Bar chart frequently asked questions
What is a bar chart?
A bar chart is a graphical representation of data where individual bars represent different categories or groups. The length or height of each bar is proportional to the value or frequency of the category it represents.
When should I use a bar chart?
Bar charts are best used when you want to compare different categories of data. It works well when displaying discrete data, such as sales by region, the number of people in different age groups, or the amount of time spent on various tasks.
What is the difference between a horizontal and vertical bar chart?
The main difference is the orientation. In a bar chart, the bars are horizontal, whereas in a column chart, they are vertical. Both display data in a similar way but are suited to different types of data or presentation styles.
Can I use a bar chart for time series data?
Bar charts are generally better suited for categorical data, but you can use them for time-based data if the data points are discrete (like monthly sales figures). However, if the data points are continuous, a line chart might be a better option.
Can I customize the colors of the bars?
Yes, most tools allow you to change the color of the bars. This can help distinguish categories or make the chart more visually appealing.
What should I avoid when creating a bar chart?
Avoid cluttering the chart with too many categories or excessive information. Keep your chart simple, and make sure the axis labels are clear and legible.
How should data be structured for creating a bar chart?
At a minimum you should have the categorical variable that needs to be plotted. The data can be in a single column where each variable may occur one or more times or the data can be in a frequency table with categorical variable names and their frequencies. An example is shown below.
Table 1
| Categories |
| Blue |
| Green |
| Red |
| White |
| Red |
| Blue |
Table 2
| Category | Frequency |
| Blue | 2 |
| Green | 1 |
| Red | 2 |
| White | 1 |
The second method of specifying the data is preferrable as it can also include cases where the frequency of a category can be 0.
If the data is formatted as in the first table, the data for analysis can be specified by clicking on Analysis Setup > Data as shown below.
If the data is formatted as shown in the second table, then data for analysis can be specified by clicking Analysis Setup > Data as shown below:
How do we make the bar chart appear based on the order of the categories in the data?
Click on Analysis Setup > Setup > Data Order > UnSorted.
The bar cart will be based on the order of the categories. The default setting is to alphabetically order the categories.
How do we make the bar chart appear in the increasing or decreasing order of data?
Click on Analysis Setup > Setup > Data Order > Increasing (or Decreasing).
The bar chart will appear in increasing (or decreasing) order as shown in the figure below.
How do we create a horizontal bar chart?
Click on Analysis Setup > Setup > Plot Orientation > Horizontal.
An example output is shown below.
How do we add labels to the bar chart?
Click on Analysis Setup > Setup > Data Labels > Yes
Data labels will be added to the bars as shown below.
How do we generate 2 level categories on the bar chart?
Click on Analysis Setup > Data and select two categories to plot the bar chart. Here we are creating a bar chart by procedure and department. Drag and drop both the categories under Categorical Variables.
An example output is shown below.
How do we add labels to the bar chart?
Click on Analysis Setup > Setup > Data Labels > Yes
Data labels will be added to the bars as shown below.
How do we create a horizontal bar chart?
Click on Analysis Setup > Setup > Plot Orientation > Horizontal.
An example output is shown below.
How do we add a horizontal reference line on the bar chart?
To add a horizontal reference line on a chart, click on Analysis Setup > Charts and specify the value in the Horizontal Ref Lines as show below:
The resulting chart will have a reference line added to the chart, as shown below:
You can specify multiple values separated by a semi-colon if you need more than one horizontal line.
Reference: Some of the text in this article has been generated using AI tools such as ChatGPT and edited for content and accuracy.
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