Understanding Charting Terminology

Most charts consist of several objects, including axes and legends, that define the chart's structure and content. To build charts effectively in Excel, you should understand some key charting terminology. Table 8.1 lists the key charting terms and their definitions.

Table 8.1. Charting Terminology

Charting Term	Definition
Chart	A diagram that shows the relationship between various values or sets of values.
Data series	A collection of related data, such as the monthly sales for a particular division. A data series is typically a single row or column of data.
Axis	An edge of a chart. A two-dimensional chart is composed of an x-axis (horizontal line) and a y-axis (vertical line). Charts that have a z-axis display a third dimension, where the z-axis adds the front-to-back dimension.
Legend	A color key that shows what each data series represents. Legends typically display several colors along with the name of the data series each color represents.