To change the order of bars or bar groups in your PowerPoint chart, a primary method involves utilizing the Select Data Source dialog box, allowing you to rearrange the categories or series displayed.
Modifying the data source selection is a standard and effective way to reorder the elements that appear in your bar chart, directly influencing the sequence of bars or categories along the axis.
Using the Select Data Source Dialog Box
Follow these steps to reorder bar chart elements using the Select Data feature, as described in the reference:
- Select Your Chart: Click on the bar chart within your PowerPoint slide to select it.
- Access Chart Tools Design Tab: With the chart selected, the "Chart Tools" contextual tabs will appear on the ribbon. Click on the "Design" tab.
- Open Select Data: In the "Data" section of the Design tab, click the "Select Data" button. This action opens the Select Data Source dialog box.
- Identify Items on the Left: Inside this dialog box, notice the two main sections for selecting data. The items you can directly reorder to change their display sequence in the chart are typically listed on the left side. This section is often labeled "Legend Entries (Series)" or "Horizontal (Category) Axis Labels," depending on how your data is arranged and what aspect of the chart you wish to reorder.
- Important Note from Reference: The reference highlights that you can only change the order of the values listed on the left side of the Select Data Source dialog box. If the categories or series you want to reorder are currently shown on the right side, you might need to first click the "Switch Row/Column" button. This button swaps the data orientation, potentially moving the desired list of items to the left side where they can be reordered.
- Reorder Items: Once the categories or series you wish to rearrange are on the left side, select an item in the list. Use the small Up and Down arrow buttons located above the list box to move the selected item higher or lower in the order.
- Confirm Changes: After arranging the items in the desired sequence, click OK at the bottom of the dialog box to apply the changes to your bar chart.
What Gets Reordered?
This method primarily allows you to reorder:
- Categories on the Axis: If you reorder items listed under "Horizontal (Category) Axis Labels" (which appear on the left side), you change the sequence of categories along the axis, thereby changing the order in which the bar groups appear.
- Data Series: If you reorder items listed under "Legend Entries (Series)" (which appear on the left side), you change the stacking or clustering order of the bars within each category for charts with multiple series (e.g., grouped or stacked bar charts).
By using the "Select Data Source" dialog and focusing on the reordering capability on the left side (potentially after switching rows/columns), you gain control over the visual presentation order of your bar chart data.
