Choosing the Best Chart Type for Your Data
Excel enables you to create an impressive variety of different types of charts. Some of the charts are useful for many purposes, whereas others are highly specialized. Table 7–1 describes the types of charts that Excel provides and suggests typical uses for them. The table lists the charts in the same order as Excel's Chart panel, which I'll describe shortly and which puts the most widely used chart types first.
Table 7–1. Excel's Chart Types and Suggested Uses
| Chart Category | Description | Suggested Uses |
| Column | Displays data in vertical bars. | Comparing equivalent items (such as sales results) or sets of data that change over time (such as rainfall). |
| Line | Displays each series in a line. | Showing ... |
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