Operation Manual

Charting
Charting concepts
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286 Crystal Reports User’s Guide
Gantt
A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart often used to provide a graphical illustration
of a schedule. The horizontal axis shows a time span, while the vertical axis
shows a series of tasks or events. Horizontal bars on the chart represent event
sequences and time spans for each item on the vertical axis. You should use only
date fields when creating a Gantt chart. The field you choose for the data axis
should be set to “For Each Record,” and the start and end-date fields should be
added to the “Show value(s)” area of the Chart Expert’s Data tab.
Funnel
Funnel charts are often used to represent stages in a sales process. For
example, the amount of potential revenue shown for each stage. This type of
chart can also be useful in identifying potential problem areas in an organization’s
sales processes. A funnel chart is similar to a stacked bar chart in that it
represents 100% of the summary values for the groups included in the chart.
Histogram
A histogram is a type of bar chart used to depict how measurements vary
from the mean value. It can help to identify the cause of problems in a
process by the shape of the distribution as well as the width (deviation) of the
distribution. In a histogram, the frequency is represented by the area of a bar
rather than the height of the bar.
Where to place a chart
The placement of a chart determines which data is displayed and where it is
printed. For example, a chart placed in the Report Header section includes
the data for the entire report, while a chart that is placed in a Group Header or
in a Group Footer section displays only the group specific data.
Note:
• If your report contains subreports, you can place charts in those
subreports as well. See “Subreports” on page 469.
• By default, when you insert a chart or chart object frame, it is placed in
the Report Header.
Drill-down with charts
Not only is charting a means of presenting data—it is also an analysis tool.
Move your cursor over a section of the group chart on the Preview tab, so that
the pointer becomes a Drill-down cursor, then double-click to view the
underlying details for that section of the chart.