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negative and large positive values not showing correctly in an Excel chart

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    negative and large positive values not showing correctly in an Excel chart

    Good afternoon everyone,

    I am not an expert Excel user. My job is clinical but I need to use Excel for data analysis as part of my secondment role. Could you please help me to create a decent-looking chart for the attached data. There are categories: A, B,C,.... and data for the year 2019, 2018 and their difference. I tried to google but no luck. When I tried I couldn't see the negative values shown in the difference column. Please Please.... I need this urgently, I am so sorry for being cheeky.

    Thank you in advance.
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    Re: negative and large positive values not showing correctly in an Excel chart

    I will have a look for you, however don't tell us that it is URGENT, please. To you it may be, but to us it isn’t. If it’s urgent, you should be calling on a consultant, not a volunteer who is giving their free time.
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    Re: negative and large positive values not showing correctly in an Excel chart

    OK - I have had a look. You have given us three columns of data, but nowhere do I see any indication of what you would consider "a decent-looking chart" mocked up. We are NOT mind-readers: there are literally thousands of possibilities. What sort of chart do you want and what story do you want it to tell?

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    Re: negative and large positive values not showing correctly in an Excel chart

    I am so sorry. Thank you so much for looking into it. I really appreciate your help. Once again, sorry. Have a great day! Would the Column chart be perfect?

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    Re: negative and large positive values not showing correctly in an Excel chart

    Please respond to post #3.

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    Re: negative and large positive values not showing correctly in an Excel chart

    Thank you! Would the Column chart be perfect? Basically, want to visualise the difference column for all those categories ideally comparing those years , 2019 and 2018.
    Last edited by Jigneshbharati; 07-29-2021 at 07:44 AM.

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    Re: negative and large positive values not showing correctly in an Excel chart

    Values of change between years (col 3) comparing to values on years are too small to presents them on with the same Y-Axis, so I suggest to use secondary Y Axis and chart can looks like this:
    Of left Y axis is related to 'main' values from years, right Y axis is related to difference between them and has its own 'scale'. As you can spot 0 on right does not mean 0 on left, so this kind of presentation have to be 'read' correctly.
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    Re: negative and large positive values not showing correctly in an Excel chart

    Thank you but I want to show negative values as well as used in the following link.
    https://www.wiseowl.co.uk/blog/s311/excel-charts.htm
    Can We get similar to the one shown as "Rating"?
    I really appreciate your help!
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    Last edited by Jigneshbharati; 07-29-2021 at 07:54 AM. Reason: Image attached

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    Re: negative and large positive values not showing correctly in an Excel chart

    Could you please guide me and show the best possible chart type for this type data? I am so sorry, I have been trying hard but no luck. I really appreciate your help. I asked few colleagues as well but most of us are with clinical background. I tried to use log scale as suggested by google but that didn't show any negative values.
    Thank you!

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    Re: negative and large positive values not showing correctly in an Excel chart

    the best possible chart type for this type data
    There's no point asking for this: it's an entirely subjective thing and there could be thousands of interpretations.

    Stick to what you showed in your previous post - someone should be able to help you achieve that. I'm not big on charts - sorry.

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    Re: negative and large positive values not showing correctly in an Excel chart

    There is too huge difference between MAX of change and MIN of change (max is over 50 times bigger) to expect that columns of these values will be visually comparable.
    With this difference max takes 98% of chart height and min only 2%. Are you follow my explanation.
    C is the smallest value to display (the biggest negative), H is 50 times bigger as value (ignoring +/-).
    Attachment 742153

    You can also try to generate 2 charts, 1 for years and 2nd separately for changes, set transparent background for 2nd and cover it. When you correctly set everything it can shows something similar to this:

    Capture.PNG
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    Last edited by KOKOSEK; 07-29-2021 at 08:26 AM.

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    Re: negative and large positive values not showing correctly in an Excel chart

    Thank you! I can't open the attachment(Attachment 742153). Is there a way to use log scale for positive as well as negative values? I think Log scale might help to show the bars with some reasonable height. Any help is much appreciated. I thank everybody who has given their valuable time and knowledge.
    Last edited by Jigneshbharati; 07-29-2021 at 08:38 AM.

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    Re: negative and large positive values not showing correctly in an Excel chart

    Consider displaying data in smaller portion (in my example by 3).
    However there is still be an issue that there are huge differences between values and if C looks fine here comparing with A and B:

    Capture.PNG

    then in comparison with D does not look so impressive here:


    1.PNG

    you can spot that there is still the same value displayed -7500 (scale is in thousands).

    you can use slider below to displaying data by 3 (ABC, BCD, CDE etc.)
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    Re: negative and large positive values not showing correctly in an Excel chart

    Thank you all for your help! I really appreciate your time and help!

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    Re: negative and large positive values not showing correctly in an Excel chart

    As a rule of thumb, any products with less than 5% contribution should be grouped together. Increase/decrease in value made no sense, show % instead.

    I will probably show in 2 or 3 charts:

    negative and large positive values not showing correctly in an Excel chart.png

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    Re: negative and large positive values not showing correctly in an Excel chart

    I would change the pie chart to a 2D version - 3D charts are 'pretty', but tend to give a distorted impression of the relative sizes of the segments, in the case of a pie.

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    Re: negative and large positive values not showing correctly in an Excel chart

    Fully agree with AliGW. Question is what is more important. What have to be expose on chart, etc.
    Changes as AliGW said, better presents as % not value.
    For me even chart like this is quite interesting, if I know what I am looking on it.
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    Quote Originally Posted by KOKOSEK View Post
    Fully agree with AliGW. Question is what is more important. What have to be expose on chart, etc.
    Changes as AliGW said, better presents as % not value.
    For me even chart like this is quite interesting, if I know what I am looking on it.
    Thank you!

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    Quote Originally Posted by AliGW View Post
    I would change the pie chart to a 2D version - 3D charts are 'pretty', but tend to give a distorted impression of the relative sizes of the segments, in the case of a pie.
    Thank you so much!

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    Quote Originally Posted by josephteh View Post
    As a rule of thumb, any products with less than 5% contribution should be grouped together. Increase/decrease in value made no sense, show % instead.

    I will probably show in 2 or 3 charts:

    Attachment 742186
    Thank you so much!

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