Pivot charts

Pivot charts have almost all properties as standard charts that are used to visualize reporting data. They are specific in that they are always in relation to the Pivot table on the basis of which they were created or by some other data source (Data Model). Changing data in the Pivot table, e.g. by adding a new report dimension, the Pivot chart is automatically updated. You can find out more about Pivot Charts in the text that follows …

After we have created a Pivot table, we create a chart by clicking on the Insert or Analyze ribbon and selecting the Pivot Chart option. We can also create a Pivot chart directly from the Insert ribbon, but it will always look for a link to a data source. In particular, in this case, a dialog box for creating a Pivot table will open, so when we create a Pivot chart, we will automatically create the source Pivot table.

After launching the Pivot Chart option, the Insert Chart dialog box opens, which is the same as the one you see when creating a traditional chart. It has all those options as a traditional chart. It differs in that it contains a filtering field, so we can filter the data directly on the chart, without having to intervene on the Pivot table. On the other hand, any change to the Pivot table automatically changes the chart.

After creating, the Design context toolbar will appear. It contains a number of options that can affect the look of the Pivot chart. Add Chart Element is used to add chart elements (titles, legends, axes, etc.), Quick Layout is used to change its setting, Change Colors to change the colors, and styles palette for changeover of a chart appearance.

Switch Row / Column is used to replace rows and columns, and using the Select Data option, as with a traditional chart, we can influence the change of series data sources. Change Chart Type is used to change the type of chart, and the Move Chart can be used to move the chart to a new worksheet or a position within existing worksheet.