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Adding dotted line to one part of x,y line graph?

How do I add a dotted line or dashed line to one section of an x,y line graph? I am plotting change in production (y) across time, x, and the most recent production total is an estimate, so I want the last line of the graph to indicate that somehow -- dashed line or a dotted line?

MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid 2009), OS X El Capitan (10.11.3)

Posted on Feb 17, 2017 1:35 PM

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Posted on Feb 17, 2017 3:01 PM

I suggest using two series: one for the actual data, and a second for the estimated data:

User uploaded file


Then you can select the series on the chart, and use the Style formatter for that series to change the line characteristics. You will have to turn on connecting lines in the Style formatter ("Connection Line" set to "Straight" in this example)

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Feb 17, 2017 3:01 PM in response to captiver

I suggest using two series: one for the actual data, and a second for the estimated data:

User uploaded file


Then you can select the series on the chart, and use the Style formatter for that series to change the line characteristics. You will have to turn on connecting lines in the Style formatter ("Connection Line" set to "Straight" in this example)

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Feb 17, 2017 7:50 PM in response to captiver

Ahh… I see what you mean.


It may have to do with the first row having been a Header row. When you changed it, the change may have also affected Numbers recognition of A1 as still a member of a Header column. Note that all labels are shifted one data point to the left, and there is no label for the last point.


Here's what it should look like:

User uploaded file

To create this chart, enter the data as shown. Select cells B2-C12, then choose the Line Chart from the Charts button menu. (Note that the category labels for the x axis are in a Header column.)

I changes the Stroke of the last connecting line from solid to dashed, and the colour for that line and it's data point symbols from the default green to the same blue as the first series.


To label all of the data points, I then chose the box containing the category axis labels, then changes the label orientation from Horizontal to Vertical Left, using the pop-up menu in the Inspector. Here's the result:

User uploaded file

Regards,

Barry

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Feb 18, 2017 12:15 PM in response to Barry

Thank you @Barry, and everyone. Above and beyond. I have it, thanks to all your kind Numbers 101 help. Voila!! And handy tip about the horizontal/vertical axis categories. As you can tell, I'm kind of learning as I go -- in some ways easier in Excel only because I 'know' it by necessity, but prefer Numbers. Thank you again!


User uploaded file

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Adding dotted line to one part of x,y line graph?

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