JPH05250484A - Graph plotter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To freely change the relative position relation of each graph when overlapping a plurality of graphs. CONSTITUTION:A bar graph generation section 16 implements a bar graph taking item data as X axis based on the data containing item data. Based on the data having the common item data, when 'the number of gradations = the number of items plus 1' on the x-axis gradation displayed on a display section 4 is instructed by means of a mouse 1, the number of gradations is increased by one and the selection item of positioning a line graph is newly displayed. When the center, right or left position on the bar graph required to be overlapped is instructed an arithmetic operation section 13 calculates the value of the correction position on the line graph according to the instruction. Based on the value, a line graph generation section 14 implements a new line graph with the position corrected. Then, a synthesis section 15 synthesizes the line and bar graphs to output it to a display section 3 and to an external storage device 4.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a graph creating apparatus which is one of information processing by a personal computer or the like and creates a graph from a plurality of data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a graph is created by a conventional graph creating apparatus, a plurality of data to be graphed are
It is drawn on the screen by inputting to the graph application of the graph creating device or by referring to the data of another application, selecting the type of graph, and specifying the necessary parameters for the selected graph,
The data is saved or printed out and a predetermined graph is created.

The line graph created here can be divided into two types of graphs. That is, one is positioned on the XY coordinates based on the X value and the Y value, and the other one is for comparing the characteristic values common to a plurality of items. For convenience, list items on the X-axis,
The position of this item is the X coordinate, and the Y coordinate has a value. Hereinafter, the data in the former format and the graph representing the data will be referred to as "X-axis numerical type", and the data in the latter format and the graph representing the data will be referred to as "X-axis item type".

Whether the graph is the "X-axis numerical type" or the "X-axis item type" is checked by checking the contents of data.
Judgment is automatically made based on whether or not the coordinate data contains a non-numeric value. However, it is also possible to make the determination by allowing the user to select a different type of graph or by allowing the user to specify parameters. here,
Since the specification contents differ depending on whether it is the “X-axis numerical type” or the “X-axis item type”, the user specifies the parameter.

Here, when the user specifies the "X-axis item type", conventionally, the same scale as the number of items is assigned and the data is plotted right above the scale. But in a plot like this, when overlaid with a bar graph,
Misalignment occurs.

Therefore, there is a graph creating apparatus for exclusive use in the case of compounding a bar graph, in which a margin of half of the items on the left and right is taken to add a graph in a form in which the widths of the items match those of the bar graph. This eliminates the data spacing problem for overlays with bar graphs.

However, in such a method, there is a limitation in the degree of freedom in the positional relationship between the bar and the broken line and the positional relationship between the scale and the broken line, and there is a problem in that it cannot be applied to Pareto charts and the like.

[0008]

As described above, in the conventional graph creating apparatus for creating and outputting a graph in a predetermined format from a plurality of data to be graphed,
There are graphs to be created corresponding to numerical values on the X-axis and graphs having items listed on the X-axis for the sake of convenience. When creating a graph in which these two types of graphs are superposed, a deviation occurs. In particular, in the case of line charts and bar charts, in order to solve this, a margin of half of the left and right items on the X axis of the bar chart is fixed, and it is suitable for overlaying with the line chart in which the X axis is represented by numerical values. However, there is a problem that the relative position relationship between the bar graph and the line graph at the time of superposition requires a different relative position relationship, which is not particularly applicable to Pareto charts. ..

