Chapter Eleven: Charting

About Presentation Charting

EXPRESS ’ charting functions let you create area, bar, line, pie, and point charts. These chart types, along with word charts, make up the vast majority of chart types used in presentations.

Word charts can easily be created using EXPRESS’ text capabilities. Use the Text command to add text to your document and use the Typeface command to set the styles for the text.

Complex and specialized charts should be created using chart-specific software. Many charting programs allow you to export charts in SLK (Microsoft), DIF (Lotus), and PIC Format, which you can import into EXPRESS and enhance with Arts & Letters clip art and text.

Charts created in EXPRESS are automatically generated from data you enter in charting dialog boxes. Each chart is linked to its data, and you can edit a chart by changing the entries in the dialog boxes.

You can also use the Break Apart command to convert charts into clip art symbols and freeform objects. When you do this, the charts become collections of graphic objects, and are no longer linked to their data.

Presentation Tips

Presentation experts agree that charts should present information clearly and concisely.

Here are their tips:

1. Choose the right chart for the job. Every type of chart - bar, pie, etc. — can present data visually, but there is only one “best” type of chart for a particular set of data. The uses for EXPRESS chart types are as follows.

Area Charts show trends and variations over time. Solid bands of color represent time, while the fluctuations in the outline of the areas represent fluctuations in the trend.

Bar Charts show the value of an item over equal time intervals. There is a separate bar for each time interval, with the height of each bar representing the value of the item.

Clustered Bar Charts show the value of multiple items within distinct groups, and over equal time intervals. This chart type compares and contrasts the values within and between groups.

Pie Charts show the relative proportions that make up a whole. Each proportion has its own slice of the pie, which can easily be compared against the other slices.

Line Charts show trends and fluctuations over time. Fluctuations in the line indicate variations in the trend.

Point Charts show values at specified points in time. Each point in time has a corresponding point on the chart; the relative location of the points shows fluctuations in value.

2. Keep the chart simple. In a presentation you want your audience to grasp your points quickly, or you may lose their interest and attention. Also, you don’t want your audience to stop paying attention to you while they try to figure out a complicated chart.

Area Charts should have a maximum of two or three areas.

Bar Charts should have a maximum of four bars or clusters of bars.

Pie Charts should have a maximum of seven slices, and no slice should be too small - combine several small slices into a “miscellaneous” category.

Line Charts should have a maximum of four or five lines.

Point Charts should have a maximum of four series of points.

3. Use color sparingly. Color should be used to highlight the one or two most important points in a chart. Several colors in a chart compete for attention and therefore emphasize nothing.

4. Use readable text. Sans serif fonts (Arts & Letters Modern, Urbanite, Southwest, and others) are easier to read than serif fonts. Use upper and lowercase letters, not just uppercase.

Creating Charts

EXPRESS supplies default settings for many chart elements, allowing you to create a chart by simply entering the data for area, bar, line, pie, or point charts. You can further enhance and customize a chart by changing the default settings, by adding text (titles, labels, and legends), and by changing the attributes of chart elements.

Chart Components

The different components that make up a chart are as pictured:

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Not all charts contain all components. You can use the charting dialog boxes to specify which components to include in a chart.

Starting the Chart Window

Charts are created using the Chart window.

To open the Chart window:

Choose Chart from the Draw menu, or click on the Chart icon from the Draw Objects flyout in the Toolbox. The Chart window appears, showing a default Bar chart.

Choosing a Chart Type

You can choose to create an area, bar, line, pie, or point chart.

To choose the chart type:

In the Chart window, pull down the Gallery menu and select the chart type desired. The current chart type has a check mark next to it.

Entering Chart Data

To enter chart data:

1. Select a data cell for data entry.

The active cell is highlighted in the Chart window. Click on a cell to make it the active cell, use the up and down arrow keys to move the highlight up and down in the cell area, or use Tab and Shift+Tab to move right and left in the cell area.

Use the scroll bars to display additional rows and columns as needed. If you use the Tab or arrow keys to move in the cell area, the display automatically scrolls as you move past the border of the displayed area.

The coordinates (A3, E11, etc.) of the active cell are displayed in a status box above the cell area. If there are any data currently in the active cell, they are displayed in an entry box next to the status box.

2. Enter the data desired into the entry box and press Enter. The data are placed into the active cell.

For Area charts, numbers in a single column define the points for the area. Fill multiple columns with numbers to generate multiple areas.

For Bar charts, each number entered will generate a separate bar. Numbers entered in successive columns will generate clustered bars; for example, numbers entered in cells A & B 1, 2 and 3 will generate three pairs of bars.

