calc chart problems

Ahoy all:

My apologies if this turns out to be a redundancy, but I originally submitted it some 4 hours ago and it hasn't shown up yet.

Some 20 years ago, I frequently received questions such as those I pose below, and was able to easily answer them for others.

By now, I seem to have aged out, and am flummoxed by difficulties that should be rudimentary.

So, should any reader deign to attack my elementary problems, please keep it simple (& simpleminded) so that I have a chance of understanding.

I am using 4.4.7.2, under Windows (or, as we call it, /Curtains/) 7, because it seems more than adequate for my purposes, and I am somewhat dismayed by the number of regressions noted for later versions in the comments here.

Calc chart legends. What could be simpler, yet more impossible? I have cracked this at sometime in the past, as I have just one spreadsheet with my own chart legend text in my choice of fonts, but can see no way of regaining that control for other charts in my armamentarium.

If I right-click a chart, I am presented with 15 options. One is marked “Text”, which seems promising, but apparently deals with *positioning*, not content. The thing which it definitely lacks is any ability to control the legend text contents, or font.

If I double left-click and then right-click, I now have 9 options, including one which will delete a legend, (leaving me unsure of what happens if the chart has more than one legend). But, in any case, no control, beyond excision, over the legend text or its font.

When I double left-click, I get an interesting collection of mostly-graphic symbols at the bottom of my screen, where the “Find” box normally lives. One of these is a capital T in a dotted-line box, which, when hovered-over, reads: “Text Box”. Sounds promising, but what does it do, and how does one invoke whatever its action may be?

None of these symbols can be dragged onto the chart, and clicking them – single or double, left or right – produces no obvious result of any kind. They have interesting titles, and, if they did anything, might be quite useful.

My first question, then, is: /how do I gain control over chart legend text & font?/ And a subsidiary wonderment: /why is it so hard to find this answer?/

Further routes to failure on this question:

From the on-line manual:

https://help.libreoffice.org/6.1/en-US/text/shared/guide/chart_legend.html?DbPAR=SHARED

we have, (appreciating that this is targeted at 6.1; probably an irrelevant distinction):

  Editing Chart Legends

To edit a chart legend:

1.

    Double-click on the chart.

    A gray border appears around the chart and the menu bar now contains
    commands for editing the objects in the chart.

2.

    Choose Format - Legend or double-click on the legend. This opens the
    Legend dialog.

3.

    Choose from the available tabs to make modifications, then click OK.

This is no help, as the “available tabs” do *not* allow editing the text or font.

From the on-line edition of the 4.1 Calc Guide we have, at ppg 88-89:

*Adding or removing chart elements*

/*Legends*/

To add a legend to your chart:

1.

    Select the chart by double-clicking on it to enter edit mode. The
    chart should now be surrounded by a gray border.

2.

    Go to*Insert****>****Legend*onthe main menu bar to open the Legend
    dialog. This dialog is similar to the *Display legend*section on the
    Chart Wizard dialogshown in Error: Reference source not foundon page
    Error: Reference source not found.

3.

    Select the *Display legend* checkbox and where you want the legend
    displayed on your chart – *Left*, *Right*, *Top* or *Bottom*.

4.

    Click *OK*to close the dialog.

5.

    Alternatively,right-click inthe chart area and select*Insert
    **Legend*from the context menu to insert a legend in the default
    position on the right side of the chart.

6.

    Click outside the chart to leave edit mode.

To remove a legend from your chart:

1.

    Select the chart by double-clicking on it to enter edit mode. The
    chart should now be surrounded by a gray border.

2.

    Go to*Insert****>****Legend*onthe main menu bar to open the Legend
    dialog.

3.

    Deselect the *Display legend* checkbox.

4.

    Click *OK* to close the dialog.

5.

    Alternatively,right-click inthe chart area and
    select*Delete****L**egend*from the context menu.

6.

    Click outside the chart to leave edit mode.

Again, the user can add or remove, but not edit.

Another dead-end source illuminates another Calc problem:

https://ask.libreoffice.org/en/question/44705/making-a-double-line-graph-with-proper-data-in-libre-office-calc/

This question is “closed” because it was allegedly answered, whilst in fact no answer of any kind was provided to the basic question “How *exactly* can I add a 2^nd Y axis and assign different scale to it?”.

Following the given instruction to “Douible /[sic]/ click on the chart, and then Menu/Insert/Axis, or right-click insert/delete axes” leads to a menu which allows up to 2 each Y, and 2 each X, axes, but shows no way to associate a set of figures with the added axes. It must also be possible to associate colours with the various traces, but how to do that remains equally a mystery.

Also noteworthy: the OP asked for 2 axes, yet 3 are shewn here, without instruction as to how to go beyond 2. (The upper illustration raises more questions, not to be considered here.) One would like to think that there is no limit to the number of Y axes assignable, but so far only 1 is usable.