It is therefore an object of the present invention to eliminate such problems and to provide a graph creating apparatus capable of freely changing the relative positional relationship between the graphs when superimposing a plurality of graphs.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, when a line graph is generated from a plurality of data to be graphed, one axis of the line graph represents an item and the item is a predetermined area. In a graph creating device preset so as to have a width, based on position information instructed by first instructing means for instructing a position of a point in the line graph corresponding to the item, and position information instructed by the first instructing means. Calculating means for calculating the position of the point of the line graph, and a line graph generating means for arranging the points of the line graph corresponding to the items based on the calculation result calculated by the calculating means to generate the line graph. And is provided.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in a graph creating device for generating a line graph from a plurality of data to be graphed, one axis of the line graph is an axis representing a numerical value or an axis representing an item. When the second instruction means for instructing whether or not and one of the axes of the line graph instructed by the second instruction means are instructed to be an axis representing an item, the item has a predetermined area width And a third instructing means for instructing whether or not to have, and a third instructing means for instructing the position of a point of the line graph corresponding to the item when the item has a predetermined area. 1 indicating means, calculating means for calculating the position of the point of the line graph based on the position information indicated by the 1st indicating means, and the item based on the calculation result calculated by the calculating means. Correspondence Wherein by placing the point of line graph, characterized in that it comprises a line graph generating means for generating a line graph that.

A third invention is a graph synthesizing means for synthesizing a bar graph from data corresponding to the item, a graph synthesizing for synthesizing the bar graph generated by the bar graph generating means and the line graph generated by the line graph generating means. And means.

[0013]

According to the first invention, when a line graph is generated from a plurality of data to be graphed, one axis of the line graph represents an item, and the item has a predetermined area width in advance. In the set graph creating device, the first instructing means indicates the position of the point of the line graph corresponding to the item, and the calculating means is based on the position information instructed by the first instructing means. The position of the point of the line graph is calculated, and the line graph creating means arranges the point of the line graph corresponding to the item based on the calculation result calculated by the calculating means to generate the line graph.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in a graph creating apparatus for generating a line graph from a plurality of data to be graphed, the second indicating means sets one axis of the line graph as an axis representing a numerical value. Or an axis representing an item, and the third instructing means is instructed by the second instructing means to use one axis of the line graph as an axis representing an item, Instructing whether or not the item has a predetermined region width, and in the case where the item has a predetermined region by the third instructing means, instructing the position of the point of the line graph corresponding to the item. The calculation means calculates the position of the point of the line graph based on the position information indicated by the first indication means, and the line graph generation means calculates the item based on the calculation result calculated by the calculation means. Against Wherein by placing the point of line graph to generate a line graph that.

