Chandoo uses WordPress as the blogging engine at Chandoo.org.
The WordPress system includes a HTML enabled post engine, meaning that users can post any valid HTML Code and the WordPress engine will attempt to interpret and present what has been posted.
I need to note that the engine used by Chandoo.org posts and the Chandoo.org/Forums posts are slightly different. The engine used by the Chandoo.org/Forums uses a limited subset of the HTML Codes.
Chandoo does give us a small clue at the bottom of a new post window in the Chandoo.org/Forums that we can use codes in the comments:
How do I use these codes
When entering your post or response simply put the appropriate code in front of the block of text you want it to apply to and close the code at the end of the block
You type: This is in <Strong> Bold </Strong>.
WordPress Displays: This is in Bold.
So What codes Can I use
The following table highlights some of the more common HTML codes that are available for use in post comments.
Codes that work in both Chandoo.org and Chandoo.org Forums
Codes that will only work in Chandoo.org posts.
The following codes will not work in the Chandoo.org Forums
Animated PIctures
Animation can be added to a picture by including a link to an Animated GIF file.
This is only available in the Chandoo.org posts.
WARNING !
The old saying: “Less is More”, is very applicable here.
Just because you can use lots of Fancy HTML in your post, doesn’t mean you should.
Please limit your artistic expressions or face having your post edited or deleted.
Examples
The example HTML codes used above aren’t available to copy and paste above, as they are actually pictures of the codes.
Had I used the real codes, they wouldn,t display the codes, but would display the text after the codes have been applied.
However all the codes are available in the attached HTML Examples file.
Software and Picture Caches
Image Capture: I use the Snipping Tool that comes free with Windows Vista/Win 07. Goto Start, All Programs, Accessories to find the Snipping Tool.
Image Editing: Chandoo and I both use Paint.net. Paint.NET is a free download available at www.paint.net
I also use CorelDRAW and Corel Photo Paint www.corel.com
Animated Gif: Chandoo and I both use TechSmith’s Camtasia Studio for capturing sequences to animated GIF files.
Image Sharing: I use the free TinyPic web site for the storage of pictures shown on Chandoo.org
Where Can I Learn More About HTML?
This post isn’t meant as a HTML Primer/Reference.
There are many other HTML codes that area available to do lots of other formatting, like Marquees, Scroll Boxes and Multi Column layouts.
If you want to learn more about HTML codes have a look at the following links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Html_codes
There are lots of examples of HTML codes available on the web:
http://www.quackit.com/html/codes/
http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_examples.asp
14 Responses to “Group Smaller Slices in Pie Charts to Improve Readability”
I think the virtue of pie charts is precisely that they are difficult to decode. In many contexts, you have to release information but you don't want the relationship between values to jump at your reader. That's when pie charts are most useful.
[...] link Leave a Reply [...]
Chandoo,
millions of ants cannot be mistaken.....There should be a reason why everybody continues using Pie charts, despite what gurus like you or Jon and others say.
one reason could be because we are just used to, so that's what we need to change, the "comfort zone"...
i absolutely agree, since I've been "converted", I just find out that bar charts are clearer, and nicer to the view...
Regards,
Martin
[...] says we can Group Smaller Slices in Pie Charts to Improve Readability. Such a pie has too many labels to fit into a tight space, so you need ro move the labels around [...]
Chandoo -
You ask "Can I use an alternative to pie chart?"
I answer in You Say “Pie”, I Say “Bar”.
This visualization was created because it was easy to print before computers. In this day and age, it should not exist.
I think the 100% Bar Chart is just as useless/unreadable as Pies - we should rename them something like Mama's Strudel Charts - how big a slice would you like, Dear?
My money's with Jon on this topic.
The primary function of any pie chart with more than 2 or 3 data points is to obfuscate. But maybe that is the main purpose, as @Jerome suggests...
@Jerome.. Good point. Also sometimes, there is just no relationship at all.
@Martin... Organized religion is finding it tough to get converts even after 2000+ years of struggle. Jon, Stephen, countless others (and me) are a small army, it would take atleast 5000 more years before pie charts vanish... patience and good to have you here 🙂
@Jon .. very well done sir, very well done.
good points every one...
I've got to throw my vote into Jon's camp (which is also Stephen Few's camp) -- bars just tend to work better. One observation about when we say "what people are used to." There are two distinct groups here (depending on the situation, a person can fall in either one): the person who *creates* the chart and the person who *consumes* the chart. Granted, the consumers are "used to" pie charts. But, it's not like a bar chart is something they would struggle to understand or that would require explanation (like sparklines and bullet graphs). Chart consumers are "used to" consuming whatever is put in front of them. Chart creators, on the other hand, may be "used to" creating pie charts, but that isn't an excuse for them to continue to do so -- many people are used to driving without a seatbelt, leaving lights on in their house needlessly, and forwarding not-all-that-funny anecdotes via email. That doesn't mean the practice shouldn't be discouraged!
[...] example that Chandoo used recently is counting uses of words. Clearly, there are other meanings of “bar” (take bar mitzvah or bar none, for [...]
[…] Grouping smaller slices in pie chart […]
Good article. Is it possible to do that with line charts?
Hi,
Is this available in excel 2013?