Home / Statistical Tools / Analysis Tools / Barchart / How-To / Numeric Data Columns
Numeric Data Columns¶
When you select numeric data columns (Continuous, Integer, or Count), each column header becomes a bar name and the values in that column are aggregated into the bar height. All numeric columns appear together in a single chart.
Goal¶
Compare total sales across three quarters, with each quarter's column becoming one bar.
Sample Data¶
Press Copy for Excel, then paste the table into a blank worksheet.
| Q1 Sales | Q2 Sales | Q3 Sales |
|---|---|---|
| 1250 | 1380 | 1520 |
| 980 | 1150 | 1300 |
| 1100 | 1290 | 1410 |
| 1340 | 1450 | 1600 |
| 1050 | 1200 | 1350 |
| 1180 | 1320 | 1480 |
| 1420 | 1510 | 1650 |
| 990 | 1080 | 1220 |
| 1275 | 1400 | 1550 |
| 1310 | 1360 | 1490 |
Each column contains 10 sales figures for one quarter. Quantum XL will aggregate each column into a single bar using the selected function (Sum by default).
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:C11 (the header row plus all 10 data rows across all three columns).
-
Configure the analysis
In the Bar Chart dialog:
- Data Columns: "Q1 Sales", "Q2 Sales", and "Q3 Sales" should all be checked
The Function defaults to Sum for numeric data. You can change it to Mean, Median, Min, Max, or Standard Deviation in the Options tab. Click Finish to generate the chart.
Result¶
Quantum XL creates a single chart with three bars: one for each quarter. The bar heights show the sum of all sales in each column:
- Q1 Sales: 11,895
- Q2 Sales: 13,140
- Q3 Sales: 14,570
The chart clearly shows sales increasing from Q1 to Q3. To see averages instead of totals, change the Function to Mean in the Options tab.