Harmoni allows you to create new items or customized constructions to suit your analysis and reporting requirements. New variables can be created using items that already exist in the project, or with user-entered values.
Linked axis is another construction type available in Harmoni. A linked axis is a discrete variable constructed from an existing measureMeasures are used to analyze continuous variables. Measures contain numerical values. Learn more about variable types in Harmoni. in Harmoni.
By selecting a measure, and using the linked axis option, Harmoni automatically creates a standard (linked) axis that looks at the values in the measure. It then creates an element in the linked axis for each value found in the measure.
When a data source is updated, the linked axis updates to reflect the values found in the updated measure.
In this article
1. Create a linked axis
To create a new linked axis, you first need to select one or more non-constructed measures in your project tree. This will enable the option new linked axis under construct in the design menu.
The new linked axis appears in your project, just above the measure selected.
If multiple measures were selected:
- A linked axis is created for each selected measure.
- The linked axes created are placed just above the first measure selected.
- Select the measure/measures you want to use to create the linked axis.
- Select create new linked axis under construct.
2. Linked elements
Linked elements reflect the values within the reference measure. Linked elements are automatically assigned a value.
The maximum number of elements generated can be set using personalization keys. Items outside this limit will automatically be grouped into an "others" element.
The "others" element is not assigned a value which means the total average calculated for the axis will not match the average calculated in the related measure.
In this type of construction, the linked elements are not editable and you cannot change the value for each element. You can combine linked elements in a single axis and the net can then be edited, but you cannot add a value to combined nets.
At this stage, no automated groups/constructions are generated, In the future, we are looking into how to best autogenerate the groupings of values, which can be particularly useful for measures that contain a large number of items.
3. Linked axes and grids
You can combine multiple linked axes to create a grid, Learn more about Grids. however linked axes can't be mixed with other types in the same grid.
- Select the measure/measures you want to use to create the linked axis.
- Select create new linked axis under construct.
- Select a group of linked axis in the project tree.
- Select add grid under grid.
Please note that unlike a singled linked axis, you cannot edit a combined element created in grid of linked axes. To make a change you have two options:
- You can remove the grid and change each combined element, then re-grid, or
- Delete the combined element and create a new combined element.
4. Linked axes and data updates
When adding a new source to the project, new linked elements are created to reflect the new values in the associated measure.
If the original measure is removed from the project (source), the linked axis and associated elements are removed as well.
While you can delete linked elements, these would be auto-generated during a source update if the value still exists in the new source. If there is an element value you don’t want to report, we recommend hiding the element.
5. Date Flag 
A linked axis, just like a standard axis, can be marked as a date. This means you can bring a continuous date variable into Harmoni, convert it to a linked axis, and apply the date flag to benefit from the automated date features.
With a date axis in the across dimension, graphs will automatically visualize as a line graph, and when you have many time periods, the time slider is made available to help declutter the graph.
Where to from here?
Learn more about Constructions.