Home / Statistical Tools / Analysis Tools / Barchart / How-To / Count Frequency (Categorical)
Count Frequency (Categorical)¶
When your categorical data includes counts that need to be aggregated, use a Count column as the frequency. Quantum XL automatically sums the counts for each category, so you don't need to pre-summarize your data. With a frequency column selected, the Count function is disabled and Sum becomes the default, with all other math operations available.
Goal¶
Create a bar chart from product sales data where the same product appears multiple times. Quantum XL will aggregate (sum) the units sold for each product automatically.
Sample Data¶
Press Copy for Excel, then paste the table into a blank worksheet.
| Product | Units Sold |
|---|---|
| Widget A | 150 |
| Widget B | 89 |
| Widget A | 210 |
| Widget C | 45 |
| Widget B | 67 |
| Widget A | 180 |
| Widget D | 12 |
| Widget C | 33 |
| Widget B | 54 |
| Widget D | 8 |
Notice that "Widget A" appears 3 times, "Widget B" 3 times, and "Widget C" and "Widget D" twice each. Quantum XL will automatically sum the units sold:
- Widget A: 150 + 210 + 180 = 540
- Widget B: 89 + 67 + 54 = 210
- Widget C: 45 + 33 = 78
- Widget D: 12 + 8 = 20
Steps¶
-
Put the data in Excel
Press Copy for Excel above the table, click cell A1 in a blank worksheet, and press Ctrl+V. The header row lands in row 1 and the 10 data rows in rows 2 through 11.
-
Launch the analysis
From the Excel ribbon, select QXL Stat Tools → Analysis Tools → Bar Chart.
-
Select your data
Select cells A1:B11 (the header row plus all 10 data rows).
-
Configure the analysis
In the Bar Chart dialog:
- Deselect "Units Sold" under Data Columns (if auto-selected)
- Check "Units Sold" under Frequency Data (Optional)
Click Finish to generate the chart.
Result¶
Quantum XL aggregates the units sold by product and creates the bar chart. Widget A has the tallest bar at 540 units, followed by Widget B at 210, Widget C at 78, and Widget D at 20.