jam/js/ui/chart/docs/developers/axes.md

# New Axes

Axes in Chart.js can be individually extended. Axes should always derive from `Chart.Scale` but this is not a mandatory requirement.

```javascript
let MyScale = Chart.Scale.extend({
    /* extensions ... */
});

// MyScale is now derived from Chart.Scale
```

Once you have created your scale class, you need to register it with the global chart object so that it can be used. A default config for the scale may be provided when registering the constructor. The first parameter to the register function is a string key that is used later to identify which scale type to use for a chart.

```javascript
Chart.scaleService.registerScaleType('myScale', MyScale, defaultConfigObject);
```

To use the new scale, simply pass in the string key to the config when creating a chart.

```javascript
var lineChart = new Chart(ctx, {
    data: data,
    type: 'line',
    options: {
        scales: {
            yAxes: [{
                type: 'myScale' // this is the same key that was passed to the registerScaleType function
            }]
        }
    }
});
```

## Scale Properties

Scale instances are given the following properties during the fitting process.

```javascript
{
    left: number, // left edge of the scale bounding box
    right: number, // right edge of the bounding box
    top: number,
    bottom: number,
    width: number, // the same as right - left
    height: number, // the same as bottom - top

    // Margin on each side. Like css, this is outside the bounding box.
    margins: {
        left: number,
        right: number,
        top: number,
        bottom: number
    },

    // Amount of padding on the inside of the bounding box (like CSS)
    paddingLeft: number,
    paddingRight: number,
    paddingTop: number,
    paddingBottom: number
}
```

## Scale Interface
To work with Chart.js, custom scale types must implement the following interface.

```javascript
{
    // Determines the data limits. Should set this.min and this.max to be the data max/min
    determineDataLimits: function() {},

    // Generate tick marks. this.chart is the chart instance. The data object can be accessed as this.chart.data
    // buildTicks() should create a ticks array on the axis instance, if you intend to use any of the implementations from the base class
    buildTicks: function() {},

    // Get the value to show for the data at the given index of the the given dataset, ie this.chart.data.datasets[datasetIndex].data[index]
    getLabelForIndex: function(index, datasetIndex) {},

    // Get the pixel (x coordinate for horizontal axis, y coordinate for vertical axis) for a given value
    // @param index: index into the ticks array
    getPixelForTick: function(index) {},

    // Get the pixel (x coordinate for horizontal axis, y coordinate for vertical axis) for a given value
    // @param value : the value to get the pixel for
    // @param index : index into the data array of the value
    // @param datasetIndex : index of the dataset the value comes from
    getPixelForValue: function(value, index, datasetIndex) {},

    // Get the value for a given pixel (x coordinate for horizontal axis, y coordinate for vertical axis)
    // @param pixel : pixel value
    getValueForPixel: function(pixel) {}
}
```

Optionally, the following methods may also be overwritten, but an implementation is already provided by the `Chart.Scale` base class.

```javascript
{
    // Transform the ticks array of the scale instance into strings. The default implementation simply calls this.options.ticks.callback(numericalTick, index, ticks);
    convertTicksToLabels: function() {},

    // Determine how much the labels will rotate by. The default implementation will only rotate labels if the scale is horizontal.
    calculateTickRotation: function() {},

    // Fits the scale into the canvas.
    // this.maxWidth and this.maxHeight will tell you the maximum dimensions the scale instance can be. Scales should endeavour to be as efficient as possible with canvas space.
    // this.margins is the amount of space you have on either side of your scale that you may expand in to. This is used already for calculating the best label rotation
    // You must set this.minSize to be the size of your scale. It must be an object containing 2 properties: width and height.
    // You must set this.width to be the width and this.height to be the height of the scale
    fit: function() {},

    // Draws the scale onto the canvas. this.(left|right|top|bottom) will have been populated to tell you the area on the canvas to draw in
    // @param chartArea : an object containing four properties: left, right, top, bottom. This is the rectangle that lines, bars, etc will be drawn in. It may be used, for example, to draw grid lines.
    draw: function(chartArea) {}
}
```

The Core.Scale base class also has some utility functions that you may find useful.
```javascript
{
    // Returns true if the scale instance is horizontal
    isHorizontal: function() {},

    // Get the correct value from the value from this.chart.data.datasets[x].data[]
    // If dataValue is an object, returns .x or .y depending on the return of isHorizontal()
    // If the value is undefined, returns NaN
    // Otherwise returns the value.
    // Note that in all cases, the returned value is not guaranteed to be a number
    getRightValue: function(dataValue) {},

    // Returns the scale tick objects ({label, major})
    getTicks: function() {}
}
```