This command brings up a series of displays offering you an opportunity to specify the data for, and format of, a graph. It then draws the graph and creates a button which can redraw the same graph without having to go through the preliminary displays again. This enables you to set up a graph, erase it, and then at the click of a button have it be redrawn "live" before the audience's eyes.
In creating the graph you go through the following stages:
ΓÇó X and Y columns appear, with some buttons and with instructions inviting you to enter the data that the graph is to display. You can leave the X column blank, in which case equal spatial intervals will be used along the X axis, but without numeric markings. If you are creating a pie graph, any data in the X column will be ignored, and the pie will show the relative sizes of the values in the Y column. In any other case, and especially with line graphs, it is mildly important that the X values appear in ascending or descending order of value. (Otherwise when the graph is drawn it will look erratic.) You can tab back and forth between the X and Y fields. Click the button VALUES OKAY when you are finished with this stage.
ΓÇó When you click the VALUES OKAY button to conclude the first stage, the appearance of your slide is restored and a new field appears, with instructions in it, along with a new button AREA OK. The field is selected. Move and resize the field so that its outline shows where you want the graph to appear on your slide. If you are creating a line, bar, or plot graph, the Y and X axes will be drawn along the left and lower edges of this field. Allow additional space below and to the left of the field for the graph's labels. If you are creating a pie graph, the pie will be centered in the field, and will reach just to its nearest edges. Leave some room for a label beneath. When you are satisfied with the position of the field, choose the browse tool (e.g. by typing COMMAND-TAB, i.e. pressing the command key and the tab key simultaneously), then click the button AREA OK.
ΓÇó A table now appears, showing maximum and minimum X and the Y values based on the values you have entered, and some calculated X and Y intervals. The minimum values reported may be 0 even when you have not entered any zeroes, if it appears that the actual minimum is close enough to 0 that the axis short start at the 0 point. But you may edit these figures to any values you favor. The maximum and minimum figures will determine the scale of the graph. The intervals will determine how many labelled tick marks appear on each axis. At the bottom of the table two entries give dummy labels for the X and Y axes. Edit these to create labels suitable for your graph. Only the Y label will be used for a pie graph. The X label can be somewhat longer than the Y label, given the proportions of the slide. When you are satisfied with the labels, click AXES OKAY.
ΓÇó You are now asked to pick the style of graph you want: Line, Bar, Plot, or Pie.
• The graph will now be drawn to your specifications, and a button created which can redraw the graph to the same specifications. If you are not satisfied with the graph as it appears, invoke the ERASE RECENT command to erase the drawing, then invoke the GRAPH… command again. This will take you back through the process, but this time with your original data already in place. You can make any changes you like as you go through the process again, and see the results at the end. No new button will be created this time. Instead, the existing button will be reinstructed.
