Apache OpenOffice Calc · Charts and visualization · Intermediate
Compare values with scatter and combination charts
Choose a numeric X axis for uneven measurements, then build a column-and-line comparison with clearly labeled scales.
Documentation-qualified exercise; native application verification pending · Editorial standards
Use an XY scatter chart when horizontal distance has numeric meaning. Use a column-and-line chart when you want two related series against shared categories. These choices answer different questions; changing the chart type is not merely cosmetic.
Scope and two small fixtures
This exercise follows Apache OpenOffice Calc 4.1 desktop documentation, using English menus and Windows/Linux conventions. It is a documentary exercise, not a report of native execution. Save a disposable ODS workbook. For ordinary wizard operation, see Create and maintain a chart.
Enter this measurement table in A1:B5:
| Time, minutes | Distance, metres |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 6 |
| 5 | 15 |
| 10 | 30 |
In D1:F4 enter a second table:
| Period | Orders | On-time fraction |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 80 | 0.90 |
| Week 2 | 100 | 0.95 |
| Week 3 | 120 | 0.80 |
The first table tests numeric spacing. The second compares a count with a proportion. Keep fractions numeric, not text containing a percent sign.
Make horizontal distance meaningful
- Select A1:B5 and choose Insert > Chart.
- Choose XY (Scatter), using points without a connecting curve for this check.
- Set data series in columns and the first row as labels. In the Data Series step verify the X-values are A2:A5 and Y-values are B2:B5. The Time heading is not another distance series.
- Add an explicit title and axis titles: Time (minutes) and Distance (metres). Finish.
- Inspect the points. Their horizontal gaps must represent 2, 3 and 5 minutes, not three equal category steps. All four points lie on the relationship distance = 3 × time.
Change A4 from 5 to 6 without changing B4. The third point should move right to (6,15), falling below the original relationship. A category line chart can conceal this important change because its category positions stay evenly spaced. Restore A4 to 5.
If spacing looks wrong, inspect the series ranges and the numeric status of column A. View > Value Highlighting helps distinguish numeric values from text. Do not fix text numbers by simply relabeling the axis.
Compare counts and proportions honestly
- Select D1:F4, choose Insert > Chart, and select Column and Line. Use data series in columns, the first row as labels and first column as categories.
- Set one line so Orders is the column series and On-time fraction is the line. Verify the legend rather than relying on default colors.
- Finish, then double-click the chart to edit it. Select the On-time fraction series, right-click, and choose Format Data Series. On Options, under Align data series to, select Secondary Y axis. If it is not visible, use Insert > Axes to enable the secondary Y axis.
- Label the primary axis Orders and the secondary axis On-time fraction. Format the latter as percentages if appropriate. Keep zero visible and use an intelligible scale, preferably 0 to 1 for this fraction.
The columns should read 80, 100 and 120; the line should represent 90%, 95% and 80%. A rising order count does not imply a rising on-time fraction. Change F4 to 0.98: only the final line point should rise, to 98%, while the 120-order column stays unchanged.
Verify and recover
Two scales can make unrelated slopes look alike. Include units on both axes and avoid claiming a relationship from apparent line/column overlap. If readers cannot readily match series to axes, use two separate charts instead. A combination chart also treats weeks as categories; it does not inherit scatter-chart spacing.
Save, close and reopen the ODS file. Check both series ranges, axis assignments and changed values. If you edited the chart wall instead of a series, cancel the dialog and select the named series again; the selected element is identified in the status bar. Keep the original data tables intact while experimenting with chart types.
Official reference
Apache OpenOffice 4.1 Calc Guide, Chapter 3, especially Scatter or XY Charts, Column and Line Charts, and formatting data series. The recovered guide was retrieved on 19 October 2026; native rendering and save/reopen behavior remain to be verified in the target build.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.16 chart Options help documents the primary/secondary Y-axis assignment; chart control paths document the Data Series Options tab. Both sources were retrieved on 20 October 2026.