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Using the Spreadsheet | Enter Data | Create the Chart |
Changing the Chart Type | Change the Legend | Change the Color of Symbols |
Working with a Chart | Printing a Chart | Conclusion |
If you need help working with the spreadsheet, see the previous topic Developing a Spreadsheet, or the Spreadsheet section of this User's Guide.
To create a chart, you must have data to chart. We can use the example from the previous topic which tracked the expenses of an automobile. You should have a spreadsheet similar to the following:
Select all the rows and columns you want to graph. Make sure to select the headers for the rows and columns. The charting utility will use this for naming the ranges on the chart. In the previous example, you should select cells A2 through cell F9.
You can easily change the type of chart. There are four chart types: bar, pie, line, and XY charts. There are also 3-D versions of each of these chart types except XY charts.
Some types of data are not intended for some chart types. For example, XY charts graph data points made up of two coordinates. Pie charts on the other hand are intended to show the composition of a single series of data. If a particular chart appears odd, it may be because the chart type is not suited for the data you selected.
A chart frame is like any other frame. When selected, it behaves like a graphic item. Therefore, you can apply a fill color, border, even rotate the chart like any other graphic item. Likewise, the actual chart and legend within the chart frame are graphic items as well. You can apply graphics formatting to these items as well as the entire frame.
Try experimenting with the charts. With a little imagination and practice, you can create some great looking and informative charts. You might want to try making a 3-D chart. Select the actual chart graphic within the charting frame and then use the arrow keys to rotate the chart. 3-D charts, unlike flat charts, can be rotated for viewing from many perspectives. Give it a try and see what comes up.
See the Printing a Document topic for more information about how to print.
In this topic, you learned how to create and edit a chart. As you can see, charting in the Gobe Productive suite is very easy. If you want more information about spreadsheets and charting, see the Spreadsheets section.
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