A line that borders the chart plot area and serves as a frame of reference for measurement.

This preview shows page 1 - 2 out of 2 pages.

1. Excel updates relative references when formulas are copied. Might updating relativereferences when formulas are copied ever produce the wrong result? Could Excel ever betoo smart?

Get answer to your question and much more

2. Explain Goal Seek and it's possible uses for a business?

Get answer to your question and much more

Upload your study docs or become a

Course Hero member to access this document

End of preview. Want to read all 2 pages?

Upload your study docs or become a

Course Hero member to access this document

Tags

Goal seek, Explain Goal Seek, wrong result, updates relative references

Plot your data using lines and bars.

Line charts are useful when you want to see how your data changes or fluctuates, either over time, or when measured against a non-time dimension. Line charts can display your data series as either lines, bars, or both.

Line charts can plot a single dimension with up to 5 metrics, or 2 dimensions with a single metric.

In this article:

  • Line charts in Data Studio
  • Data properties
  • Style properties
  • Related resources

Line charts vs. Time series

Line charts differ from Time series charts in the following ways:

  • You can use any type of dimension as the X-axis in a Line chart. Time series only allow a Date or Date & Time dimension as the X-axis.
  • Line charts based on Date or Date & Time dimensions will display gaps in the X-axis if those fields are missing data for the selected date range. By comparison, Time series provide a continuous X-axis of dates, and give you options on how to handle missing data.
  • You can limit the number of data points displayed by the Line chart. Time series show all the data for the specified date range.
  • Line charts don't display trendlines. Time series do.

Line chart example

You are launching a series of mobile apps and want to visualize the download and 7-day active metrics for the different product versions. Your data might look something like this:

ProductDays Since LaunchDownloads7-Day Active
MyApp 2.0 1 1000 0
MyApp 2.0 2 1330 0
MyApp 2.0 3 1800 0
MyApp 2.0 4 3600 0
MyApp 2.0 5 3501 0
MyApp 2.0 6 3700 898
MyApp 2.0 7 3333 1194
MyApp 2.1 8 3000 1381
MyApp 2.1 9 3200 1515

Here's a data source based on this data:

A line that borders the chart plot area and serves as a frame of reference for measurement.

The following line charts show 2 ways you could visualize this data. Both charts use Days Since Launch as the primary X-axis dimension. The chart on the left shows the Downloads metric broken down by the Product dimension. The chart on the right shows both the Downloads and 7-Day Active metrics. The chart variation on the right could actually plot up to 5 metrics.

A line that borders the chart plot area and serves as a frame of reference for measurement.

Configure the chart

Select the chart, then on the right, use the properties panel to configure the chart options.

Setup properties

The options in a chart's setup panel determine how the data is organized and displayed.

Data source

A data source provides the connection between the component and the underlying data set. 

  • To change the chart's data source, click the current data source name.
  • To view or edit the data source, click
    A line that borders the chart plot area and serves as a frame of reference for measurement.
    . (You must have at least view permission to see this icon.)
  • Click +BLEND DATA to see data from multiple data sources in the same chart. Learn more about data blending.

Dimension 

Dimensions are data categories. Dimension values (the data contained by the dimension) are names, descriptions or other characteristics of a category.

At least 1 dimension is required. The first dimension you specify serves as the primary data series in the chart. If you specify a breakdown dimension, the chart is limited to a single metric.

Drill down

This option appears on charts that support it.

Drilling down gives viewers a way to reveal additional levels of detail within a chart. When you turn on the Drill down  optioneach dimension you add becomes another level of detail you can drill into. Learn more about chart drill down.

Breakdown dimension

The Breakdown Dimension displays the metric data broken down according to the selected dimension. For example, a chart showing annual sales data could be broken down by a Sales Region dimension to show sales by region, or by an Employee ID dimension to show sales by sales associate.

Date range dimension

This option appears if your data source has a valid date dimension. For Google Ads and Analytics data sources, this option is automatically set to the Date dimension.

The Date range dimension is used as the basis for limiting the date range of the chart. For example, this is the dimension used if you set a date range property for the chart, or if a viewer of the report uses a date range control to limit the time frame.

Metric

Metrics measure the things contained in dimensions and provide the numeric scale and data series for the chart.

Metrics are aggregations that come from the underlying data set, or that are the result of implicitly or explicitly applying an aggregation function, such as COUNT(), SUM(), or AVG(). The metric itself has no defined set of values, so you can’t group by it, as you can with a dimension.

Learn more about aggregation.

At least 1 metric is required. For charts with a single dimension, you can have up to 20 metrics. For charts with 2 dimensions, you can have 1 metric.

Set the default sort

The Sort and Secondary sort options in the chart's setup panel control the default sorting behavior. You can select any metric in the chart's data source, or any dimension that is currently displayed in the chart, to use as the primary or secondary sorting field.

The Secondary sort option only appears when there is an appropriate combination of dimensions and metrics in the chart.

When you specify a metric as a sort field, you can edit the field's aggregation. For example, you could include a numeric field in the chart as a SUM, but sort on that same field's AVERAGE value.

Default date range

The Default date range property lets you set a timeframe for an individual chart.

