Create Chart On Numbers Easily

Apple has launched new iWorks 2008 that containing new great application, one of them is Numbers. Numbers is a spreadsheet application that gives you ton features, like Intelligent Tables, Flexible Canvas, import from Microsoft Excel, and export to PDF natively, you can look here for complete features. This time I want share how to make its chart easily.

Like Microsoft Excel, you can create chart from data table in Numbers. If you create chart from a simple table you wouldn’t get any problem with that. But if you create it with more complex table structure you will get a little bit problems. But I want to start it with simple one.

  1. Open Numbers application, because I put its alias in my Dock, so then I click it there.
    Open Numbers
  2. Template chooser dialog will show up as your first screen, choose Blank, click Choose button.
    New Template
  3. Create a table like table in picture below (or you can create your owns)
    Test table #1
  4. For first way you can click the chart icon in the toolbar directly, and I choose the Columns chart type.
    Columns type
  5. You will get a chart like picture below and I am ensuring that you don’t want the chart result.
    Result chart
  6. So you must set its source data in table so as the result which you want, to change its data, just click the cart and cell that containing chart’s source data will highlighted automatically then click small circle that located on right bottom cell then hold and drag until it adjusted.
    Fixing data
  7. And you can look the result.
    Result of fixed data
  8. Second way is block the source cell first with click, hold and drag it until all data covered.
    Try #2
  9. And click chart icon in the toolbar.
  10. You’ll get the chart directly, and if you want reverse the axis data just click the option icon like shown in picture below
    Result of second test
    and you’ll get the result like this picture.
    Result of second test
  11. The problem is how to create chart that the source data is nonadjacent cells like picture below.
    Third test
    To create it, press Command key then click, hold and drag first column then repeat it to second column and repeated it until all data has blocked (don’t forget to block the header too).
    Third test
  12. Click Chart icon in the toolbar.
    Chart toolbar
  13. You’ll get your chart.
    Result

note :

  1. You may to create your own chart size by press Option key when you click Chart icon in the toolbar.
  2. Use Shift key if you block the cell with keyboard.

(article no: 0094)

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