14.2. Charts

To paraphrase the old saying, "a graph is worth a thousand numbers." Fortunately, Excel can easily turn a spreadsheet full of data into a beautiful, colorful graphic, revealing patterns and trends in the data that otherwise might be difficult or impossible to see.

In Excel 2004, you have two ways of bringing a chart to life. If you're new to charting, step through the Chart Wizard, which helps you build all the elements your chart needs. If you're an experienced charter, simply select the data you want to chart, click the appropriate chart type in the Add Objects panel, and edit your chart (page 536) if necessary.