Microsoft KB Archive/141684

= How to Use the Histogram Add-in =

Article ID: 141684

Article Last Modified on 8/17/2005

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 97 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 95 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 5.0 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q141684





SUMMARY
The Analysis ToolPak that is included with Microsoft Excel includes a Histogram tool. This article describes how to create a histogram with a chart from a sample set of data.



Installing the Analysis ToolPak
Before using the Histogram tool, you need to make sure the Analysis ToolPak Add-in is loaded. To verify whether the Analysis ToolPak is loaded, follow these steps:


 * 1) On the Tools menu, click Add-Ins.
 * 2) In the Add-Ins dialog box, make sure the Analysis ToolPak check box under Add-Ins Available is selected. Click OK.

NOTE: In order for the Analysis ToolPak to be shown in the Add-Ins dialog box, it must be installed on your computer. If you do not see Analysis ToolPak in the Add-Ins dialog box, run Microsoft Excel Setup, and add this component to the list of installed items.

Creating a Histogram
  Enter the following in a new worksheet:

   A1:  87      B1: 20 A2: 27      B2: 40 A3: 45      B3: 60 A4: 62      B4: 80 A5:  3      B5: A6: 52      B6: A7: 20      B7: A8: 43      B8: A9: 74      B9: A10: 61     B10:  On the Tools menu, click Data Analysis. In the Data Analysis dialog box, click Histogram, and then click OK. In the Input Range box, type A1:A10. In the Bin Range box, type B1:B4. Under Output Options, click New Workbook and click to select the Chart Output check box, and then click OK.</ol>

A new workbook, with a Histogram table and an embedded chart, is generated. Based on the sample data from step 1, the Histogram table will look like the following

<pre class="fixed_text">  A1: Bin     B1: Frequency A2: 20     B2:        2 A3: 40     B3:        1 A4: 60     B4:        3 A5: 80     B5:        3 A6: More   B6:        1

and your chart will be a column chart reflecting the data in this Histogram table.

Microsoft Excel counts the number of data points in each data bin. A data point is included in a particular data bin if the number is greater than the lowest bound and equal to or less than the greater bound for the data bin. In the example here, the bin that corresponds to data values from 0 to 20 contains two data points, 3 and 20.

If you omit the bin range, Microsoft Excel creates a set of evenly distributed bins between the data's minimum and maximum values.

NOTE: You will not be able to create the Histogram chart if you specify the options (Output range or New worksheet ply) that create the Histogram table in the same workbook as your data.

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

178243 : XL97: Regression Err: "Cannot Add Chart to a Shared Workbook"

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