicking in the cell, placing...

The Visio file format

Since the 2013 edition, Visio files are Open Packaging Convention compliant, which means that most of the contents are accessible for programmers using some standard techniques. This means that package parts can be more easily extracted, and even modified, without recourse to the Visio type library. Before the 2013 version, Visio files were either binary or monolithic XML files (which were approximately 10 times the size of the binary files). Now that Visio files are zipped-up XML packages, there is greater scope for extensibility. For example, the Visio Web Access control in SharePoint 2010 used XAML to render the graphics on a layer over the top of the Visio binary file. The files had to be published as Visio Web Drawings (*.vdw) to be used, and only the linked Data Graphics content was automatically refreshable. Since the 2013 version, native Visio files are rendered in the Visio Web Access control without needing Silverlight, and any shape cell that is referenced...

Knowing how shapes relate in structured diagrams

The Insert | Diagram Parts tab in the Visio interface provides the ability to add a Container, Callout, or Connector diagram part to a page, as shown in the following screenshot (these are the main parts of a structured diagram):

Knowing how shapes relate in structured diagrams

However, there are also other shapes available from various stencils that exhibit the same behavior. There is also a special type of container called List that can contain ordered items. There are several Microsoft-supplied shapes that are lists, including the UML Class | Class master shape, which is used in the following example. This List shape accepts other specific list item shapes.

This following screenshot contains all of the elements of a structured diagram, namely connections, containers, lists, and callouts:

Knowing how shapes relate in structured diagrams

Everything but the two incoming connections at the top left of the screenshot are selected in order to limit the number of items under consideration in the following paragraphs.

Notice that the container...

A very quick introduction to data in Visio


There are many templates and tools within Visio that either import or export data.

The following diagram shows the various data sources or targets listed vertically in the center. The Visio features that can import data are on the left-hand side, and the features that export are on the right. There are many features that use data, but the most relevant features and data sources are enhanced with a thicker outline:

I have omitted SharePoint workflows from this diagram because it is so specialized.

Most of these features utilize the Shape Data capability of Visio shapes, pages, and documents. The following table lists the Visio features that import values into Shape Data rows:

Note

SQL Server stored procedures can also be used as a data source in code in addition to the tables and views that are accessible from the...

Left arrow icon Right arrow icon
Download code icon Download Code

Key benefits

  • A complete guide to data visualization with Microsoft Visio Professional 2016
  • Visualize information to meet the needs of your business
  • Get the quick way to learn Microsoft Visio 2016

Description

Microsoft Visio Professional is a data visualization application that is used by many different market sectors and many different departments to represent information visually, from network infrastructure to organization charts, from process diagrams to office layouts. Starting off with a brief introduction to Visio Professional 2016 and then moving on to data storage, linking data to shapes, and working with SQL Server to create a solid foundation. Then we’ll cover topics such as refreshing data, working with geographical data, working with various graphics, and diagrams, and more. Finally, you’ll find out how to deploy custom stencils, templates, and code.

Who is this book for?

This book is aimed at the departmental-level business intelligence professional or Microsoft Office power-user who wants to create data diagrams with Microsoft Visio that can accurately represent business information visually.

What you will learn

  • Add external data from a variety of data sources
  • Represent information with data graphics
  • Create custom data-like shapes
  • Export data from structured diagrams
  • Present information graphics to non-Visio users
  • Automate visualizations from data
  • Develop custom templates and code for others

Product Details

Country selected
Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : May 27, 2016
Length: 334 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781785882821
Vendor :
Microsoft
Category :

What do you get with eBook?

Product feature icon Instant access to your Digital eBook purchase
Product feature icon Download this book in EPUB and PDF formats
Product feature icon Access this title in our online reader with advanced features
Product feature icon DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want
OR
Modal Close icon
Payment Processing...
tick Completed

Billing Address

Product Details

Publication date : May 27, 2016
Length: 334 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781785882821
Vendor :
Microsoft
Category :

Packt Subscriptions

See our plans and pricing
Modal Close icon
$19.99 billed monthly
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Simple pricing, no contract
$199.99 billed annually
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just $5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts
$279.99 billed in 18 months
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just $5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts

Frequently bought together


Stars icon
Total $ 187.97
Mastering Data Visualization with Microsoft Visio Professional 2016
$60.99
Microsoft Visio 2013 Business Process Diagramming and Validation
$60.99
Mastering Windows Server 2016
$65.99
Total $ 187.97 Stars icon
Banner background image

