Microsoft Excel 2003/2004
About Charting
Charts are objects on your worksheet that can be moved, resized, and deleted without affecting your worksheet. If the chart is placed on top of information, the information will not be modified or lost.
Charting Rules
Excel follows seven basic rules for creating charts with the Chart Wizard. Understanding these rules can help avoid frustration and reduce the steps necessary for creating charts. Once the chart is created, you can modify it to meet your needs.
| Rule | Description |
|---|---|
| Rule 1 | Excel does not automatically add a chart title to your chart based on the first row of selected information. A chart title can be added during the creation process or later |
| Rule 2 | Excel does not automatically add a chart subtitle to your chart based on the second row of selected information. A subtitle can be added after the chart is created |
| Rule 3 | Blank rows and columns in your information are not ignored. Excel will leave a blank bar or pie slice for every blank row or column in your information |
| Rule 4 | If the data contains more rows than columns, Excel will plot the data by column. The first column becomes the X-axis labels; the balance of the columns are the data series. The first row becomes the legend's labels |
| Rule 5 | If the data contains more columns than rows, Excel will plot the data by row. The first row becomes the X-axis labels; the balance of the rows are the data series. The first column becomes the legend's labels |
| Rule 6 | If the data contains an equal number of rows and columns, Excel defaults to plot the data by rows but gives you the option to plot by columns |
| Rule 7 | If only numeric data is selected, Excel follows rules 4 and 5 |
Bad Data Sample
In the following example, notice how the blank cells in the data series create blanks spaces in the chart. The lack of row labels makes it difficult for the reader to understand the chart, because no legend exists to guide them.
Good Data Sample
In the following example, notice that no blank spaces exist in the data series, so no empty spaces exist in the chart. The row labels allow a legend that makes the chart much easier to understand.
About Charting Elements
A chart contains several elements, which are illustrated in this graphic.
The following table describes the various elements.
| Element | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Title (Subtitle) | Identifies the chart and frequently includes a date or time period |
| Category (X) Axis | Identifies the data being charted on the horizontal x-axis. Examples of Category (X) Axis types include dates, projects, and salespersons |
| Category Axis Title | Identifies the title of the Category (X) Axis |
| Value (Y) Axis | Identifies the data being charted on the vertical y-axis. Examples of Value (Y) Axis types include numbers and years |
| Value Axis Title | Identifies the title of the Value (Y) Axis |
| Legend | Identifies the information charted. This is especially important when you have more than one type of information charted. For example, if you have a chart for enrollment by class (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior), a legend will be important for identifying which information relates to what class |
| Ticks | Ticks, indicating measurement increments, appear on both the y-axis and x-axis and can help improve the readability of a chart. Both y-axis and x-axis ticks are optional |
| Origin | The origin is the point where the x-axis and y-axis meet. The origin is generally at zero (0) but can be modified |
