Libre Office Calc Lesson 2: Formatting and Charts

Introducing Libre
Office CALC
Lesson 2

Lesson 2 Outline
• Formatting data
• Creating a chart
• Formatting 3D charts
• Formatting the chart elements
• Gallery of chart types

Introduction
You can enter data into Calc in several ways: using the keyboard,
the mouse [dragging and dropping], the Fill tool, and selection
lists. Calc also provides the ability to enter information into
multiple sheets of the same document at the same time.
After entering data, you can format and display it in various ways.

Entering numbers
Click in the cell and type in the number using the number keys on
either the main keyboard or the numeric keypad.
To enter a negative number, either type a minus (–) sign in front
of it or enclose it in parentheses (brackets), like this: (1234).
By default, numbers are right-aligned and negative numbers have
a leading minus symbol.

Entering Data
Entering text
• Click in the cell and type the text. Text is left-aligned by
default.
Entering numbers as text
• If a number is entered in the format 01481, Calc will drop the
leading 0. To preserve the leading zero, for example for
telephone area codes, type an apostrophe before the number,
like this: '01481.
The data is now treated as text and displayed exactly as entered.
Typically, formulas will treat the entry as a zero and functions will
ignore it.

Entering dates and times
Select the cell and type the date or time. You can separate the
date elements with a slash (/) or a hyphen (–) or use text such as
10 Oct 03. Calc recognizes a variety of date formats. You can
separate time elements with colons such as 10:43:45.

Speeding up data entry
Entering data into a spreadsheet can be very labor-intensive, but
Calc provides several tools for removing some of the drudgery
from input.
The most basic ability is to drop and drag the contents of one cell
to another with a mouse. Many people also find AutoInput
helpful. Calc also includes several other tools for automating
input, especially of repetitive material. They include the Fill tool,
selection lists, and the ability to input information into multiple
sheets of the same document.

Using the Fill tool on cells
At its simplest, the Fill tool is a way to duplicate existing content.
Start by selecting the cell to copy, then drag the mouse in any
direction [or hold down the Shift key and click in the last cell you
want to fill], and then choose Edit > Fill and the direction in which
you want to copy: Up, Down, Left or Right.

Using a fill series
A more complex use of the Fill tool is
to use a fill series. The default lists
are for the full and abbreviated days
of the week and the months of the
year, but you can create your own
lists as well.
To add a fill series to a spreadsheet,
select the cells to fill, choose Edit >
Fill > Series. In the Fill Series dialog,
select AutoFill as the Series type, and
enter as the Start value an item from
any defined series. The selected cells
then fill in the other items on the list
sequentially, repeating from the top
of the list when they reach the end
of the list.
Start of a fill series
Result of a fill series selection

Defining a fill series
To define your own fill
series, go to Tools >
Options > LibreOffice
Calc > Sort Lists. This
dialog shows the
previously-defined
series in the Lists box
on the left, and the
contents of the
highlighted list in the
Entries box.
Click New. The Entries box is cleared. Type the
series for the new list in the Entries box (one
entry per line), and then click Add.

Removing data from a cell
Data can be removed [deleted]
from a cell in several ways.
Removing data only
The data alone can be removed from a cell
without removing any of the formatting of the
cell. Click in the cell to select it, and then
press the Delete key. In OpenOffice.org legacy
mode, press the Backspace key.
Removing data and formatting
The data and the formatting can be removed
from a cell at the same time. Press the
Backspace key, or if in legacy mode press the
Delete key (or right-click and choose Delete
Contents, or use Edit > Delete Contents) to
open the Delete Contents dialog [image to the
right]. From this dialog, different aspects of
the cell can be deleted. To delete everything
in a cell (contents and format), check Delete
all.

Replacing all the data in a cell
To remove data and insert new data, simply type over the old
data. The new data will retain the original formatting.
Formatting data:
The data in Calc can be formatted in several ways. It can either be
edited as part of a cell style so that it is automatically applied, or
it can be applied manually to the cell. Some manual formatting
can be applied using toolbar icons. For more control and extra
options, select the appropriate cell or cells range, right-click on it,
and select Format Cells. All of the format options are discussed
below.

Changing part of the data in a
cell
Sometimes it is necessary to change the contents of a cell without
removing all of the contents, for example when the phrase “See Dick
run” is in a cell and it needs to be changed to “See Dick run fast.” It is
often useful to do this without deleting the old cell contents first.
The process is the similar to “Replacing all data in a cell”, but you need
to place the cursor inside the cell. You can do this in two ways.
Using the keyboard
After selecting the appropriate cell, press the F2 key and the cursor is
placed at the end of the cell. Then use the keyboard arrow keys to move
the cursor through the text in the cell.
Using the mouse
Using the mouse, either double-click on the appropriate cell [to select it
and place the cursor in it for editing], or single-click to select the cell
and then move the mouse pointer up to the input line and click into it
to place the cursor for editing.

