Re: chart either does not work or is not intuitive

[Ralph Shumaker <rafazap cwnet com>]

Jean Bréfort wrote:
> Le jeudi 04 septembre 2008 à 17:16 -0700, Ralph Shumaker a écrit :
>   
>> I have wasted several hours now.  I haven't tried to set up a chart for
>> many years.
>>
>> I have 3 different programs that can do charts, and every one of them is
>> doing the same brain-dead mistakes.  So, I must come to the conclusion
>> that the way I used to do it must have been in some outdated program and
>> does not work any more.
>>
>> I have a small set of data that I'm trying to set up a chart to
>> display.  It's small enough that I can just give you the data.
>>
>> If you see this email in a fixed width font, you will see it as I
>> present it:
>>  Date   act1  act2  act3  act4  act5    acctTot   act6
>> 070615  2605     0     0   737     0   =sum(b:f)   300
>> 080110  1504     0     0  1564     0   =sum(b:f)  1500
>> 080229  1280     0     0  2657     0   =sum(b:f)  2350
>> 080305  1280     0     0  2657     0   =sum(b:f)  2450
>> 080310  1280     0     0  2657     0   =sum(b:f)  2650
>> 080330   825     0     0  2657     0   =sum(b:f)  2850
>> 080830   194     0     0   235     0   =sum(b:f)  3406
>> 090705     0     0     0     0     0   =sum(b:f)  4000
>>
>> In the above, =sum(b:f) is abbreviated, but on line 2 is actually
>> =sum(b2:f2) and on line 9 is =sum(b9:f9), with like progression between
>> them.  Also, the final date is just a final line set far enough in the
>> future that I can insert rows as I get new data.  Inserting takes care
>> of formula expansion, whereas adding a row makes me have to track down
>> all formulas that need to be adjusted to include a new row.  It's like
>> if I were to insert a column between b and c, the formulas in g (shoved
>> to h) would then say =sum(b:g) without me having to lift a finger.  I
>> remember doing this with previous charts, inserting new data and
>> successfully see the chart adjust itself.
>>
>> I don't know why I cannot get the dates (erratic as they are) to by my
>> X-axis, columns b thru h to be data lines, and the amounts to be my
>> Y-axis.  I even tried changing the dates to simple numbers, 1 thru 8. 
>> The charts that would come up were just astoundingly disconnected from
>> what it should have been.
>>
>> For example, the first data point on the line for act1 should start off
>> on the far left (at date 070615) at a height of 2605 of a total chart
>> height of 0 to 4000.  Ideally, at the appropriate distance from the left
>> side should be the second date, 080110, where the second data point for
>> the line of act1 should be at a height of 1504.
>>
>> Perhaps someone can tell me what I'm doing wrong?
>>     
>
> Which plot type are you using?
> Can you provide a screenshot of what you get?
>   

I tried every plot.  None gave me what I wanted.  I took screenshots of
each of them and uploaded them here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30238627 N07/

I didn't feel it would be appropriate to upload them to the entire
gnumeric mailing list.  Anyone interested can click the link.



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