Fix

adminSiteClient/ChartEditor.ts

@@ -101,13 +101,12 @@ export class ChartEditor extends AbstractChartEditor<ChartEditorManager> {
             this.grapher.object
         )
 
-        // fetch the new parent config if the indicator has changed
+        // no-op if the parent indicator hasn't changed
+        if (currentParentIndicatorId === newParentIndicatorId) return
+
+        // fetch the new parent config
         let newParentConfig: GrapherInterface | undefined
-        if (
-            newParentIndicatorId &&
-            (currentParentIndicatorId === undefined ||
-                newParentIndicatorId !== currentParentIndicatorId)
-        ) {
+        if (newParentIndicatorId) {
             newParentConfig = await fetchMergedGrapherConfigByVariableId(
                 this.manager.admin,
                 newParentIndicatorId
@@ -181,8 +180,12 @@ export class ChartEditor extends AbstractChartEditor<ChartEditorManager> {
         // Need to open intermediary tab before AJAX to avoid popup blockers
         const w = window.open("/", "_blank") as Window
 
+        // it only makes sense to enable inheritance if the chart has a parent
+        const shouldEnableInheritance =
+            !!this.parentVariableId && this.isInheritanceEnabled
+
         const query = new URLSearchParams({
-            inheritance: this.isInheritanceEnabled ? "enable" : "disable",
+            inheritance: shouldEnableInheritance ? "enable" : "disable",
         })
         const targetUrl = `/api/charts?${query}`
 

adminSiteClient/ChartEditorView.tsx

@@ -386,10 +386,6 @@ export class ChartEditorView<
                                         }}
                                     >
                                         {capitalize(tab)}
-                                        {tab === "inheritance" &&
-                                            chartEditor &&
-                                            chartEditor.isInheritanceEnabled &&
-                                            " (enabled)"}
                                         {tab === "refs" &&
                                         chartEditor?.references
                                             ? ` (${getFullReferencesCount(

adminSiteClient/EditorBasicTab.tsx

@@ -346,6 +346,13 @@ export class EditorBasicTab<
     database: EditorDatabase
     errorMessagesForDimensions: ErrorMessagesForDimensions
 }> {
+    @action.bound private updateParentConfig() {
+        const { editor } = this.props
+        if (isChartEditorInstance(editor)) {
+            void editor.updateParentConfig()
+        }
+    }
+
     @action.bound onChartTypeChange(value: string) {
         const { grapher } = this.props.editor
         grapher.type = value as ChartTypeName
@@ -378,6 +385,11 @@ export class EditorBasicTab<
                     property: DimensionProperty.size,
                 })
         }
+
+        // since the parent config depends on the chart type
+        // (scatters don't have a parent), we might need to update
+        // the parent config when the type changes
+        this.updateParentConfig()
     }
 
     render() {

adminSiteClient/EditorDebugTab.tsx

@@ -53,25 +53,25 @@ class EditorDebugTabForChart extends React.Component<{
         })
     }
 
-    @action.bound onToggleInheritance(newValue: boolean) {
+    @action.bound onToggleInheritance(shouldBeEnabled: boolean) {
         const { patchConfig, parentConfig } = this.props.editor
 
         // update live grapher
-        const newParentConfig = newValue ? parentConfig : undefined
+        const newParentConfig = shouldBeEnabled ? parentConfig : undefined
         const newConfig = mergeGrapherConfigs(
             newParentConfig ?? {},
             patchConfig
         )
         this.props.editor.updateLiveGrapher(newConfig)
 
-        this.props.editor.isInheritanceEnabled = newValue
+        this.props.editor.isInheritanceEnabled = shouldBeEnabled
     }
 
     render() {
         const {
             patchConfig,
             parentConfig,
-            isInheritanceEnabled = false,
+            isInheritanceEnabled,
             fullConfig,
             parentVariableId,
             grapher,
@@ -134,13 +134,14 @@ class EditorDebugTabForChart extends React.Component<{
                             ) : (
                                 <p>
                                     This chart may inherit chart settings from
-                                    the indicator {variableLink}. Toggle the
-                                    option below to enable inheritance.
+                                    the indicator {variableLink}, but
+                                    inheritance is currently disabled. Toggle
+                                    the option below to enable inheritance.
                                 </p>
                             )}
                             <Toggle
                                 label="Enable inheritance"
-                                value={isInheritanceEnabled}
+                                value={!!isInheritanceEnabled}
                                 onValue={this.onToggleInheritance}
                             />
                         </Section>
@@ -156,7 +157,7 @@ class EditorDebugTabForChart extends React.Component<{
                                     rows={7}
                                     readOnly
                                     className="form-control"
-                                    value={YAML.stringify(parentConfig ?? {})}
+                                    value={YAML.stringify(parentConfig)}
                                 />
                                 <p className="mt-2">
                                     <a

adminSiteClient/IndicatorChartEditor.ts

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ export interface Chart {
 export interface IndicatorChartEditorManager
     extends AbstractChartEditorManager {
     variableId: number
-    isNewGrapher: boolean
+    isNewGrapher?: boolean
     charts: Chart[]
 }
 

adminSiteClient/IndicatorChartEditorPage.tsx

@@ -30,22 +30,23 @@ export class IndicatorChartEditorPage
 
     charts: Chart[] = []
 
-    isNewGrapher = false
-    isInheritanceEnabled = true
+    isNewGrapher: boolean | undefined = undefined
+    isInheritanceEnabled: boolean | undefined = undefined
 
     async fetchGrapherConfig(): Promise<void> {
         const { variableId } = this
         const config = await this.context.admin.getJSON(
             `/api/variables/grapherConfigAdmin/${variableId}.patchConfig.json`
         )
         if (isEmpty(config)) {
-            this.isNewGrapher = true
             this.patchConfig = {
                 $schema: defaultGrapherConfig.$schema,
                 dimensions: [{ variableId, property: DimensionProperty.y }],
             }
+            this.isNewGrapher = true
         } else {
             this.patchConfig = config
+            this.isNewGrapher = false
         }
     }
 
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ export class IndicatorChartEditorPage
             `/api/variables/grapherConfigETL/${variableId}.patchConfig.json`
         )
         this.parentConfig = isEmpty(etlConfig) ? undefined : etlConfig
+        this.isInheritanceEnabled = true
     }
 
     async fetchCharts(): Promise<void> {