How can I create charts from a calc spreadsheet?

[Tomas1]

I’ve been struggling with this issue for some time. I need to create several evaluations and I’d like to use my calc spreadsheet data to do it.

I was able to input the data into a text using Field Forms, but I need to add personalized graphs (charts) as well, and I haven’t been able to find out how to use directly the data from the spreadsheet to create the charts.

So far, I’ve been able to generate all the reports, and then edit each graph’s data table by hand. Is there a way to link the data from the spreadsheet directly, and generate the graphs (carts) automatically?

Is there a way to do it?

Can someone help me, please?

Thank you for your answers!

I’ll have a look at the options you’ve mentioned. Nevertheless, I don’t need to create a chart, but many charts, each corresponding to one line of data from the spreadsheet. I’m looking for something that works similar to form fields. For example, I need to generate 10 different pages using data from a spreadsheet of 11 rows (1 label + 10 rows of data). I’m able to do that in plain text, but not with charts.

I’m sorry, I guess, I haven’t explained it well enough before.

Can this be done?

[PYS]

Hi

What I understand: you have data in a spreadsheet and you want, in a Writer document, to create a chart from this data.

If that’s right, you can follow the instructions in this FAQ.

HTH - Regards

[Lupp]

That’s a great solution by @PYS .
However, the capabilities of text tables are limited and some of the Chart features may only work in Calc - or at least better.

Therefore I would like to hint that also a spreadsheet document can be linked into a text document as an OLE object, and if it contains a chart in the saved view, this chart will also show in the ‘Writer’ document. You can even edit the sheets - not the charts - in Writer and save the changes back to the source file. To edit the charts you need to open the spreadsheet document.

Some time ago I posted this answer to a related question in the German branch. If you cannot understand it there, the attached demo ask100415Demo_1.zip may help you. You need to expand both files contained in the zip into the same folder. To get the archive through the filter I appended the fake extension .odg. Simply remove it again. Open the .odt then.

(Editing to attach the demo announced in my recent comment to the fake answer by @Tomas1
Attachment demonstrating what I would suggest ignoring one of the OQ’s requirements.

[Lupp]

The OLE-linked spreadsheet object would show a contained chart if it was saved in an appropriate state. As far as I know, you cannot show different charts of the same Calc document, e.g. Regarding the additional explanations this way will not meet the requirements.
The way suggested by le cher collègue it will work.

[Lupp]

(To keep things together I paste the above mentioned comment also here:)
I still cannot see for what reason you are determined to do the task in a Writer document based on Form Fields connected to a spreadsheet document.
If Writer: Why not import the data as a link into a table?
I personally would easily reduce the printout aesthetics slightly to gain the advantages of doing the complete job in one spreadsheet document. I will attach a demo to my (otherwise withdrawn) answer.

[Tomas1]

Thank you for your answers!

I’ll have a look at the options you’ve mentioned. Nevertheless, I don’t need to create a chart, but many charts, each corresponding to one line of data from the spreadsheet. I’m looking for something that works similar to form fields. For example, I need to generate 10 different pages using data from a spreadsheet of 11 rows (1 label + 10 rows of data). I’m able to do that in plain text, but not with charts.

I’m sorry, I guess, I haven’t explained it well enough before.

Can this be done?

[Lupp]

I still assume that you want to create the charts one by one. The import of the data, however, can be done in one chunk the way @PYS described into one text-table. The charts can then get their data from that table in the same way as they would do in a spreadsheet.
As I cannot well imagine what charts you would produce from one row each (plus labels), I would prefer you give an example. You can attach now. I will care for the “karma”.

[Lupp]

Additional explanations are better appended to the original question (OQ) by editing. An answer should be an answer in this askbot site.

[Tomas1]

Thank you again for the comments and help! I’ll try to explain again.

I’ve got a spreadsheet with student names in rows, and some grades in columns. I want to create a report for them. The reports are going to be all the same. So far, I can create a separate report for each student (row in the spreadsheet) using form fields. (For example: I’ve got one page of a report, and 11 rows - 1 label and 10 students - I can create very easily and automatically 10 separate reports - each for each studen

[Tomas1]

t using form fields. Now I would like to add a graph for each student into his report. The graphs will be the same, but the values will depend on the values from each line of the spreadsheet.

Is it more clear now? I’ll post an example as soon as I have a clean and presentable example.

[Lupp]

I still cannot see for what reason you are determined to do the task in a Writer document based on Form Fields connected to a spreadsheet document.
If Writer: Why not import the data as a link into a table?
I personally would easily reduce the printout aesthetics slightly to gain the advantages of doing the complete job in one spreadsheet document. I will attach a demo to my (otherwise withdrawn) answer.

[Ratslinger]

Hello,

First, all credit for the answer goes to @PYS. I just wanted to post a sample based upon his answer and show you that it answers your question.

First the Calc file:

Then following the instructions in his provided link you will get to this point where I select Data Series in Rows & not Columns:

Selecting Next bring up this dialog:

Now under Data Series you can remove all but the one line you wish to retain. This will give you the chart for single line you are looking for:

Using this method I created four different charts on different pages in one writer file all based upon a single linked table to the Calc file. If you want, you could just repeat this process in different Writer documents.

[thenegativehunter]

create your charts in the spreadsheed, copy paste em (the charts) into libreoffice writer. data will be copied, format will be copied. you can modify the chart more if you want but i recommend modifying it’s original in case you want to change the data.