What Does A Data Bar In A Cell Represent

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Excel Conditional Formatting Data Bars

Use conditional formatting to add together data confined to cells with numbers. This makes information technology easy to visually compare numbers, as you would in a bar chart.

Information Confined Intro

If cells incorporate numbers, y'all tin add together conditional formatting data bars, to prove the differences amidst the amounts. Watch this brusk video to run into how to set upwardly data confined in a jail cell, and the written instructions are beneath.

How to Add together Data Bars

In the screen shot below, conditional formatting data bars accept been added to a sales report. You can quickly run across that June had the smallest sales, and January and March have the largest.

conditional formatting data bars

To add conditional formatting with information bars, follow these steps.

On the Excel worksheet, select the cells with numbers that yous want to format. Do Non include whatsoever row or column totals.
On the Ribbon, click the Dwelling house tab, and so in the Styles group, click Conditional Formatting.
In the list of provisional formatting options, click Information Bars, and then click i of the Data Bar options -- Slope Fill or Solid Fill. (run into tips below)

choose an option for data bars

The selected cells now testify Information Bars, along with the original numbers. In this example, the Green Slope data bar option was selected.

data bars with green gradient

Data Confined Tips

Fill up Type

At that place are two sets of Data Bar options -- Gradient Fill up and Solid Fill.

Solid Fill is a better choice if the data confined if the numbers volition exist hidden in the cells (instructions below)
Gradient Fill is better if the numbers will exist visible in the cells -- the lighter colours at the end of the gradient brand it easier to read the numbers.

NOTE: Change the numbers to Bold font, so they are easier to see.

gradient fill and bold font

Column Width

If possible, make the cavalcade wider than usual, if you are adding data bars, especially if the numbers volition likewise be visible.

A wider column makes it easier to see the differences among the bars
In a wider column, the numbers at the right volition be positioned over the lighter office of a bar with slope fill.

conditional formatting data bars

Show Data Bars Simply

After you add together Data Bars, you can change the conditional formatting settings, and then only the data bars are shown in the prison cell, without the numbers.

Follow these steps to hide the numbers:

Select the cells that contain the data confined.
On the Ribbon, click the Home tab
In the Styles group, click Provisional Formatting, and and then click Manage Rules.
In the list of rules, click your Information Bar rule.
Click the Edit Rule push, to open the Edit Formatting Dominion dialog box.

Click the Edit Rule button

In the 2d section -- Edit the Rule Description -- add a check marking to Show Bar Simply

check mark for Show Bar Only

Click OK, twice, to shut the dialog boxes.

Set Data Bar Minimum

When you add Data Confined, their minimum and maximum values are automatically set, usually with a minimum of zilch, and a maximum that matches your highest value.

To "zoom in" on the differences between the amounts, follow these steps to change the Minimum setting:

Select the cells that comprise the data confined.
On the Ribbon, click the Abode tab
In the Styles group, click Provisional Formating, and then click Manage Rules.
In the list of rules, click your Data Bar rule, and then click the Edit Rule button
In the "Edit the Rule Description" department, the default settings are shown for Minimum and Maximum
Click the arrow for Type, under Minimum, to see the other options.

data bar minimum type options

For this example, select Formula
Then, in the value box, type the following formula.
(optional) Alter the Maximum settings, if required. (see note below)
Click OK, twice, to close the dialog boxes.

NOTE: In the sample file, a formula is likewise used to set the Maximum: =MAX($Thousand$iv:$One thousand$ix)*1.1. That formula finds the highest value, and sets the maximum 10% above that. This creates a small space at the end of the bar, instead of going to the cell border. Use a like formula if you desire extra room to show numbers, without the bars overlapping them.

data bar minimum and maximum set with formulas

Go the Sample File

To follow along with this tutorial, get the Conditional Formatting Data Bars sample file. The file is in xlsx format, and does non contain macros.