How do I create a Step Graph in Excel? - excel

Question

Suppose I have a set of values: <0-4.5, 1>, <4.6-9.3, 2>, <9.4-12.2, 3> and I want to display a simple, three step graph. One step would span from zero to 4.5 and the height should be 1, the second step from 4.6 to 9.3 and the height would be 2 and so on.
How do I do it in Excel?
Edit: A hack would be to generate pairs: <0,1>, <0.1,1>...<4.4,1>, <4.5,1> and use a scatter graph. But, really!

Answer 1

I'm not sure exactly how you want the graph to look, but another workaround is to select a scatter joined by lines. If you want a gap anywhere, put in a missing value:
+------+---+
| x | y |
+------+---+
| 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 1 |
| 4.5 | 1 |
| 4.5 | 0 |
| | |
| 4.6 | 0 |
| 4.6 | 2 |
| 9.3 | 2 |
| 9.3 | 0 |
| | |
| 9.4 | 0 |
| 9.4 | 3 |
| 12.2 | 3 |
| 12.2 | 0 |
+------+---+

Answer 2

Use the following data set:
| x | y |
|------|---|
| 0.1 | 1 |
| 0.2 | 1 |
| 0.3 | 1 |
| 0.4 | 1 |
| 0.5 | 1 |
| 0.6 | 1 |
| 0.7 | 1 |
| 0.8 | 1 |
| 0.9 | 1 |
| 1 | 1 |
| 1.1 | 1 |
| 1.2 | 1 |
| 1.3 | 1 |
| 1.4 | 1 |
| 1.5 | 1 |
| 1.6 | 1 |
| 1.7 | 1 |
| 1.8 | 1 |
| 1.9 | 1 |
| 2 | 1 |
| 2.1 | 1 |
| 2.2 | 1 |
| 2.3 | 1 |
| 2.4 | 1 |
| 2.5 | 1 |
| 2.6 | 1 |
| 2.7 | 1 |
| 2.8 | 1 |
| 2.9 | 1 |
| 3 | 1 |
| 3.1 | 1 |
| 3.2 | 1 |
| 3.3 | 1 |
| 3.4 | 1 |
| 3.5 | 1 |
| 3.6 | 1 |
| 3.7 | 1 |
| 3.8 | 1 |
| 3.9 | 1 |
| 4 | 1 |
| 4.1 | 1 |
| 4.2 | 1 |
| 4.3 | 1 |
| 4.4 | 1 |
| 4.5 | 1 |
| 4.6 | 2 |
| 4.7 | 2 |
| 4.8 | 2 |
| 4.9 | 2 |
| 5 | 2 |
| 5.1 | 2 |
| 5.2 | 2 |
| 5.3 | 2 |
| 5.4 | 2 |
| 5.5 | 2 |
| 5.6 | 2 |
| 5.7 | 2 |
| 5.8 | 2 |
| 5.9 | 2 |
| 6 | 2 |
| 6.1 | 2 |
| 6.2 | 2 |
| 6.3 | 2 |
| 6.4 | 2 |
| 6.5 | 2 |
| 6.6 | 2 |
| 6.7 | 2 |
| 6.8 | 2 |
| 6.9 | 2 |
| 7 | 2 |
| 7.1 | 2 |
| 7.2 | 2 |
| 7.3 | 2 |
| 7.4 | 2 |
| 7.5 | 2 |
| 7.6 | 2 |
| 7.7 | 2 |
| 7.8 | 2 |
| 7.9 | 2 |
| 8 | 2 |
| 8.1 | 2 |
| 8.2 | 2 |
| 8.3 | 2 |
| 8.4 | 2 |
| 8.5 | 2 |
| 8.6 | 2 |
| 8.7 | 2 |
| 8.8 | 2 |
| 8.9 | 2 |
| 9 | 2 |
| 9.1 | 2 |
| 9.2 | 2 |
| 9.3 | 2 |
| 9.4 | 3 |
| 9.5 | 3 |
| 9.6 | 3 |
| 9.7 | 3 |
| 9.8 | 3 |
| 9.9 | 3 |
| 10 | 3 |
| 10.1 | 3 |
| 10.2 | 3 |
| 10.3 | 3 |
| 10.4 | 3 |
| 10.5 | 3 |
| 10.6 | 3 |
| 10.7 | 3 |
| 10.8 | 3 |
| 10.9 | 3 |
| 11 | 3 |
| 11.1 | 3 |
| 11.2 | 3 |
| 11.3 | 3 |
| 11.4 | 3 |
| 11.5 | 3 |
| 11.6 | 3 |
| 11.7 | 3 |
| 11.8 | 3 |
| 11.9 | 3 |
| 12 | 3 |
| 12.1 | 3 |
Highlight the data set, and insert a chart using Recommended Charts and pick the one you prefer as shown below.
It can be a bar chart or line chart not necessarily a scatter chart, but the preparation is similar. Charting is not that intuitive in excel and needs a lot of workarounds sometimes.
Cheers :)