How to create a Pareto chart in OpenOffice.org or LibreOffice

Using the data from my article about creating Pareto charts with Google charts I'd like to show here how to create Pareto charts in OpenOffice.org or LibreOffice.

Starting with a data set the same issues need to be resolved:

Sorting the data

Calculating the accumulated percentages

Creating the chart with data in columns, percentages as a line and two y-axes.

First lets enter the data in a spreadsheet like this:

I added already the third column labeled Pctg which will be calculated later.

Step 1: sort the data

Mark all rows from 2 to the last and call Data -> Sort... and in the Sort Criteria tab choose Sort key 1 and change the entry to Column B and also tick Descending and finally OK.

Step 2: Create the Percentage values

Click on C2 and enter this formula = 100*SUM(B$2:B2)/SUM(B$2:B$8) . Note that there is only one variable B2, the other rows are fixed.

and copy it to C3:C8 by dragging it down. This should result in the accumulated percentages being calculated

Now we have all the data so we can continue with the actual chart.

Step 3: Create the basic chart

Go to Insert -> Chart... and in the upcoming Chart Wizard choose the chart type Column and Line with Number of lines set to 1 (if not already done so) and click Next.

Select the correct data range $A$1:$c$8 by either using your mouse in the data range selector or by entering it manually. Leave the settings Data series in columns, First row as label, First column as label and click Next.

The following Data Series window should have everything filled in correctly, click Next.

In the last window enter titles and remove the legend:

Title: Pareto chart

X axis: Category

Y axis: Sizeand click

Untick Display legend
and click Finish.

And this is the result:

What you can see: there is only one y-axis and the data and percentage units are not distinguishable.

Step 4: Fine tune the chart

First we are introducing an additonal y-axis. Ensure the chart is marked.

Right click on the chart and choose Insert/Delete Axes.... Under Secondary Axes tick Y axis and OK. This will create a second identical y-axis on the right.

With the chart still marked right click again and choose Insert Titles... and under Secondary Axes and Y axis enter Pctg.

Now we need to join the secondary y-axis with the line chart. Select the red line. This can be a bit tricky, you are successful if the green selection points are shown like this

Now right click on the red line and choose Format Data Series.... Select the Options tab and under Align data series to tick Secondary Y axis. Click OK:

The range of the secondary y-axis has changed to 0 - 120 but this automated setting is not yet what we want.

Mark the secondary y-axis e.g. by clicking on any of its numbers. Choose Format Axis... and in the Scale tab go to Maximum, untick Automatic and enter 100 as the maximum value.

This is the new graph:

There are some more actions needed to make the graph look closer to my Google chart example but I won't show all the details:

change the range of the primary y-axis to 160 and its major intervals to 40 and thus reduce the grid lines

change the major intervals of the secondary y-axis to 25

change the font attributes of each title to italic
So here is the final result: