# Binding Easy Chart Pen Names to SQLTag Names **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Created:** [June 17, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/binding-easy-chart-pen-names-to-sqltag-names/6723 "2013-06-17T19:33:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![paul.prescott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/67e7ee/32.png) [@paul.prescott](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul.prescott)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/binding-easy-chart-pen-names-to-sqltag-names/6723/1 "2013-06-17T19:33:08Z")
OS: Windows 7 Enterprise Ignition: 7.3.1 (b496) Java: 1.6.0\_23 What I’m trying to do is create a chart to display historical temperature data from one (out of many) furnaces. Rather than create one chart per furnace, I would like to create one chart that can dynamically display the data for any one furnace at a time. From the Ignition documentation and my searches in this Forum, keeping the pen names in a SQL database and then linking them to the Easy Chart ‘Tag Names’ dataset seems like a good way to achieve this. I’ve created a SQL database that lists each furnace along with its SQLtag names and a Group name (for organizing the pens in Easy Chart): ```auto MachineNumber TagName GroupName 9563 Pre Heat 1 grp_Pre_Heat 9563 Pre Heat 2 grp_Pre_Heat 9563 Pre Heat 3 grp_Pre_Heat : : : 9563 High Heat 1 grp_High_Heat 9563 High Heat 2 grp_High_Heat 9563 High Heat 3 grp_High_Heat : : : 10006 RBO grp_Pre_Heat 10006 Zone 1 grp_Pre_Heat 10006 Zone 2 grp_High_Heat 10006 Zone 3 grp_High_Heat 10006 Zone 4 grp_High_Heat : : ``` The SQLTag names are of the form MachineNumber/TagName. The question I have is what is the best method to transfer or bind the MachineNumber/TagName to the TAG\_PATH column of the ‘Tag Names’ dataset? I think that I could achieve this with Python by copying, replacing, and copying back the ‘Tag Name’ dataset, but it seems like there should be an easier method. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![paul.prescott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/67e7ee/32.png) [@paul.prescott](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul.prescott)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 3:05pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/binding-easy-chart-pen-names-to-sqltag-names/6723/2 "2013-06-24T15:05:40Z")
After examing the Click-to-Graph extra, I’ve implemented a system similar whereby I have a tables in a SQL database that mirror the Easy Chart datasets (‘Tag Pens’, ‘Axes’, and ‘Subplots’). I then added another column for my FURNACE\_NUMBER and then select the pens using a SELECT FROM query with a WHERE [FURNACE\_NUMBER] = {Root Container.FurnaceNumber} statement with the {Root Container.FurnaceNumber} being passed in when the chart window is opened. So my question now is whether this is considered an efficient method for dynamically selecting chart pens, or is their a better method? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Carl.Gould](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/carl.gould/32/7262_2.png) [@Carl.Gould](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Carl.Gould)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/binding-easy-chart-pen-names-to-sqltag-names/6723/3 "2013-08-13T16:06:10Z")
This is absolutely a fine method, just make sure to have the binding that brings in the pens set to polling-off.