How to Create a Pareto Chart

What is a Pareto Chart

A Pareto Chart is a mixed type of chart, a combination between a Column Chart and a Line Chart. The Column series must have the data sorted in descending order.

The Line values are automatically calculated. They trace the gradual completion, as a percentage up to 100% reached with the final bar.

Steps to Create a Pareto Chart

Start Visual Xtractor or Data Xtractor. Connect to a database. Create or design a SQL query. Run the query and check the results.

1. Display and enable the Chart query builder.
2. Select one numeric column, with descending values, as Bar Charts – Bar.
3. Select on an empty column the Helper Charts – Pareto Line setting.
4. Select a data chart as Label.

Pareto Chart Demo Query

Look for the ready-to-use Pareto Chart generated chart query under the Queries > Demo Queries > Charts > Bar Charts folder. Click on the “add demo queries” command link, to make sure it’s there.

When creating a Pareto chart from scratch, you may start with the Bar selection of your actual data. The data must be sorted, in descending order, or we will do it for you, but you get a warning on screen.

Then choose a Pareto Line in any other column, to usually get a new empty column with this setting appended at the end.

Finally, select your Label column. And that’s it.

Customize your Pareto Chart

1. Select the bar chart from toolbar and change its drawing style.
2. Show bars with no gaps between.
3. Select custom line markers.
4. Switch to the 3D view.
5. You may continue with a multi-color chart, or data labels etc.

Conclusion

• Creating a Pareto Chart in Data Xtractor or Visual Xtractor is fast and intuitive: set your sorted column as Bar, select a Pareto Line on another empty column, with one optional Label.
• All builtin powerful features of these chart type are common to most other charts: filtering series through the legend items, interactivity, monochrome or grayscale colors, rich axis and data label selections etc.
• Switch to another builtin chart theme, or customize your own, for any possible color or other styles.