Note that only the yellow trace uses the right vertical axis, the other two use the left. How does one assign any of these traces to a particular axis, and keep them straight? (Here the unfulfilled “Callout” icons might be useful, if understood.)

mk

Greetings Marianne,Things have changed a lot since the version you are
using, and it may be difficult to provide the information you are
looking for. I did a bit of digging, and I managed to find this
document:
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/images/b/bb/CG3403-ChartsAndGraphs.pdf
which comes from this location:
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation/Publications/3.x
It is for CALC 3.4, but in looking at the release notes (
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/ReleaseNotes) between that version
and yours, there does not seem to be any changes to the way to manage
graphs in 3.4 and your version (except for a new chart type), so you
should be able to find the information you are looking for.
I hope this helps,Rémy.

I am using 4.4.7.2, under Windows 7, because it seems more than adequate for my purposes, and I am somewhat dismayed by the number of regressions noted for later versions in the comments here.

It's probably unwise to use any out-of-date software, which will not have been patched for security flaws and so on. Try a later version, notwithstanding regressions.

Calc chart legends. What could be simpler, yet more impossible? I have cracked this at sometime in the past, as I have just one spreadsheet with my own chart legend text in my choice of fonts, but can see no way of regaining that control for other charts in my armamentarium. If I right-click a chart, I am presented with 15 options.

First, what you see in the context menu depends on the current state of selection of the chart. What you are describing is the context menu seen when the chart is simply selected - so that it shows the eight coloured handles.

One is marked “Text”, which seems promising, but apparently deals with *positioning*, not content.

That's right: this deals with positioning of items generally.

The thing which it definitely lacks is any ability to control the legend text contents, or font.

To do that, you need to select the chart first.

If I double left-click ...

And that's how you select the chart - so that it shows a grey border.

... and then right-click, I now have 9 options, including one which will delete a legend, (leaving me unsure of what happens if the chart has more than one legend).

No problem: the legend is what labels the various data ranges, so charts have only one legend.

But, in any case, no control, beyond excision, over the legend text or its font.

To format the legend, first select the legend - so that *it* shows the eight coloured handles - and then use Format Legend... from the context menu.

When I double left-click, I get an interesting collection of mostly-graphic symbols at the bottom of my screen, ...

That's the Drawing toolbar.

One of these is a capital T in a dotted-line box, which, when hovered-over, reads: “Text Box”. Sounds promising, but what does it do, ...

It creates a (by default invisible) rectangular box to contain text.

... and how does one invoke whatever its action may be?

Click the "T" ("A" in the more recent version you should be using!). Note that the cursor (when in the chart) changes appearance. Drag the cursor to define the desired box.

None of these symbols can be dragged onto the chart, and clicking them – single or double, left or right – produces no obvious result of any kind.

First click; then drag in (not into) the chart.

They have interesting titles, and, if they did anything, might be quite useful.

You give the distinct impression that you have not read any of the documentation. Everything is in "Adding drawing objects to charts" in Chapter 3, "Creating Charts and Graphs" of the Calc Guide.

My first question, then, is: /how do I gain control over chart legend text & font?/

See above. (Though I think you may be asking not about the chart legend but instead axis titles, or even a chart title.)

And a subsidiary wonderment: /why is it so hard to find this answer?/

It's not. Again it's all in "Legends" and "Titles, subtitles, and axis names" in Chapter 3, "Creating Charts and Graphs", of the Calc Guide.

From the on-line manual:

Two points here:
o I find it easier not to use on-line facilities but instead to download the guides. If you choose the PDF versions, you can display them locally and easily search for what you require.
o I'm not at all sure why you choose to copy lots of material from documentation in your message. Surely this is what *you* should be reading, not anyone offering to help you?

To edit a chart legend:
1. Double-click on the chart. A gray border appears around the chart and the menu bar now contains commands for editing the objects in the chart.
2. Choose Format - Legend or double-click on the legend. This opens the Legend dialog.
3. Choose from the available tabs to make modifications, then click OK.
This is no help, as the “available tabs” do *not* allow editing the text or font.

You can change the font on the Font tab. You can change the text by changing the contents of the spreadsheet cells that you originally included for this purpose. Alternatively you can use Data Ranges... from the context menu to allow you to change which cells are referenced.

From the on-line edition of the 4.1 Calc Guide we have, at ppg 88-89:
To add a legend to your chart:
[...]
To remove a legend from your chart:
[...]
Again, the user can add or remove, but not edit.

Well, just as advertised, then?!

Another dead-end source illuminates another Calc problem:
https://ask.libreoffice.org/en/question/

There is no guarantee that answers on any forum - or indeed here on the Users mailing list - will be valuable or correct!

How *exactly* can I add a 2nd Y axis and assign different scale to it? Following the given instruction to “Double click on the chart, and then Menu/Insert/Axis, or right-click insert/delete axes” leads to a menu which allows up to 2 each Y, and 2 each X, axes, ...

Good: so tick Secondary axes | y-Axis.

... but shows no way to associate a set of figures with the added axes. It must also be possible to associate colours with the various traces, but how to do that remains equally a mystery.

Not a mystery if you read the documentation! Click on the relevant line or whatever in the chart (not on a point) and select Format Data Series... | Options | "Align Data Series to" from the context menu. Colour is set on the Line tab of the same dialogue.

It is worth saying that charts can be quite complicated, so you should expect first to obtain and consult the documentation and then to spend some time familiarising yourself with all the options.

I trust this helps.

Brian Barker