Charts
Wykres pokazuje dane obrazem: słupki do porównań, linia do trendu w czasie, koło do udziałów. Ten sam raport bywa czytelniejszy jako wykres niż jako tabela liczb.
What a chart is for
A chart is a report shown as an image instead of numbers. The human eye catches a trend on a line or the difference in bar heights faster than the same information in a table full of figures. When the general picture matters (rising or falling, who is bigger, what share), a chart says it at a single glance.
A table and a chart often show the same data. You choose the table when you want an exact number, the chart when you want to see a relationship.
Kinds of charts and what they suit
| Chart | Best for |
|---|---|
| Bar | comparing sizes between categories, for example regions' sales |
| Line | change over time, a trend month by month |
| Area | a trend with the size under the line emphasized |
| Pie and donut | the share of parts in the whole, for example the split of tickets by type |
| Scatter | the relationship between two values |
The administrator matches the kind to the question. A trend over time is usually a line, shares a pie, a comparison of categories bars.
Example. A ticket report shows a line chart with the number of tickets in successive months. At a glance you see the seasonal spike over the holidays, which in a table you would have to look for number by number.
Reading a chart
- The horizontal axis is usually the breakdown, for example months or categories.
- The vertical axis is the value: an amount, a count, an average.
- Series, that is, different colors of bars or lines, are the compared groups, for example several regions at once. The legend says what is what.
A chart and a table are one report
Many reports let you switch between the chart and the table of the same summary. You look at the chart to see a trend, and switch to the table when you need the exact number from a specific point. It is the same computed content in two forms.
What to keep in mind
- A chart computes from the available data range, just like a table. Different permissions or a different company mean a different picture.
- A chart does not edit data. It shows the state computed from records; changes are made on the forms, and the chart refreshes the next time it is opened.
- Filters work on the chart too. Narrowing to one year or department changes the picture without touching the report itself.
Pivot table
Tabela przestawna pokazuje liczby w podziale na kategorie: wiersze i kolumny to grupy, a wartości w środku to policzone sumy albo liczności. Tak czyta się zestawienie dokładnie, liczba po liczbie.
Report filters and parameters
Raport nie musi pokazywać wszystkiego naraz. Kontrolki u góry pozwalają zawęzić go do interesującego wycinka: jednego roku, jednego działu, jednego statusu, bez zmiany samego raportu.