For Line charts, numbers entered in a single column become points for a single line. Fill multiple columns with numbers to generate multiple lines.

For Pie charts , each number entered in column A becomes a separate slice of the pie. Data in columns after A is ignored.

For Point charts, numbers entered in a single column become points in the same series. Fill multiple columns with numbers to generate multiple series of points.

Importing and Exporting Chart Data

Chart data can be copied to and from Excel and other Windows applications through the Windows clipboard, or imported and exported in SLK (Microsoft), DIF (Lotus), or Text format.

To copy chart data through the Clipboard:

1. In your spreadsheet application, highlight a range of cells and choose Cut or Copy from the Edit menu. (The maximum range supported by EXPRESS is 5 columns by 12 rows.)

2. In EXPRESS, choose Chart from the Draw menu. The Chart dialog box appears.

3. Highlight the data cell where you want to place the top left figure of the imported range. Choose Paste from the Edit menu.

To import chart data in SLK, DIF, or Text format:

1. Use your spreadsheet application to export the desired data. (The maximum range supported by EXPRESS is 5 columns by 12 rows.)

2. In EXPRESS, choose Chart from the Draw menu. The Chart dialog box appears.

3. Highlight a data cell. The highlighted cell marks the top left position for the imported data.

4. In the Chart dialog box, choose Import from the File menu. The Import dialog box appears.

5. Highlight the appropriate import format in the list box, then select the file to import. Click on OK, and the data is placed into the dialog box.

To export chart data in SLK, DIF, or Text format:

1. Choose Chart from the Draw menu. The Chart dialog box appears.

2. Highlight a data cell or a range of cells. The highlighted cells mark the data to be exported.

3. In the Chart dialog box, choose Export from the File menu. The Export dialog box appears.

4. Highlight the appropriate export format in the list box, then enter a file name. Click on OK, and the data is exported.

Entering Chart Text

You can add labels, legends, and titles to a chart.

To enter chart text:

1. Enter labels in the Group column. Labels apply to the data in the row to the right of the label.

2. Enter legends in the Legend row. Legends apply to the data in the column below the legend.

3. Enter titles by choosing Titles from the Elements menu. The Chart Titles dialog box appears; enter the desired titles.

Area, bar, line, and point charts have a chart title and axis titles; pie charts have a chart title only.

Specifying the Y-Axis Scale

When you create a chart, EXPRESS automatically calculates minimum and maximum values for the Y (vertical) axis. You can manually override these values if desired.

To specify Y-Axis values:

1. In the Chart dialog box, choose Y-Axis Scale from the Elements menu. The Y-Axis Scale dialog box appears.

2. Enter the minimum and maximum values desired.

3. Click on OK.

Setting Chart Attributes

You can set text and graphic styles for the different elements in a chart.

To set attributes for chart elements:

1. In the Chart window choose Styles from the Elements menu. The Chart Styles dialog box appears.

2. A list box displays chart elements. The items in the list will vary according to the type of chart currently selected.

Highlight a chart element in the list, then click on the button for the styles you want to change: color, fill, line, type, or style. When you click on an attribute button, the appropriate dialog box appears.

3. Choose the desired attributes in the dialog box and click on OK.

Specifying a Symbol for Bars and Points

EXPRESS normally uses a rectangle (symbol #1001) to create the bars in bar charts and the points in point charts. You can specify any single number symbol for drawing bars and/or points. When choosing a collection, select one that ends in (i). Such collections comprise simple iconic symbols.

To specify a symbol for bar and point charts:

1. Enter the symbol number in the Symbol row in the Chart window. Symbol numbers apply to the data in the column below the symbol number.

To find the symbol number of a named symbol, first add the symbol to the drawing area, and with the symbol selected, click once with the Content Menu button. (You can also choose Symbol from the Draw menu or from the Draw Objects flyout.) When the Symbols dialog box appears, the number of the symbol will appear in the Number window. You can press Ctrl+C to copy the number, then dismiss the dialog box.

2. For Bar charts, choose Stack Symbols from the Elements menu to replace the bars in the chart with stacks of the specified symbol. If you do not use Stack Symbols, each bar will be replaced by a single symbol; in order to make the symbol fit the data, EXPRESS will stretch the symbol non-proportionally.

Bar Chart with Stack Symbols ON .

Bar Chart with Stack Symbols OFF .

Hiding and Displaying Chart Elements

You can choose to hide or display the chart legends, values, background, and/or backdrop.

To hide or display chart elements:

Choose Legend, Values, Background, Backdrop, or Backdrop Shadow from the Elements menu.

If a check mark appears next to an element, that element will be displayed in the chart.

Adding a Chart to a Document

After entering chart data and specifying the desired text and styles, add the chart to your document.

