Microsoft Excel 2010 Lesson 7: Charts and Comments

Excel: Charts and Comments

October 15, 2012

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Microsoft Excel 2010

Lesson 7: Charts and Comments

Open Example.xlsx if it is not

already open.

Click on the Example 3 tab to see

the worksheet for this lesson. This

is essentially the same worksheet

as that under the Example 1 tab. I

have added a column of dates.

In Lesson 7 we will plot some of

the information on this worksheet.

Creating a Column Chart

We want to create a column chart that plots the daily totals for the two weeks on the spreadsheet.

We want the data for the two weeks to be displayed by different columns. The totals will be

plotted according to day.


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Begin by selecting the totals for the first week. Sweep the cursor over the

five cells while holding the left mouse button down.

Choose the Insert ribbon and click on Column in the

Chart section.

For this example choose a standard clustered column 2-D Column chart.

You will see the chart in the workspace. Grab the

chart and move it below the data table.


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Select the Design tab of the Chart

Tools ribbon.

We need to add more data to the

chart. Click on the Select Data

icon.

We need to do several things involving

the data. First, let’s change the name

“Series 1” to “Week 1.”

Series 1 is selected. Click on Edit.

Enter Week 1 as the series name and click on OK.

Next, click on Add to add the data for

the second week.


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First, enter “Week 2” as the Series name. Then click on

the Select Range icon beside the lower Series values box.

Select the five cells for the second week totals. Then click

on the Select Range icon again in the “Edit series”

window.

Click OK.

You should see two series named “Week

1” and “Week 2” in the Series box.

We also need to designate what data we

will use on the horizontal axis. Click on

Edit in the Horizontal Axis Labels box.

In the Axis Labels window, click on the Select

Range icon.


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Select the cells containing the names of the weeks

and then click again on the Select Range icon.

Click OK.

At this point the “Select Data Source”

window should look like the picture at the

left: two series named “Week 1” and “Week

2” and the week days in the Horizontal axis

box.

Click on OK.

The chart should look like this.

Next let’s add a title to the chart.


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Select the Layout tab and Chart Title.

In the menu that opens up, select Centered Overlay

Title, which will place the title on top of the chart.

You will see a box containing “Chart Title” at the top of the chart. Change the text to “Daily

Total”

As a final touch, let’s slant the names of the week days so they fit better on the horizontal axis.

Select Layout, Axes, Primary Horizontal Axis and More Primary Horizontal Axis Options

as shown in the picture below.


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In the Format Axis window, select Alignment and a

Custom angle of 50.

Click OK.

Your chart should look like the one shown below.


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Creating a Pie Chart

Let’s do a pie chart

showing the totals for the

four registers. Select these

four cells.

Under the Insert tab, select Pie and 3-D Pie.

Drag the chart down below the table on the

worksheet


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We need to modify the information about the

data. Click on Select Data under the Design tab.

Using the column graph section as a guide, edit the Series name and the Axis labels as shown in

the picture below.

Also change the title of the graph to read “Register Totals”

When you are finished, the pie chart should look like the one on the right.


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Putting a Chart on a Separate Sheet

You can put a chart on a separate sheet rather than embedding

it within a worksheet. To move a chart to a separate sheet,

select the chart and then click on Move Chart under the

Design tab.

Select New sheet and give the sheet a title.

When you click on OK, you will see the chart

displayed on a new sheet.


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Adding Comments to a Worksheet

Frequently it is useful to attach comments to cells, either to help

you remember something later or to help explain something to

another person using the spreadsheet.

Suppose that we would like to attach a comment to the number

representing each register explaining where the register is located.

Select the Example 3 tab and right-click on cell C4, which holds

the label “Register 1.” Click on Insert Comment in the menu that

pops up.

In the comment box that pops up, enter the

information shown here. You will need to pull on

the lower right corner of the comment box to make

it larger.

When you have entered the information, click elsewhere on the worksheet and the comment box

will be hidden.

Notice that the comment will reappear when the cursor is moved over the cell to which is

attached.


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Editing a Comment

Suppose that you would like to change the wording on the Register 1

comment. Right-click on cell C4 to bring up the menu and choose Edit

Comment.

This will display the comment box. Drag the edge of the box

to make it larger and add the text shown at the right.

Deleting a Comment

Note that Delete Comment also is on the menu above. You can click on this to delete a

comment if you don’t need it anymore.

Showing a Comment

It is possible to make a comment visible at all times. Right-click on cell C4

and select Show/Hide Comments from the menu.

You will see that the comment is visible at all times.

You can move the comment box around the worksheet. Click on the comment box to select it.

When the box is selected, you will see that it is surrounded by a fuzzy gray border. Grab this

border and move the comment box.


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Printing a Page with Comments Showing

Under the Page Layout tab, click on the expansion arrow

in the lower right corner of the Page Setup section.

Select the Sheet tab and choose As displayed on sheet in

the Comments menu. Click on OK.

Preview the page. You should see that the comments box

is printed out.

Documents

Microsoft Excel 2010 Lesson 7: Charts and Comments