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geoSpecific - Every Picture Tells a Story
by Bruce Thomas

I am sure that everyone knows the old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words.

I am also pretty confident that most people know the 'G' in GEOS stands for 'Graphic'.

It also stands to reason that people know that GEOS, or their new set of Wheels, will perform better with more hardware.

This leads into the next item. With all of the powerful new Hardware and Software that is now available for your Commodore you may find yourself having to prove that you can afford some of these products. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to save your breath and have a picture tell the story?

The Right Tool

GeoChart was the last major application released by GeoWorks for the Commodore platform. It ranks right up there with the other applications as far as keeping the 'G' in GEOS and this is a perfect time to use it.

Weighing in at a hefty 60 KB, geoChart is second in size behind only geoPublish. This application runs under any version of GEOS 64 as well as GEOS 128 in 40 column mode. Integration with the rest of the system allows data to be imported via Text Scraps from geoFile, geoCalc, geoWrite or the Notepad. Charts can be printed directly from geoChart or exported to geoPaint, geoWrite or geoPublish via Photo Scraps.

Pick Your Topic

GeoChart can import up to 1250 data values (25 rows by 50 columns) although a single chart can only display 80 items - 4 series with up to 20 items per series. This means you have lots of control over what appears on your chart. That control is exercised in the two main modes of geoChart - Data Mode and Chart Mode.

The first thing to do is create the data. Enter the following information into a new geoWrite document:

Finances 1999,Jan,Feb,Mar,Apr
Housing,885,885,885,885
Food,487.53,447,468.97,512
Clothing,126,86.35,115,238.56
Entertainment,110,160,120,50
Income,1850,1850,1850,1850

This data is crammed together but geoChart will work wonders with it. I must point out that TABs, instead of commas, can also be used between our data items in geoWrite to make it easier to read. Copy the data to a Text Scrap and exit geoWrite.

Load the Film

Double-Clicking on the geoChart Icon brings up the familiar Create/Open/Quit dialog box. Choose Create and enter a filename. This is where geoChart veers away from the standard operation of GEOS applications.

Instead of being presented with the Data Mode screen we are forced to watch as the program draws a sample Column Chart detailing Widget Sales for 1987. The first time you start geoChart this is interesting to see but not every time you create a new chart. If, however, you find the Widget Sales data fascinating you can view the different Chart styles by using the Chart menu.

We actually want to create our own chart so let's choose Paste under the Edit menu. Another odd aspect of geoChart shows up now. A dialog box opens up and tells us that Pasting in our Text Scrap will destroy the old Data in the chart. Since we just created a new chart it is mildly startling to know it has data in it already. This is, of course, the sample Widget Sales data so go ahead and press the OK icon (here is a challenge for some talented programmer - remove the sample chart from geoChart).

Arrange Your Subjects

After importing our data we are presented with the Data Mode screen. It is here that we choose which of our values will be charted, as well as the relationships they will have.

A grid, with one square for each data value, appears in the center of the screen. A box labeled 'Data Series', containing three empty text boxes, is below the grid. Beside the grid are two icons - Clear and Chart.

Move your mouse pointer over the top left-hand square in the grid and the text boxes will fill with the values 'Jan', 'Housing' and '885'. As you move your pointer around the grid you will see all of the information that we entered except for one item. The item 'Finances 1999' will be the title on our Chart.

Before we can go to Chart Mode we must choose the data we want on our chart. This is accomplished by dragging the mouse over the grid squares while holding the button down.

Let's position our mouse on the top left-hand square. Press your mouse button, drag the pointer down to the bottom of the first column, and release the button. That sets our first Data Series for the chart. Choosing another Series is as easy as clicking your mouse button on any open square on the rest of the grid. You can only Chart a maximum of four Data Series so choose up to 3 more from the grid. If you make a mistake or change your mind just press the 'Clear' icon. To see our Chart just press the 'Chart' icon.

Take the Picture

Our Chart will be drawn, after the Data is read in, and we can see what our Finances looked like for the first four months of the year. The Category Names (our expenses) appear along the bottom axis of the Chart. The Series Names (the months) appear in a legend box in the upper right corner.

If we had chosen our data by dragging the pointer 'across' the grid then the Category Names would be the Months and the Series Names would be our Expenses (remember, only 4 data series). It can be quite interesting, and relatively quick, to adjust the selections for a different view of our data (to get back to Data Mode use the Mode menu).

Chart Mode is where we exercise our creativity. Using the menu selections in Chart Mode it is possible to edit the Category Names, the Chart Title, the Scale of the axis, as well as the fonts and fill patterns used, to present our data in the best possible way.

While in Chart Mode the Chart Menu lets you choose which of the 9 Chart types to display including the ever-popular pie chart plus area charts and variations on bar and point charts. If your chart has more than one Data Series you will be prompted to choose just one when you select either Pie or Unibar Charts.

Choose any month to see a Pie Chart with all of the data. If your income is over 50% of the pie you have some left at the end of the month. Use the 'Change Text' item on the 'Edit' menu to adjust the word Entertainment to fit the legend by abbreviating it or using a smaller font size.

Another exception to the majority of the Charts is the Scatter Chart. Scatter Charts don't use the Category Names but use two Data Points in an X/Y relationship. If you are switching to a Scatter Chart you will be prompted to select which values are paired with each other.

Picture Talk!

Of course, the fanciest Charts are no good unless you can print them out or import them into other Applications. GeoChart excels at this and provides lots of options.

If you just want to print your Chart then choose 'Print' from the File menu. If you want to add your Chart to another application then choose 'Copy' from the Edit menu to create a Photo Scrap.

Once you integrate your Chart into your report or budget it becomes a lot easier to justify, to your significant other, the purchase of that exciting new computer add-on.