Table of Contents

12 Chapters
1. Data within Visio Essentials Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. Understanding How Data Is Stored within Visio Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. Linking Data to Shapes Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. Using the Built-In Data Graphics Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. Using the Pivot Diagram Add-On Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
6. Creating Custom Master Shapes Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
7. Creating Custom Data Graphics Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
8. Validating and Extracting Information Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
9. Automating Structured Diagrams Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
10. Sharing Data Diagrams Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
11. Choosing a Deployment Methodology Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Index Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

Top Reviews
Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.2
(6 Ratings)
5 star 66.7%
4 star 16.7%
3 star 0%
2 star 0%
1 star 16.7%
Filter icon Filter
Top Reviews

Filter reviews by




Michael Krispin Sep 19, 2019
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
I bought it to understand better how use Visio also in a process automation environment as HMI
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Campbell S. Rankine Jul 30, 2020
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
It is the most thorough treatise on Visio.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Amazon Customer May 17, 2018
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
David Parker is the Guru of MS Visio, and his book is probably best source of MS Visio related knowledge you can find. Excellent book, good writting style, usable examples. Hope he'll write some new book soon.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
KE Jan 25, 2017
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Its very good book
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Amazon Customer Oct 14, 2019
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
To learn new methods for my career. As far as I can tell this is a very in-depth look at what you need to make visually appealing presentations of the contents of your data.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Get free access to Packt library with over 7500+ books and video courses for 7 days!
Start Free Trial

FAQs

How do I buy and download an eBook? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Where there is an eBook version of a title available, you can buy it from the book details for that title. Add either the standalone eBook or the eBook and print book bundle to your shopping cart. Your eBook will show in your cart as a product on its own. After completing checkout and payment in the normal way, you will receive your receipt on the screen containing a link to a personalised PDF download file. This link will remain active for 30 days. You can download backup copies of the file by logging in to your account at any time.

If you already have Adobe reader installed, then clicking on the link will download and open the PDF file directly. If you don't, then save the PDF file on your machine and download the Reader to view it.

Please Note: Packt eBooks are non-returnable and non-refundable.

Packt eBook and Licensing When you buy an eBook from Packt Publishing, completing your purchase means you accept the terms of our licence agreement. Please read the full text of the agreement. In it we have tried to balance the need for the ebook to be usable for you the reader with our needs to protect the rights of us as Publishers and of our authors. In summary, the agreement says:

  • You may make copies of your eBook for your own use onto any machine
  • You may not pass copies of the eBook on to anyone else
How can I make a purchase on your website? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

If you want to purchase a video course, eBook or Bundle (Print+eBook) please follow below steps:

  1. Register on our website using your email address and the password.
  2. Search for the title by name or ISBN using the search option.
  3. Select the title you want to purchase.
  4. Choose the format you wish to purchase the title in; if you order the Print Book, you get a free eBook copy of the same title. 
  5. Proceed with the checkout process (payment to be made using Credit Card, Debit Cart, or PayPal)
Where can I access support around an eBook? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
  • If you experience a problem with using or installing Adobe Reader, the contact Adobe directly.
  • To view the errata for the book, see www.packtpub.com/support and view the pages for the title you have.
  • To view your account details or to download a new copy of the book go to www.packtpub.com/account
  • To contact us directly if a problem is not resolved, use www.packtpub.com/contact-us
What eBook formats do Packt support? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Our eBooks are currently available in a variety of formats such as PDF and ePubs. In the future, this may well change with trends and development in technology, but please note that our PDFs are not Adobe eBook Reader format, which has greater restrictions on security.

You will need to use Adobe Reader v9 or later in order to read Packt's PDF eBooks.

What are the benefits of eBooks? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
  • You can get the information you need immediately
  • You can easily take them with you on a laptop
  • You can download them an unlimited number of times
  • You can print them out
  • They are copy-paste enabled
  • They are searchable
  • There is no password protection
  • They are lower price than print
  • They save resources and space
What is an eBook? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Packt eBooks are a complete electronic version of the print edition, available in PDF and ePub formats. Every piece of content down to the page numbering is the same. Because we save the costs of printing and shipping the book to you, we are able to offer eBooks at a lower cost than print editions.

When you have purchased an eBook, simply login to your account and click on the link in Your Download Area. We recommend you saving the file to your hard drive before opening it.

For optimal viewing of our eBooks, we recommend you download and install the free Adobe Reader version 9.