Understanding Chart Types


The type of chart you create affects the reader's understanding of the information you want to present. For example, consider the data in Figure 11.1.

Figure 11.1. Using this data, you can produce several different types of charts, each with a different meaning to the reader.


I can best compare sales by region for each product if I produce a bar chart like the one shown in Figure 11.2.

Figure 11.2. A bar chart helps compare two or more values for the same set of data; in this figure, the chart compares sales for three regions and three products.


Selecting the correct data to appear in the chart goes hand in hand with selecting an appropriate chart type. Selecting the wrong data can produce a very strange chart. For example, in Figure 11.2, I charted A3.D6. Quattro Pro uses the text information in the selection to automatically label data on the chart.

If, instead, I include the total row (row 7) and the total column (column E), I get the odd-looking chart shown in Figure 11.3, which doesn't really make much sense, if you think about it.

Figure 11.3. If you include totals when creating the chart, it appears as if you're trying to compare a fourth product.


If I change the goal of my chart, I also need to change the type of chart I produce and, possibly, the data to chart. For example, a pie chart is more appropriate when you want to compare portions of anything to the whole enchilada.

I added labels and a legend to the pie chart after I created it, using techniques described later in this chapter in the section, "Formatting a Chart."


Using the same data shown in Figure 11.3, I can produce a pie chart that shows each region's portion of total sales, or I can produce a pie chart that shows each product's portion of total sales. The pie chart I produce will depend on the data I select.

In Figure 11.4, I created a pie chart that shows sales by region. To create the chart, I selected B7.D7the cells that contain total sales for each region.

Figure 11.4. To create this pie chart, I selected the totals for each region.


In Figure 11.5, I created a pie chart that shows the sales by product. To create the chart, I selected E4.E6the cells that contain the total sales for each product.

Figure 11.5. To create this pie chart, I selected the totals for each product.


Quattro Pro contains a wide variety of chart types from which you can select; make sure that you select a chart type that is appropriate for the information you want to convey.




Absolute Beginner's Guide to Quattro Pro X3
Absolute Beginners Guide to Quattro Pro X3
ISBN: 0789734265
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2007
Pages: 128
Authors: Elaine Marmel

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