Formatting multiple lines of
text
Multiple lines of text can be entered into a single cell using
automatic wrapping or manual line breaks. Each method is useful
for different situations.

Shrinking text to fit the cell
The font size of the
data in a cell can
automatically adjust to
fit in a cell. To do this,
select the Shrink to fit
cell size option in the
Format Cells dialog
[Image on the top
right]. Image on the
bottom right shows the
results.

Formatting the font
To choose the size of the font,
click the arrow next to the Font
Size box on the Formatting
toolbar. For other formatting, you
can use the Bold, Italic, or
Underline icons.
To choose a font color, click the
arrow next to the Font Color icon
to display a color palette. Click on
the required color.
To specify the language of the
cell (useful because it allows
different languages to exist in the
same document and be spell
checked correctly), use the Font
tab of the Format Cells dialog.

Formatting spreadsheets using
themes
Calc comes with a predefined set of formatting themes that you
can apply to your spreadsheets.
It is not possible to add themes to Calc, and they cannot be
modified. However, you can modify their styles after you apply
them to a spreadsheet.

Applying themes to a
spreadsheet
To apply a theme to a spreadsheet:
1) Click the Choose Themes icon in the Tools toolbar. If this toolbar is
not visible, you can show it using View > Toolbars > Tools. The Theme
Selection dialog appears. This dialog lists the available themes for the
whole spreadsheet and the Styles and Formatting window lists the
custom styles which can be applied to specific cells.
2) In the Theme Selection dialog, select the theme that you want to
apply to the spreadsheet. As soon as you select a theme, some of the
properties of the custom styles are applied to the open spreadsheet
and are immediately visible.
3) Click OK. If you wish, you can now go to the Styles and Formatting
window to modify specific styles. These modifications do not change
the theme; they only change the appearance of this specific
spreadsheet document.

Cell style
Choose the cell style to be applied if
the specified condition matches. The
style must have been defined
previously.
To apply the same conditional
formatting later to other cells:
1) Select one of the cells that has
been assigned conditional
formatting.
2) Copy the cell to the clipboard.
3) Select the cells that are to receive
this same formatting.
4) Choose Edit > Paste Special.
5) On the Paste Special dialog, in the
Selection area, select only the
Formats option. Make sure all other
options are not selected. Click OK.

Hiding and showing data
When elements are hidden, they are
neither visible nor printed, but can still be
selected for copying if you select the
elements around them. For example, if
column B is hidden, it is copied when you
select columns A and C. When you need a
hidden element again, you can reverse
the process, and show the element.
To hide or show sheets, rows, and
columns, use the options on the Format
menu or the right-click (context) menu.
For example, to hide a row, first select the
row, and then choose Format > Row >
Hide (or right-click and choose Hide).
To hide or show selected cells, choose
Format > Cells from the menu bar (or
right-click and choose Format Cells). On
the Format Cells dialog, go to the Cell
Protection tab.

Using the Find & Replace
dialog
To display the Find &
Replace dialog [image
on the right] select Edit
> Find & Replace from
the menu bar, or select
the Find & Replace
icon from the Standard
Toolbar.

Introduction
Charts and graphs can be powerful ways to convey information to
the reader. LibreOffice Calc offers a variety of different chart and
graph formats for your data.
Using Calc, you can customize charts and graphs to a
considerable extent. Many of these options enable you to
present your information in the best and clearest manner.

Creating a chart
To create a chart, first
highlight [select] the
data to be included in
the chart. The selection
does not need to be in
a single block, as shown
in [image on the right];
you can also choose
individual cells or
groups of cells
[columns or rows].
Chart Wizard

Choosing a chart type
The Chart Wizard includes a
sample chart with your data. This
sample chart updates to reflect
the changes you make in the
Chart Wizard.
The Chart Wizard has three main
parts: a list of steps involved in
setting up the chart, a list of
chart types, and the options for
each chart type. At any time you
can go back to a previous step
and change selections.
Calc offers a choice of 10 basic
chart types, with a few options
for each type of chart. The
options vary according to the
type of chart you pick.

Editing charts
After you have created a chart, you may find things you would
like to change. Calc provides tools for changing the chart type,
chart elements, data ranges, fonts, colors, and many other
options, through the Insert and Format menus, the right-click
(context) menu, and the Chart toolbar.

Changing the chart type
You can change the chart type at any time. To do so:
1) First select the chart by double-clicking on it. The chart should
now be surrounded by a gray border.
2) Then do one of the following:
Choose Format > Chart Type from the menu bar.
Click the Chart Type icon on the Formatting toolbar.
Right-click on the chart and choose Chart Type.
3) Select the replacement chart type
4) Click OK.

