SIMnet Chapter 5

Bar charts

Are like column charts turned on their side. The categories are displayed on the vertical axis, and the data point values are plotted along the horizontal axis.

Total row

If you have data formatted as a table, you can add a Total row to quickly calculate an aggregate function such as the sum, average, minimum, or maximum of all the values in the column.

chart sheet

The chart sheet does not include the columns, rows, and cells you are used to seeing in Excel; it contains only the chart object. The new chart sheet automatically changes the zoom level so the entire chart is visible.

x-axis

The x axis goes from left to right. It is the horizontal axis. Typically, but not always, values are plotted against the y axis and categories are listed along the x axis.

y-axis

The y axis goes from bottom to top. It is the vertical axis.

chart

a graphic that represents numeric data visually. In a chart, the values selected in the worksheet the data points, are transformed into graphic data markers.

table

a range of cells may be explicitly defined as a table in Excel with additional functionality such as a Total row.

slicer

a visual representation of filtering options. You can display multiple slicers and filter the table by multiple values from each. Slicers are only available when the data have been formatted as a table.

Banding

applies a fill color to alternating rows or columns, making the table easier to read.

quick styles

apply combinations of fonts, line styles, fills, and shape effects. You can also change the color scheme from a preset list of colors that coordinate with the workbook theme.

data markers

columns, bars, pie pieces or other visual elements in a chart that represent data point values

data labels

display data values for each data marker

data table

displays a table of the data point values below the chart

stacked column chart

each column now represents the total sales for the month, and individual sales for each membership type are represented by a piece of that column. Using this chart type makes it easier to compare total sales as well as sales for each individual type of membership.

Line charts

feature a line connecting each data point—showing the movement of values over time. Line charts work best when data trends over time are important.

Goal Seek

function lets you enter a desired value (outcome) for a formula and specify an input cell that can be modified in order to reach that goal. Goal Seek changes the value of the input cell incrementally until the target outcome is reached.

PivotChart

is a graphic representation of a PivotTable. In a column chart, the category fields are represented along the x (horizontal) axis while the data values are represented along the y (vertical) axis.

PivotTable

is a special report view that summarizes data and calculates the intersecting totals. PivotTables do not contain any data themselves—they summarize data from a cell range or a table in another part of your workbook.

chart title

is a text box above or overlaying the chart. To change the title text, click the box to select it and edit the text directly in the text box. You can also type new text in the formula bar and then press ↵Enter.

chart area

is the area that encompasses the entire chart including the plot area and optional layout elements, such as title and legend.

line with markers

line chart type that includes dots along the line for each data point

data tables

provide a quick what-if analysis of the effects of changing one or two variables within a formula. The data table is organized with a series of values for the variable(s) in a column or a row or both.

sorting

rearranges the rows in your worksheet by the data in a column or columns. You can sort alphabetically by text, by date, or by values. Sorting works the same whether or not the data have been formatted as a table.

sparklines

represent a series of data values as an individual graphic within a single cell. As you update the underlying data series, the Sparklines update immediately.

clustered column chart

shows a separate column for sales of each membership type per month, but it doesn't depict the total sales for all memberships.

legend

tells you which data point or data series is represented by each color in the chart.

plot area

the area where the data series are plotted.

filter

to show only rows that meet criteria you specify. If your data are formatted as a table, filtering is enabled automatically.

data points

values from a cell range plotted on a chart

column charts

work best with data that are organized into rows and columns like a table. Data point values are transformed into columns, with the values plotted along the vertical (y) axis. Each row in the table is grouped as a data series. Excel uses the column labels as the categories along the horizontal (x) axis.