Lessons Logo

Types of Charts

 

Line Charts

A Line chart is used to analyze ups and downs of a tendency in a range of values. You can define it with one series of values where you will judge the evolution of an item over a period. When used with more than one series, this chart can be very helpful in comparing values of the same category over the same period. The Line chart can also be used to analyze values that don't share the same periodic variable. For example, you can use it to compare library attendance with regard to the real population number (which could be in hundreds of thousands or millions) with the number of people attending the library. In the latter situation, if the same axes are used to analyze, one category will almost disappear from the chart. The alternative is to separate their axis on the same chart.

In the following chart, we are picking a sample week of the year. We then isolate the names of weekdays to evaluate the tendency of customers orders. What we want to know is what days produce more orders and what days are slow. This type of information can help the management decide what days they need more cashiers because there are more customers. On the slow days of the week, the business doesn't need many employees, at least not too many cashiers serving customers.

To prepare data to be used, we will create a query that uses the dates orders are placed. Fortunately, we also have a column that evaluates weekdays. This second column will be the actual source of data for the chart. The first column allows us to specify the criteria, which consists of considering only one week as our sample.

Practical Learning: Creating a Line Chart
  1. To create a new query, on the main menu, click Insert -> Query and, in the New Query dialog box, double-click Design View
  2. In the Show Table dialog box, double-click CustomersOrders and click Close
  3. In the CustomersOrders list, double-click OrderDate
  4. In the Criteria field for the new column, type >=#01/06/2002# And <=#01/12/2002# and press Enter
  5. In the CustomersOrders list, double-click DayOfWeek to put it in the second column
  6. Save the query as SecondWeekOfJanuary2002
     
  7. Switch the query to Datasheet View to preview it. Then close it
  8. To create a new chart, on the main menu, click Insert -> Form
  9. In the New Form dialog box, click Chart Wizard and, in the bottom combo box, select SecondWeekOfJanuary2002 and click OK
  10. In the first page of the Chart Wizard, in the Available Fields list, double-click DayOfWeek to include it in the Fields For Chart list and click Next
  11. In the second page of the Chart Wizard, click the chart in the 3rd column - 3rd row Line Chart
     
  12. Click Next twice
  13. Set the Title to Daily Orders in a Sample Week and click Finish
  14. Save the form as chtSampleDailyOrders
     
  15. After viewing the chart, close the form
  16. Print the chtSampleDailyOrders form
 
Previous Copyright © 2002-2005 FunctionX, Inc. Next