According to a third invention, in the first invention or the second invention, the bar graph creating means creates a bar graph from the data corresponding to the item, and the graph synthesizing means creates the bar graph creating means. The bar graph and the line graph generated by the line graph generating means are combined.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a graph creating apparatus which is an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a keyboard 2 for inputting various kinds of data and commands, a display unit 3 for displaying various kinds of data and a created graph on the screen, and a specified portion on the display screen of the display unit 3 are designated. Mouse 1, a pointing device,
The external storage device 4 stores a large number of data and programs, and the control unit 10. The main control unit 11 in the control unit 10 controls the mouse 1, the keyboard 2, the display unit 3, and the external storage device 4 via the interfaces 10-1 to 10-4, and the external storage device 4 receives data or programs. Is composed of the main memory 12 in which is loaded. The main storage unit 12 calculates a position of a point on a line graph based on position information designated by the mouse 1, a line graph generation unit 14 that generates a line graph, and a bar graph generation unit 16 that generates a bar graph. And the line graph generated by the line graph generation unit 14 and the bar graph generated by the bar graph generation unit 16.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a display at the beginning of graph creation and editing on the display unit 3 of FIG. The graph creating / editing displayed on the display unit 3 is realized as a graph creating function incorporated in a document creating application on a multi-window environment. That is, the user first points out one of the documents displayed by the icon, for example, the icon 20 with the mouse 1 to open the document window 21. Further, the graph frame 22 is inserted into the document of this document window. Next, a sub window called a property sheet is designated by the mouse 1 to open it. Graph creation / editing is performed by this property sheet.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a property sheet when creating / editing a line graph. In FIG. 3, data 30 is line graph data to be created. This data is data on the number of items and percentages for items, items A to E. Further, this data may use a table in the same document or may be created by inputting the data into the table in the property sheet from the keyboard 2. The blank rectangles 32 to 37 are for inputting numbers or the like into the blank from the keyboard 2 to indicate various characteristics of the graph to be created. Also, for a rectangle with letters, use mouse 1
By clicking with, the character is reversed, and it is possible to specify “ON” or “OFF” of the corresponding item. Further, a rectangle in which characters are adjacent to each other, such as the rectangle 31, is for selecting one of the rectangles, and the characters of the selected item are reversed to indicate the selected state. Further, if more detailed designation is required depending on the content of the designation, a rectangle indicating a new selection designation item is newly displayed.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a property sheet at the time of creating / editing a line graph with a numerical type specified. Figure 4
In, when the item of the rectangle 41 is designated by the mouse 1, it means that the "X-axis item type" graph in which the position of the item listed for convenience is the X coordinate is selected on the X axis of the graph to be created. To make further detailed instructions, a rectangle 42 appears, and in this rectangle 42, selection items of “number of scales = number of items” and “number of scales = number of items + 1” are displayed. Here, in the rectangle 42, if "the number of scales = the number of items" is specified,
The number of ticks is the same as the number of data items, and points are plotted just above the ticks. On the other hand, "number of scales = number of items + 1"
If is specified, the scale will be increased by one from the number of data items, and points will be plotted between the scales.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a line graph when the number of scales is the same as the number of items. The data based on FIG. 5 are the items of the data 40 in FIG. 4 and the percentage of the items. In the created line graph of FIG. 5, the numbers of the items A to E and the number of scales are both five, and the point 52 of the line graph is directly above the scale 51.
Is plotted.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a property sheet at the time of creating / editing a line graph when the number of graduations is set to the number obtained by adding 1 to the number of items. In FIG. 6, when the “number of scales = the number of items + 1” of the rectangle 62 is designated, the alignment rectangle 63 appears. The alignment rectangle in FIG. 6 indicates a state where the center is designated.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a line graph when the alignment is designated as "center". In FIG. 7, the number of item data is 5, and the number of scales is 6, which is one more than the number of item names. Further, the X coordinate position of the point 73 of the line graph is the X coordinate corresponding to the center position of the scale 71 and the scale 72.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a line graph in the case where right-justification within the alignment rectangle is specified. Figure 8
Specifies the number of scales = the number of items + 1 within the rectangle of the X-axis scale, the positions and the number of item names and the number of scales and the positions of the scales are the same as in FIG. In FIG.
The position of the X coordinate of the point 83 of the line graph is right above the scale 82 on the right side of the position of the item A. When the left justification within the alignment rectangle is specified, the X coordinate position of the point 83 of the line graph is directly above the scale 81 on the left side of the position of the item A. Of course, the entire line graph moves in parallel.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a graph in which a bar graph and a line graph are combined. FIG. 9A shows a bar graph created based on the items A to E and the items A to E of the data 90. Note that the Y axis is specified on the right side in anticipation of composition. FIG. 9B is a diagram in which FIG. 8A in which items are commonly used for the X axis and FIG. 9A are overlapped. This is a so-called Pareto chart. That is, the point 92 of the line graph is located at the right end of the bar 91 of the bar graph of the item A.