To add a chart to a document:

1. Click on Add in the Chart window. The Add Object cursor appears.

2. Position the cursor where you want the top left of the chart. Click the mouse button to place the chart at its default size, or drag to size the chart before placing it.

Changing Chart Defaults

A default set of styles for charts is stored in the file CHART.DEF. You can change the defaults if desired.

To change chart defaults:

1. Choose Chart from the Draw menu, or click on the Chart icon from the Draw Objects flyout in the Toolbox. The Chart%!PI("useguide.mvb","BarChart") dialog box appears.

2. Choose Styles from the Elements menu. The Chart Styles dialog box appears.

3. Highlight a chart element in the list at the left of the dialog box, then click on Styles. The Custom Style Bundles dialog box appears.

4. Choose one of the ready-made styles from the window on the right, or create your own by combining the style elements on the left, then pressing the Name button.

5. If you want to have the new styles available for future charts, name the new style with the same name as the chart element. For example, if you create a new style for the chart backdrop, you must name the style “Backdrop.” (This naming convention does not apply if you want to save the styles to a STY file that you can save and load from the Chart Attributes dialog box. It only applies if you are creating new default styles that you will save to the CHART.DEF file.)

6. Repeat steps 3 through 5 for each chart element that will have a new default style. When done, click on OK in the Chart Styles dialog box, then on Add (or Replace) in the Chart dialog box.

7. Choose Defaults from the EXPRESS File menu, then highlight Save As. The Save As dialog box for default files appears.

8. Enter the filename CHART.DEF. Click on OK.

To load chart defaults:

1. Choose Defaults from the File menu. Then highlight Open. The Open Defaults dialog box appears.

2. Highlight the CHART.DEF file in the list box.

3. Click on OK.

Switching Between Chart Types

You can easily change a chart from one type to another.

Note: If you have used the Break Apart command on a chart, you can no longer change the chart type.

To change the chart type:

1. Select the chart. The word “Chart” should appear in the Object Viewer in the Style bar. If not, the chart has been broken apart and cannot be changed.

2. Click once with the Content Menu button. (You can also choose Chart from the Draw menu.) The Chart window appears.

3. Choose the chart type desired from the Gallery menu, then click on Replace.

(If the Replace or Add button is grayed out, then the original values cannot be used in the chosen chart type. However, if you change an Area, a Bar, Line, or Point chart to a Pie chart, only the data in column A is used for the pie slices. Data in other columns is retained, however, and will be used if you change the Pie chart back to an Area, Bar, Line, or Point chart.)

The chart is redrawn.

4. If you are adding a new chart based on the original one, position the cursor where you want the top left of the new chart. Click the mouse button to place the chart at its default size, or drag to size the chart before placing it.

Editing Charts by Changing the Chart Information

You can change the data, text, and styles of an existing chart as desired.

To change the chart information:

1. Select the chart. The word “Chart” should appear in the Object Viewer in the Style bar. If not, the chart has been ungrouped and cannot be changed.

2. Click once with the Content Menu button. (You can also choose Chart from the Draw menu.) The Chart window appears.

3. Change the data and chart elements as desired. Use the same procedures as described in the section on creating a chart.

4. Change the width of the columns by choosing Column Width from the Edit menu. The Column Width dialog box appears; enter the character width desired for the columns and click on OK.

5. Choose Clear Range from the Edit menu to erase the data in the current range. (You can specify a range by dragging the cursor through the cells, highlighting the ones you want.) If a single cell is highlighted when you choose Clear Range, the data in that cell is erased.

6. Choose Insert Row or Insert Column from the Edit menu to insert a new row or column. A new row will be inserted above the active cell; a new column will be inserted to the left of the active cell.

7. Choose Delete Row or Delete Column from the Edit menu to delete the current row or column. The current row or column is designated by the active (highlighted) cell.

8. Choose New from the Edit menu to erase all data.

9. Choose Cut or Copy from the Edit menu to Cut or Copy the contents of the active cell to the Clipboard. Choose Paste from the Edit menu to paste the contents of the Clipboard to the active cell.

10. Click on Replace. The chart redraws.

11. If you are adding a new chart based on the original, the Add Object cursor appears. Position the cursor where you want the top left of the chart. Click the mouse button to place the chart at its default size, or drag to size the chart before placing it.

Editing Charts as Individual Objects

You can break apart a chart into individual symbol, text, and freeform objects. These objects can then be manipulated and modified as desired.

To edit a chart as clip art, text, and freeform objects:

1. Select the chart.

2. Choose UnGroup from the Arrange menu. The chart is broken apart into separate objects.

3. Edit the objects as desired.