Adding or removing chart
elements
The default 2D chart
includes only two of those
elements:
Chart wall contains the
graphic of the chart
displaying the data.
Chart area is the area
surrounding the chart
graphic. The (optional)
chart title and the legend
(key) are in the chart area.
The default 3D chart also
has the chart floor, which is
not available in 2D charts.
Elements of a 2D chart
Elements of a 3D chart

Formatting charts
The Format menu has many options for formatting and fine-
tuning the appearance of your charts.
Double-click the chart so that it is enclosed by a gray border
indicating edit mode; then, select the chart element that you
want to format. Choose Format from the menu bar, or right-click
to display a context menu relevant to the selected element. The
formatting choices are as follows.

Format Selection
Opens a dialog in which you can specify the
area fill, borders, transparency, characters,
font effects, and other attributes of the
selected element of the chart.
Position and Size
Opens a dialog
Arrangement
Provides two choices: Bring Forward and Send
Backward, of which only one may be active for
some items. Use these choices to arrange
overlapping data series.
Title
Formats the titles of the chart and its axes.
Legend
Formats the location, borders, background,
and type of the legend.
Axis
Formats the lines that create the chart as well
as the font of the text that appears on both
the X and Y axes.
Grid
Formats the lines that create a grid for the
chart.
Chart Wall, Chart Floor, Chart Area
Described in the following sections.
Chart Type
Changes what kind of chart is displayed and
whether it is two- or three-dimensional.
Data Ranges
3D View
Formats 3D charts

Changing the chart area
background
The chart area is the area
surrounding the chart
graphic, including the
(optional) main title and
key.
1) Double-click the chart
so that it is enclosed by a
gray border.
2) Choose Format > Chart
Area.
3) On the Chart Area
dialog, choose the
desired format settings.

Formatting 3D charts
Use Format > 3D View to fine tune 3D charts. The 3D View dialog
has three pages, where you can change the perspective of the
chart, whether the chart uses the simple or realistic schemes, or
your own custom scheme, and the illumination which controls
where the shadows will fall.

Appearance
Select a scheme from the list box. When
you select a scheme, the options and the
light sources are set accordingly. If you
select or deselect a combination of options
that is not given by the Realistic or Simple
schemes, you create a Custom scheme.
Select Shading to use the Gouraud [A
shaded surface that does not produce
shadows or reflections] method for
rendering the surface. Otherwise, a flat
method is used. The flat method sets a
single color and brightness for each
polygon. The edges are visible, soft
gradients and spot lights are not possible.
The Gouraud method applies gradients for
a smoother, more realistic look. Select
Object Borders to draw lines along the
edges.
Select Rounded Edges to smooth the
edges of box shapes. In some cases this
option is not available.

Rotating 3D charts
interactively
Select the Chart Wall, then hover the mouse pointer over a
corner handle or the rotation symbol found somewhere on the
chart. The cursor changes to a rotation icon.
Press and hold the left mouse button and drag the corner in the
direction you wish. A dashed outline of the chart is visible while
you drag, to help you see how the result will look.

Lesson 2
Formatting chart elements

Formatting chart elements
Depending on the purpose of your document, for example a
screen presentation or a printed document for a black and white
publication, you might wish to use more detailed control over the
different chart elements to give you what you need.
To format an element, left-click on the element that you wish to
change, for example one of the axes. The element will be
highlighted with green squares. Then, right-click and choose an
item from the context menu. Each chart element has its own
selection of items. In the next few sections we explore some of
the options.

Choosing and formatting
symbols
In line and scatter charts the symbols
representing the points can be
changed to a different symbol shape
or color through the object
properties dialog. Select the data
series you wish to change, right-click,
and choose Format > Data Series
from the context menu.
On the Line page of the Data Series
dialog, in the Icon section, choose
from the drop-down list Select >
Symbols. Here you can choose no
symbol, a symbol from an inbuilt
selection, a more exciting range from
the gallery, or if you have pictures
you need to use instead, you can
insert them using Select > From file.

Adding drawing objects to
charts
As in the other
LibreOffice components,
you can use the drawing
toolbar to add simple
shapes such as lines,
rectangles, and text
objects, or more complex
shapes such as symbols
or block arrows. Use
these additional shapes
to add explanatory notes
to your chart.

Resizing and moving the chart
You can resize or move all elements
of a chart at the same time, in two
ways: interactively, or by using the
Position and Size dialog. You may
wish to use a combination of both
methods: interactive for quick and
easy change, then the dialog for
precise sizing and positioning.
To resize a chart interactively:
1)Click once on the chart to select it.
Green sizing handles appear around
the chart.
2) To increase or decrease the size of
the chart, click and drag one of the
markers in one of the four corners of
the chart. To maintain the correct
ratio of the sides, hold the Shift key
down while you click and drag.
To move a chart interactively:
1) Click once on the chart to select it.
Green sizing handles appear around
the chart.
2) Hover the mouse pointer
anywhere over the chart. When it
changes to the move cursor, click
and drag the chart to its new
location.
3) Release the mouse button when
the chart is in the desired position.

