Your First Chart
To create a chart, you first have to define the data that will be included. In this case, this is everything in the spreadsheet except the title cell at the top and the total cells at the bottom. Make the selection by clicking and dragging across the appropriate cells with the mouse. Now choose Insert --> Chart to launch the Chart Wizard. This is a good hand- holder, and you may be tempted to click through every option just to see the goods. This method of chart creation will work (and you can re- edit later on, as you’ll see), but it’s a good idea to examine the selectable elements.
To create a chart, you first have to define the data that will be included. In this case, this is everything in the spreadsheet except the title cell at the top and the total cells at the bottom. Make the selection by clicking and dragging across the appropriate cells with the mouse. Now choose Insert --> Chart to launch the Chart Wizard. This is a good hand- holder, and you may be tempted to click through every option just to see the goods. This method of chart creation will work (and you can re- edit later on, as you’ll see), but it’s a good idea to examine the selectable elements.
Chart Type
Your first decision is what kind of chart to use. Calc provides nine basic types, which are selectable in the right window, but each type has its own variations, often involving some 3D look. As discussed earlier, the charts will be built using the default colors, but you can change this at a later stage. The Chart Wizard is actually dynamic, so as you make changes, they should be reflected automatically in the chart on the spreadsheet, although you may need to shift the wizard window slightly because the default chart size is rather small. The choice of chart type will depend on both the data in the spreadsheet and the audience. For example, a simple bar chart or scatter graph is useful for showing a change over time such as the growth of a product or increased sales, whereas a pie chart is better for highlighting elements of data relative to each other, such as in a market share snapshot or the division of an income source. After you’ve picked a chart type and variation, click Next (see Figure 4-9).
Your first decision is what kind of chart to use. Calc provides nine basic types, which are selectable in the right window, but each type has its own variations, often involving some 3D look. As discussed earlier, the charts will be built using the default colors, but you can change this at a later stage. The Chart Wizard is actually dynamic, so as you make changes, they should be reflected automatically in the chart on the spreadsheet, although you may need to shift the wizard window slightly because the default chart size is rather small. The choice of chart type will depend on both the data in the spreadsheet and the audience. For example, a simple bar chart or scatter graph is useful for showing a change over time such as the growth of a product or increased sales, whereas a pie chart is better for highlighting elements of data relative to each other, such as in a market share snapshot or the division of an income source. After you’ve picked a chart type and variation, click Next (see Figure 4-9).
Calc contains an array of different chart types, which is useful because what suits
a sales chart won’t necessarily suit an expenses chart.
a sales chart won’t necessarily suit an expenses chart.
Data Range
In the next section, you’ll define precisely what data will feed into the chart. Changes made here can have a fundamental effect on the way the final chart is presented so it’s worthwhile to explore the various options. I’ve already done the difficult part of defining the data using the mouse, which is represented in the Data range input box as a piece of code: $Sheet1.$C$2:$I$7. This code defines the sheet ($Sheet1) and cell range ($C$2:$I$7) to be charted, and you can edit this by hand.
In the next section, you’ll define precisely what data will feed into the chart. Changes made here can have a fundamental effect on the way the final chart is presented so it’s worthwhile to explore the various options. I’ve already done the difficult part of defining the data using the mouse, which is represented in the Data range input box as a piece of code: $Sheet1.$C$2:$I$7. This code defines the sheet ($Sheet1) and cell range ($C$2:$I$7) to be charted, and you can edit this by hand.
Below this are two sets of options. The first defines the grouping of results by either row or column. Your choice here depends on how the chart is supposed to be perceived. In the example, you could group results by product, which makes growth or decline apparent across the range, by selecting the Data series in columns option. The alternative (Data series in rows) would group elements by year showing relative performance over time.
In addition to redefining the data range, you can set up axis labels in this section of the
Chart Wizard.
Chart Wizard.
Finally, you can choose to use either row or column headers as labels individually or together. Deselecting one of these will label elements Data series 1, Data series 2, and so on, allowing you to redefine them later. This will be useful when you build a chart on a more extensive or selective basis.
Data Series
The Data Series screen allows for the refinement of the data in the chart. This is where, for example, you can change the names of the labels or adjust the display of data from a column, a row, or even an individual cell. On the left are the data series, and on the right the ranges that define them. The important thing to remember about this is that everything has to be defined in terms of its location on the spreadsheet. So, for example, if your columns were headed Apr, May, Jun, Jul, and so on, but you wanted the chart labeled April, May, June, July, you can’t just add those details. Instead you would need to create cells elsewhere on the chart with the correct labels and then define those in the Range for Name setting; that is, $Sheet1.$H$7 might contain the text “April.”
The Data Series screen allows for the refinement of the data in the chart. This is where, for example, you can change the names of the labels or adjust the display of data from a column, a row, or even an individual cell. On the left are the data series, and on the right the ranges that define them. The important thing to remember about this is that everything has to be defined in terms of its location on the spreadsheet. So, for example, if your columns were headed Apr, May, Jun, Jul, and so on, but you wanted the chart labeled April, May, June, July, you can’t just add those details. Instead you would need to create cells elsewhere on the chart with the correct labels and then define those in the Range for Name setting; that is, $Sheet1.$H$7 might contain the text “April.”
The other important thing, especially if you’re less cell- minded and more visual, is the small icon to the right of the input bars. Click the icon next to the Range for Name section, and the dialog box shrinks to give you access to the spreadsheet, making it possible to click the cell needed to name the range. To return without selecting anything, click the (slightly changed) icon once more. The icon next to Categories allows you to select a range of cells using the various selection methods outlined previously.
Accept the default values in this window.
Chart Elements
The final section uses a different methodology in that it’s not possible to use cell values for its various parts. For most charts, there will be four title spaces available: Title, Subtitle, X axis, and Y axis Remember Y defines the label for the columns, and X defines the rows. Leaving these spaces empty leaves more space for the chart but could reduce legibility slightly, so experiment to get the most satisfying result.
The final section uses a different methodology in that it’s not possible to use cell values for its various parts. For most charts, there will be four title spaces available: Title, Subtitle, X axis, and Y axis Remember Y defines the label for the columns, and X defines the rows. Leaving these spaces empty leaves more space for the chart but could reduce legibility slightly, so experiment to get the most satisfying result.
Add titles, subtitles, and axis labels to improve legibility.
On the right of the dialog box is the Display legend check box, which allows for the provision of more data and, in this example, takes its values from the column headers. It can be removed altogether or set to appear at any of the four edges of the chart. Finally at the bottom of the window are options for displaying the axes themselves. Enable or disable using the check boxes. In column charts, where the bars are going vertically, removing the y- axis lines can reduce legibility quite substantially because the reader has to try to marry the top of the line to the values on the edge of the chart—of course, this is great for obscuring poor figures—and the same is true when removing the x- axis lines from a bar chart. No one likes to see both.
After you’ve defined and refined all of these elements (you can skip back through the wizard using the navigation area on the left of the window), click Finish to see your chart in all its glory. Despite looking like a graphic, the chart is linked intimately with the data. To see this in action, select one of the data cells, and change its value. The length of the bar in the chart adjusts to reflect this change after a short pause. You can also define a chart based on an empty spreadsheet and then populate the spreadsheet later.
