stacked bar chart and a bit more...Excel 2003

[ali]

Hi folks

i need one graph to show 2 things:

the x axis will show months (april to march). the y axis will show a % error
rate (ie. from 0 - 10%). so, for example, if i wanted to show 8% error rate
for march I'd have a column approx.80% of the height of the graph. Howewver
(and this is where i need the help), I want a stacked bar chart so the
column displays the numeric values of those errors (e.g. suppose the march
errors were: 3x type a, 4x type b and 1x type c error).

In a nutshell the chart is supposed to show both the failure rate and
breakdown of errors over time....

I don't have XL at home, so can't test any solutions now but all help will
be gratefully received.

cheers
ali

 

[Jon Peltier]

You can't combine percentages and whole units on different series of the
same stacked chart. It doesn't make sense.

Can you convert the counts of the error types into proportions that add
to the error rate? For example, 30% type A, 40% type B, and 10% type C,
which add to 80%. Plot three series, A through C on a stacked column
chart (not stacked 100% column chart).

- Jon

 

[ali]

...convert the counts of the error types into proportions that add to the
error rate...

thanks Jon. that's a neat solution!

ali

 

[ali]

jon

whilst not wanting to quibble with your opening para, maybe i haven't been
clear with my problem definition.

if i have monthly error rates of 2% , 7%, 4% etc, which comprise of 5
errors, 9 errors and 7 errors respectively. then first months errors (5) may
consist of 3* type a and 2* type b.

It seems perfectly logical and reasonable to be able to display a column
that extends to a 2% vale on the y axis, and is itself split into 3/5 and
2/5 segments (at least i could easiy do this with pen and paper) ??

ali

 

[Jon Peltier]

Sure, no quibble. But your bar isn't 3 plus 2 errors equals 2%, it's
(3/5 * 2% = 1.2%) plus (2/5 * 2% = 0.8%) equals 2%.

- Jon