Using the Position and Size
dialog
To resize or move a chart using the
Position and Size dialog:
1) Click on the chart to select it. Green
sizing handles appear around the chart.
2) Right-click and choose Position and Size
from the context menu.
3) Make your choices on this dialog.
Position is defined as an X,Y coordinate
relative to a fixed point (the base point),
typically located at the upper left of the
document. You can temporarily change
this base point to make positioning or
dimensioning simpler (click on the spot
corresponding to the location of the base
point in either of the two selection
windows on the right side of the dialog—
upper for positioning or lower for
dimensioning).

Data labels
Data labels put information about each data point on the chart.
They can be very useful for presenting detailed information, but
you need to be careful to not create a chart that is too cluttered
to read.

Data labels
Show value as number
Displays the numeric values of the data points. When selected, this option activates the Number format
button.
Number format
Opens the Number Format dialog, where you can select the number format. This dialog is very similar to
the one for formatting numbers in cells, described in Chapter 2, Entering, Editing, and Formatting Data.
Show value as percentage
Displays the percentage value of the data points in each column. When selected, this option activates the
Percentage format button.
Percentage format
Opens the Number Format dialog, where you can select the percentage format.
Show category
Shows the data point text labels.
Show legend key
Displays the legend icons next to each data point label.
Separator
Selects the separator between multiple text strings for the same object.
Placement
Selects the placement of data labels relative to the objects.

Formatting data labels
On the Data Labels tab, you can
choose whether to:
Show the labels as text
Show numeric values as a
percentage or a number
Include the legend key as part of the
label
The text for labels is taken from the
spreadsheet data and it cannot be
changed here. If the text needs to be
abbreviated, or if it did not label your
graph as you were expecting, you
need to change it in the original data
table.

Lesson 2
Gallery of chart types

Gallery of chart types
Its important to remember that while your data can be presented
with a number of different charts, the message you want to
convey to your audience dictates the chart you ultimately use.
The following sections present examples of the types of charts
that Calc provides, with some of the tweaks that each sort can
have and some notes as to what purpose you might have for that
chart type.

Column charts
Column charts are commonly used for data that shows trends
over time. They are best for charts that have a relatively small
number of data points. (For large time series a line chart would
be better.) It is the default chart type, as it is one of the most
useful charts and the easiest to understand.

Bar charts
Bar charts are excellent for giving an
immediate visual impact for data
comparison in cases when time is
not an important factor, for example,
when comparing the popularity of a
few products in a marketplace.
The first chart is achieved quite
simply by using the chart wizard with
Insert > Grids, deselecting y-axis, and
using Insert > Mean Value Lines.
The second chart is the 3D option in
the chart wizard with a simple
border and the 3D chart area twisted
around.
The third chart is an attempt to get
rid of the legend and put labels
showing the names of the companies
on the axis instead. We also changed
the colors to a hatch pattern.
First chart Second chart Third chart

Pie charts
Pie charts are excellent
when you need to
compare proportions. For
example, comparisons of
departmental spending:
what the department
spent on different items
or what different
departments spent. They
work best with smaller
numbers of values, about
half a dozen; more than
this and the visual impact
begins to fade.

Donut charts
Donut charts are a
variation on the pie
chart. To create one,
choose Pie in the Chart
Wizard dialog, and
choose the third or
fourth type of pie chart.
For more variety,
choose 3D Look.
Choosing a donut chart
Examples of donut charts

Area charts
An area chart is a
version of a line or
column graph. It may
be useful where you
wish to emphasize
volume of change. Area
charts have a greater
visual impact than a
line chart, but the data
you use will make a
difference.

Bubble charts
A bubble chart is a variation of a
scatter chart in which the data
points are replaced with bubbles.
It shows the relations of three
variables in two dimensions. Two
variables are used for the
position on the X-axis and Y-axis,
while the third is shown as the
relative size of each bubble. One
or more data series can be
included in a single chart.
Bubble charts are often used to
present financial data. The data
series dialog for a bubble chart
has an entry to define the data
range for the bubbles and their
sizes.

Column and line charts
A column and line chart is a
combination of two other
chart types. It is useful for
combining two distinct but
related data series, for
example sales over time
(column) and the profit
margin trends (line).
You can choose the number of
columns and lines in the Chart
Wizard. So for example you
might have two columns with
two lines to represent two
product lines with the sales
figures and profit margins of
both.

Libre Office Calc Lesson 2: Formatting and Charts

Libre Office Calc Lesson 2: Formatting and Charts

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