A Chart is Worth a Thousand Numbers...
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A Chart is Worth a Thousand Numbers... |
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The ChartMechanic server contains a virtual file system (VFS) in which data sources, charts, and other data files are stored. VFS is mapped to a normal, physical file system by the ChartMechanic Administrator.
In VFS, every ChartMechanic user has a home directory. You may only store charts and data into your own home directory unless you have administrative privileges. You may read content from another user's directory if the other user has made those files publicly visible. Likewise, you can control whether the charts and data sources you have created are visible to others. See access control.
Note that the VFS differs from your local home directory on your hard drive in your local operating system. The VFS exists on the ChartMechanic server; therefore, your charts and data are available to you no matter what computer you use to access your charts and data.
There are four types of files stored in VFS:
Data Files are raw spreadsheets or comma-separated files that you have uploaded into VFS.
Image files are graphics that you have uploaded into VFS. Valid graphical file formats are JPEG, PNG, and GIF. Images are most commonly used as background images for charts.
Each data source that you create becomes a separate file within VFS.
Data Source files are displayed in the VFS File Tree in the Editor
with a 
icon. Data sources are
distinct from their underlying raw data.
Each chart that you create is a separate file within VFS. Chart files
are displayed in the VFS File Tree in the Editor with a
icon.
You can browse files in VFS from within the ChartMechanic Editor. Selecting the top-level File tab will bring you to a screen that is a VFS directory browser. On the left is a file-tree representation of your VFS home directory. Folders depicting subdirectories can be expanded to reveal contents of subdirectories. As you select a file, its contents are previewed on the right side of the screen.
Within the Editor, whenever you see the button , that indicates an option to browse the VFS tree to select a file. For example, when creating a new chart, you can browse the VFS tree for a data source. Likewise, when setting the chart template, you can browse the VFS tree for another chart.
Data Files are stored into VFS by uploading
them from your browser. In various places within the Editor, the
button 
allows you
upload files to VFS. To upload a file means to transfer the contents
of a file from your hard drive on your local computer onto the
ChartMechanic server. The upload file dialog will ask you to select
a file from your local file system. The file will then be transmitted
across the network to VFS. Note that a copy of your file is made in
VFS. Therefore, if you modify your local file, you will need to
upload the contents again to VFS to have those changes be reflected in
your data sources or charts.
You can control the visibility of every file in your VFS home directory. Whether it is a chart, data source, a datafile or an image, you can set allow the file to be publicly accessible or make it private so that only you are able to view the contents. By default, all files created have public access. In addition, the ChartMechanic Administrator has the ability to view all files.
To change the access control setting on a file, select the file from the File Pane in the ChartMechanic Editor. (See Browing the VFS) Click on the Lock/Unlock command button at the top of the screen. In the Set File Visibilty dialog box, choose public or private for the access setting for the file. In the VFS File tree on the left, files which are private are shaded grey.