Bar charts

AWaterman · Post by **AWaterman** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 12:42 am

I have a user who wants a barchart but without the lines where the bars adjoin. ie just the lines as an envelope of the bars (bar width 100%). Is this possible with the current dplot?

One option is using colour fill but that then draws the bar outlines in black

Post by **DPlotAdmin** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 1:49 am

I have a user who wants a barchart but without the lines where the bars adjoin. ie just the lines as an envelope of the bars (bar width 100%). Is this possible with the current dplot?

No. At least not as a real bar chart. You could construct your own fake bar chart with a single curve that formed the outline of the bars and then use Fill Between Curves to color in the space.

AWaterman · Post by **AWaterman** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 5:09 pm

Yes, but I actually just want the envelope. Colouring was just a device to try and get it without any lines between the bars, but blow me down if it doesn't go and draw the lines black when you do a fill. I don't want to write another kind of fixerupper plot if I can avoid it.

My engineer client had me very puzzled at first as he was complaining about the histogram not doing what he wanted. Turns out that in a previous package, this kind of bar chart was called (incorrectly) a histogram. I got him onto the bar chart and thought he would be happy. Seems the previous package did this sort of envelope plot, and his mind is stuck in this rut. I have pointed out that the bars are showing what the true state of his data is, whereas an envelope (simple line) implies a partly continuous value with instantaneous jumps between levels, but I know I am fighting a losing battle. For some reason, he doesn't want to re-write MS Excel, but your package is fair game.

So what do you think? I drive DPlot through a custom front end which offers these guys the ability to read their files (weird binary formats and giant CSVs), and various kinds of customized plot. Am I up for another special plot type? I guess I am.

AWaterman · Post by **AWaterman** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 5:35 pm

I bit the bullet and did another plot type for them. Problem solved.

Post by **DPlotAdmin** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 5:56 pm

I'll be happy to make a few changes if that will solve your problem, but it isn't clear to me that I'm on the same page yet. I thought initially that if the bar borders were the same color as the bars, that this would meet your needs. But after your 2nd post I'm not so sure. If you have an example handy please send it to me.