Stata Graphs: Programming Pie Charts From Scratch

A pie chart is defined as a type of graph that showcases data in a circular graph. Each slice of the pie is comparative to the size of a category in the group. The pie in its entirety is 100% of a whole while the pie slices act as portions of the whole. A pie chart is a useful tool as it presents a simple and easy way to understand data. It always enables individuals to do a data comparison so that it's easier to understand information.

When drawing a pie chart in Stata, you will usually go to the menu click on graphics, and then pie chart. If you are required to showcase a product line performance, the pie chart will have two halves with each accounting for 50%. You can make use of prominent effects three-dimensional dragging slices, charting, and slice pivoting of charts which will make the chart look more appealing.

How The Slices Are Ordered

For instance, if you want to create a pie chart representing data on marketing, sales, and research development you will type graph pie marketing sales research development. The slices will come out in the order specified.

When one types graph pie cost, over (division), the slices will be presented in the implied order by variable division. If the division needs to be numeric, the slices will be presented in ascending order.

Ordering Slices By Size

If you want the slice in sizes, you will have to specify that by adding the sort option so that the pie chart can be presented in their order from the smallest to the largest.

Pie charts can be useful, but if you have too many pieces of data, they will seize from being effective as they will be too crowded. If you want to do a comparison of multiple sets, a pie chart will not be the best option for you since pie charts usually use only one data set.