The Netride - Smart Stuff - Creating charts with two sets of data that are not in adjacent columns

Creating charts with two sets of data that are not in adjacent columns

Now that is a bit trickier to do — but it can be done. It's the sort of situation shown in the illustration below. The important point with this set of data is that the category information is the same. This makes the task easier.

First Series of data Select all of the cells from Month (top left) to 120 (bottom right of the Brisbane column). Download the sample spreadsheet. Click the Chart button on the toolbar. Click the NEXT button.

Second Series of data What we have to do here is add another series of data to the chart so choose the series tab. You will see the current series information displayed. Choose the Add button. You can see the Name: and Values: boxes. We need to enter some data into each of those boxes. The most accurate way of doing this (though initially confusing) is to use the mouse to select the data for you. This is the tricky bit! Choose the funny object at the end of the name slot — it is called a Collapse dialog button. You will suddenly find yourself back in the spreadsheet. Click in the cell with the word Canberra and then press the ENTER key.

Notice how the word Canberra now appears in the Name: slot. The Collapse dialog button allows you to go and choose data from the spreadsheet while it "collapses" the rest of the dialog box. You are about to do it again. Click the Collapse dialog button at the end of the Value: slot. Click and drag the cells in the column of data in the Canberra column and then press the ENTER key. Notice how the data has been selected and appears in the Value: slot and in the chart display area. You are now finished — click the Finish button.

Chart Options

Click the chart. Choose Chart | Chart Options on the toolbar (or click the right mouse button).

Type a title for the chart.

This time there are two Y-axes and two X-axes titles to enter. You won't need to enter the second X-axis title but try it if you like and see what happens. The first Y-axis is the scale for the rainfall and the second Y-axis is the scale for the temperature.

When you have finished, click OK.

Position of the legend

Click the legend box on the chart. Choose Format | Selected Legend on the toolbar (or click the right mouse button).

Choose Placement and choose one of the options - say, bottom — and click OK.

Chart Type

Click the chart. Choose Chart | Chart Type on the toolbar (or click the right mouse button).

Have a look at the types of chart a pick one. If you don't like it, choose another type and finally click OK.

Printing a chart

If the chart is an embedded chart on a worksheet, resize the chart by clicking it and then dragging its selection handles. Chose View | Page Break Preview and move the page break line so that everything fits on one page. You can also choose File | Page Setup and change the orientation to Landscape.

If the chart is on a separate chart sheet, you can scale it when you print it. Activate the chart sheet, click Page Setup on the File menu, and then click the Chart tab. Under Printed chart size, click the scaling option you want. If you click Custom, the chart will be printed at the size you make it when you drag its selection handles.

You cannot print multiple chart sheets on a single page. To print two or more charts on a page, create embedded worksheet charts, and then resize them to fit on a single page. You can use the Page Break Preview command on the View menu to more closely see the location of the charts in the print area.

Please contact the netride with questions or comments.