Default date range options

Auto Use the default date range determined by the chart's data source.
Custom Lets you use the calendar widget to select a custom date range for the chart.
Date compare type Displays comparison data for the selected time period.

Learn more about working with dates and time. 

Google Analytics segment

This option appears for charts based on a Universal Analytics data source.

A segment is a subset of your Analytics data. You can apply segments to your Data Studio charts to help ensure that your Data Studio and Google Analytics reports show the same data. Learn more about Analytics segments in Data Studio.

Filter

Filters restrict the data that is displayed in the component by including or excluding the values you specify. Learn more about the filter property.

Filter options

Filter name Click an existing filter to edit it. Mouse over the filter name and click X to delete it.
+Add a filter Click this option to create a new filter for the chart.

Interactions

When interactions are enabled on a chart, that chart acts like a filter control. You can filter the report by clicking or brushing your mouse across the chart. Learn more about chart interaction filters.

Style properties

A chart's style properties control the overall presentation and appearance of the chart.

Color by

This section controls how your data is colored. Learn more about coloring your data. 

These options appear when you have a secondary (breakdown) dimension in your chart.

Single Color

When checked, the data series are displayed in shades of a single color. Otherwise, the chart displays in a veritable rainbow of happy colors (depending on your report theme).

You can change the series colors using the color pickers below.

Series order

Use the current theme to color the data according to its position in the chart. This option emphasizes the ranking of the data over the identity of the data.

You can set specific colors using each data series' color picker.

Dimension values

Colors each dimension value in the chart with the color specified in the dimension value color map. This option ensures that your data uses color consistently, regardless of the position of that data in the chart.

Series

This section repeats for each metric displayed in the chart. The order of sections matches the order of the metrics listed in the DATA tab.

Line or Bars Displays the data points for this series as a line or bar.
Line weight Determines the thickness of line series.
Series color Sets the color for the series line or bar.
Cumulative When checked, data for this series is summed over time. Otherwise, the data is shown with no additional aggregation.
Show points Displays individual data points on a line series. Viewers can mouse over a data point to display its value.
Show data labels Displays individual values on for the data points in the series.
Compact Numbers Turn on Show data labels to see this option:Rounds numbers and displays the unit indicator. E.g., 553,939 becomes 553.9K.
Decimal Precision Turn on Show data labels to see this option:
Sets the number of decimal places in metric values.

General

Smooth Display series lines as curves.
Stacked bars Display bars as stacked bars.
Number of points Determines the number of data elements shown in the chart's X-axis. If the number of points selected is less than the number of values in the X-axis dimension, only the top N points will be shown (where N equals the number of points you've selected).
Number of series Determines the number of secondary dimension series shown in the chart. If the number of series selected is less than the number of series in your data, only the top N series will be shown (where N equals the number of series you've selected). Remaining series will be grouped in an "other" category.

Axes

These options control the display of the chart axes titles and scales. A right Y-axis section appears when you have more than 1 metric in your chart.

Axis options

Show axes Shows or hides the chart axes.
Reverse Y-Axis direction Controls the vertical display of the Y-axis.
Reverse X-Axis direction Controls the horizontal display of the X-axis.
Show axis title Shows or hides the axis labels. 
Axis min and max Set minimum and maximum values for the Y-axes.
Custom tick interval Controls the interval between axis ticks.
Log scale Makes the Y-axis scale logarithmic.l

Grid

These options control the look of the chart grid.

Axis color Sets the color of the x-axis line.
Grid color Sets the color of the grid lines.
Chart background Sets the color of the chart background.
Chart border color Sets the color of the inner chart border.

Background and border

These options control the appearance of the chart background container.

Background Sets the chart background color.
Border Radius Adds rounded borders to the chart background. When the radius is 0, the background shape has 90° corners. Border radius of 100° produces a circular shape.
Opacity Sets the chart's opacity. 100% opacity completely hides objects behind the chart. 0% opacity makes the chart invisible.
Border Color Sets the chart border color.
Border Weight Sets the chart border line thickness.
Border Style Sets the chart border line style.
Add border shadow Adds a shadow to the chart lower and right borders.

Legend

These options determine the placement of the chart legend.

None No legend appears
Right Legend appears on the right.
Bottom Legend appears on the bottom.
Top Legend appears on the top.
Alignment Sets the alignment of the legend relative to the selected position. 
Max lines Sets the number of lines used by the legend. If the number of series requires more lines, overflow items can be displayed by clicking the < and > arrows.

  • Work with dates and time
  • Filter property

Was this helpful?

How can we improve it?

What tells you that the plot area of a chart is selected?

The easiest way to select the chart area is to click just below the top edge of the chart. The Chart Elements menu on the Format tab of the ribbon, and the Format Task pane title will confirm the chart area is selected.

What is a cell reference that refers to cells by their fixed position in a worksheet?

Absolute. a cell reference that refers to cells by their fixed position in a worksheet; an absolute cell reference remains the same when the formula is copied and is indicated by the $ sign.
A sparkline is a tiny chart in a worksheet cell that provides a visual representation of data. Use sparklines to show trends in a series of values, such as seasonal increases or decreases, economic cycles, or to highlight maximum and minimum values.

What is the chart feature that helps identify how information is represented by colors or patterns?

Chapter 6.