%20(11).png){kind=small}
Excel is the favourite spreadsheet application in the world. Whenever you think you know everything about it, another function or feature surprises you.
Here is the sparkline function of Excel and the 5 must-know things about sparklines.
What is a Sparkline?
A sparkline is a tiny bit-sized graph which can be placed in a cell with default width and breadth. These depict the trend, increase/ decrease, or max-min values followed by a set of cells selected. Sparklines make it easy to understand the data by providing visual aids adjacent to it.
Making a sparkline
Making a sparkline in Excel is easy. All you need is the data, which could be used for several periods or observations. Let's suppose sales of good X for five consecutive years. So, for the sales of good X for five years, you can create a sparkline by selecting a blank cell adjacent to the data, insert > sparklines > select the most viable option according to your data.
Different sparklines
Three types of sparklines can be inserted. The first one is the trendline, which shows the trend over some time being followed by the selected variable. The second one is a column chart, which depicts the data selected as bars created in a bar graph. In short, it is a minibar graph. The final sparkline is the win-loss chart. It is used to depict the wins or losses in a data set. It is used to track the outcomes of an event.
Formatting a sparkline
You can change the format of a sparkline once created by going to the design window. Under design, you can fix the chart's colour and chart type, edit the data points, show or remove markers at your convenience, change the colour of markers, and even add or remove the axis.
Using a sparkline
A sparkline is used when there is a huge amount of data; all you need is a mere glimpse at it. For example, stock prices, sales data, and defect reports. Creating a sparkline for such data types makes understanding and analysing them easier for further processes.
Excel is not just logical, but it is fun, too. Try experimenting with the new functions that Excel has, and also, do try your hands on with Sparkline in Excel. Try using it and let us know in the comments section how your experience was.
Comments