Selecting a Chart Type

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When creating a graph, it is important to select the appropriate type of graph to display your data. In Advanced Graph Assistant, these graph types are referred to as chart types. You may select from a wide variety of basic and advanced chart types to suit the type of data you want to display in the graph.

Chart type selection is made easy by enabling you to browse through a comprehensive array of colorful chart icons organized into eight main chart categories represented by tabs displayed horizontally, directly below the Chart type tab. Hovering over a chart category tab reveals the category name. These chart categories are bar, line, area, pie, X Y plots, 3D, stock, and special. When you select a chart category tab, all available chart types appear as selectable icons in the area below. Hovering over a chart type icon displays the associated name. A description of the selected chart type appears below the graph preview area when the Chart type tab is selected. The following image shows all available area chart category icons, which are displayed horizontally below the Chart type tab, and all available chart type icons within the selected area category.

available Area chart icons


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Previewing Chart Types, Data, and Editing Options

An enhanced graph preview area is built directly into the Advanced Graph Assistant tool. As you build a graph by choosing a chart type, selecting data, and using any of the chart editing options, the selections and changes you make appear immediately in the graph preview area. When switching between the Chart type, Data selection, and Chart editor tabs, the graph preview area remains in the same location and is positioned near the center of the tool to provide you with an approximation of the graph as it is being created and modified. The following image shows the preview area as it appears after selecting the Pie chart icon.

Preview pie chart


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Previewing Sample Data

In the graph preview area of Advanced Graph Assistant, you have a choice of previewing live or sample data. Live data is the default view, and sample data can be viewed by setting the Data preview value to Sample Data in the Chart Properties form.


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