First a quick personal update: We (Jo, kids & I) are in beautiful Virginia Beach. Yesterday, we had a perfect, lazy beach day. We woke up late, went to beach where kids played in sand. Got back to our house (rented thru airbnb) when it started raining, had lunch and took a nap. We got up and went to beach again, rode a family bike, watched several street performances, bought souvenirs, ate Thai food and drove home at 11. Long story short, we are having way too much fun and I feel like cheating on you by not posting anything Excel. So,
I have a poll for you.
What do you use Excel Tables for?
I will go first, I use them for,
- Maintaining all my raw data, so that I can use structural references
- Maintaining various trackers, for example I am tracking all our expenses in USA in a table.
- For quick formatting of data (zebra lining, filters, sorting etc.)
What about you? What kinds of data are you holding in tables and how are you using them. Please share using comments. Go.
Learn: Introduction to Tables, Introduction to structural references.
PS for our US readers: Have an enjoyable 4th of July & weekend. We are driving to Washington DC to celebrate the day with our friends and watch fireworks at National mall.
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!