Google docs team has announced gadgets, auto-fill support, formula help while typing and several other goodies yesterday. I was experimenting with these stuff and wanted to share a cool idea with you all.
Tracking / Sharing your goals (or resolutions, progress) with everyone using Google Spreadsheet Gadgets:
For the example purpose, let us build a gadget that will track my new year resolution “to run 500 miles in 2008”. When done, the gadget looks something like this: (go ahead, play with it)
Step 1: Create the data format as per your need
I created a table like this, you can create something depending on what you want to track / share:
Step 2: Findout what you want to share and calculate
In my case, I needed 2 metrics, “miles ran so far” and “miles remaining”, the “miles ran so far” is a simple sum of the entire table shown above, the other metric is 500 minus “miles ran so far”. Once you have the values, display them 2 columns as shown below:
Step 3: Generate a gadget for the data you want to share
- This is even more simple, just click on the gadgets icon on the tool bar on top (shown below) and select gadgets.
- Select the gadget type, I have selected a bar-chart as I wanted to show progress in a stacked chart.
- Next enter data range for the gadget (just as you would do with an excel chart dialog) and press save.
- Finally publish the gadget by selecting the publish option, this will provide html iframe code for the gadget, simply paste the code in your blog, sidebar or coffee mug and you are good to go.
If you want to play with my sheet: google spreadsheet gadgets demo, So what are you waiting for, go ahead, play around with google spreadsheet gadgets, flash your gadgets.
9 Responses to “Show forecast values in a different color with this simple trick [charting]”
While this works in a pinch, it clearly "lightens" the colors of the entire chart. Depending on where you use this, it will be blatantly obvious that you don't know what you are doing and present a poor looking graph.
Why not separate the data into different segments when charting and have as many colors as you have data points? You might have to create a new legend and/or repeat the chart in "invisible ink", but it would be cleaner and more consistent when new or updated data becomes available.
While I think I agree that doing it "properly" via a second series is preferable, I don't necessarily agree that making the entirety of the "future" (data, gridlines, and even the axis) semi-transparent is "poor looking". I think it could be seen as adding more emphasis to the "future-ness" of the forecast data.
In short, it's another tool for the toolbox, even if it's never needed.
Simply and clever 🙂
Quick & effective, cool. thanks.
I always use the dummy series.
Nice little trick, thanks very much!
Two sets of data better. Control is much better.
You can use the same chart next month to see what is actual and what is forecast.
To use this trick, I think grid lines has to be removed, that will make the graphic much more sharp.
to be honest, i dont understand why there is needed to do this way... in this case horizontal lines will be pale as well. then why a just can't change the color of the line partly???
Great tutorial. Thanks for the tutorial!