FIG. 10 shows a decision flowchart regarding the arrangement of the line graph. In FIG. 10, first, it is determined whether or not "the number of scales = the number of items" in the rectangle of the X-axis scale is designated by the mouse 1 on the display unit 3 (step 101). If "number of scales = number of items" is not specified, that is, if "number of scales = number of items + 1" is specified, the number of scales is added to the number of items as specified. (Step 103). This places the item between each scale. When "the number of scales = the number of items + 1" is specified, the alignment rectangle automatically appears and the alignment is designated (step 104). In step 104, if left alignment is specified, the position adjustment value that is the parallel movement amount of the line graph is left unchanged (step 105), and if center alignment is specified, the position adjustment value of the line graph is set to "scale width x (1/2) "(step 106), and when right alignment is designated, the position adjustment value of the line graph is set to" scale width "(step 107). The calculation unit 13 calculates the position of such a line graph. Then, the arrangement determination flow ends. On the other hand, in step 101,
When "number of scales = number of items" is specified, the number of scales is set to the same number as the number of items (step 102), and the arrangement determination flow is ended. Now, when the arrangement of the line graph is determined, the line graph generation unit 14 creates the graph,
It is displayed on the display unit 3. The bar graph to be combined is created by the bar graph generation unit 16 and displayed on the display unit 3. Furthermore, the synthesis unit 15 includes a line graph generation unit 14
Line graph and bar graph generation unit 16 generated by
The bar graph generated by is combined by the combining unit 15 and displayed on the display unit 3.

In this way, when the "X-axis item type" bar graph and the line graph are overlaid, not only the center of the bar graph but also the positions of the left and right ends of the bar of the bar graph can be aligned, and the Pareto chart and the like are easy. Can be created.

In the present embodiment, the alignment can be specified in three ways, left, center and right. However, the degree of freedom may be further increased to provide a millimeter specification item.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention, when a plurality of graphs are created from common data of a plurality of data to be graphed and further combined into one graph,
Since it is possible to freely perform the position correction so as to eliminate the deviation between the graphs according to the reference graph, there is an advantage that a unified and easy-to-see graph can be created based on the common data.

In particular, when the position of the point of the line graph is at the center, it becomes possible to create a graph that solves this problem when it overlaps with a grid such as a bar graph and is difficult to see.

Therefore, there is an advantage that the Pareto chart can be easily created.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a graph creating apparatus that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a display at the beginning of creating and editing a graph on a display unit 3 of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a property sheet when creating / editing a line graph.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a property sheet when creating / editing a line graph with a numeric type specified.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a line graph when the number of scales is the same as the number of items.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a property sheet when creating / editing a line graph when the number of scales is set to the number obtained by adding 1 to the number of items.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a line graph when the alignment is designated as the center.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a line graph in the case where right-justification within a position alignment rectangle is specified.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a graph in which a bar graph and a line graph are combined.

FIG. 10 is a determination flowchart regarding arrangement of a line graph.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 mouse 2 keyboard 3 display unit 4 external storage device 10 control unit 10-1 to 10-4 interface 11 main control unit 12 main storage unit 13 arithmetic unit 14 line graph generation unit 15 synthesis unit 16 bar graph generation unit 20 icon 21 document window 22 graph frame

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. When generating a line graph from a plurality of data to be graphed, one axis of the line graph represents an item, and the item has a predetermined area width.
In a preset graph creating device, a first instructing means for instructing a position of a point of the line graph corresponding to the item, and a line graph of the line graph based on position information instructed by the first instructing means. And a line graph generation unit for arranging points of the line graph corresponding to the items based on the calculation result calculated by the calculation unit to generate a line graph. A graph creating device characterized by. 2. A graph creating apparatus for generating a line graph from a plurality of data to be graphed, and instructing whether one axis of the line graph is a numerical value axis or an item axis. When instructed to use the second instructing means and one axis of the line graph instructed by the second instructing means as an axis representing an item, whether or not the item has a predetermined area width And a third instructing means for instructing whether or not the item has a predetermined area by the third instructing means, and a first instructing means for instructing a position of a point of the line graph corresponding to the item. A calculating means for calculating the position of a point on the line graph based on the position information designated by the first indicating means; and the folding corresponding to the item based on the calculation result calculated by the computing means. Graphing apparatus characterized by comprising a line graph generating means for generating a line chart by placing the point of the line graph. 3. A bar graph creating means for creating a bar graph from the data corresponding to the item, and a graph synthesizing means for synthesizing the bar graph created by the bar graph creating means and the line graph created by the line graph creating means. The graph creating apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein