URGENT: Need to Get charts in Access 2003

[Sandy911]

I´ve never used charts in Access. Somehow I managed to format well shaped charts in Excel but I can´t find the way to understand how to create a report in Access that produces a bar or a pie chart based on a one record (summarized) query.
For example: I have a table with statistics. I run a query that sums and gets the total for each category and calculates the percentages over the totals. I need a report that shows those results in a well formated and presented chart.
My query record looks like this (column name in brackets and value in numbers) I could not show it here in horizontal way because it messes up:
[Tot. Cases] 150
[Red] 35
[Red%] 23%
[Green] 35
[Gr%] 23%
[Blue] 60
[Blue%] 40%
[Orange] 10
[Or%] 6%
[Others] 10
[Oth%] 6%
I would like a chart with X axis showing Categories (Red, Blue, etc) and the Y axis showing the # of cases and/or the percentages with the Tot.Cases as the maximum value.
Sorry, I read about PivotCharts but could not figure it out.
I need to present the application tomorrow before the Chairman.
PLEASE HELP ME!
thank you,
Sandy

[JKing]

Have you tried the crosstab query wizard? It might be helpful and worth a shot.

Charts are available in the report design mode by selecting insert and then charts. There are also many chart/graph options contained in the activex controls listing.

[Sandy911]

Thank you JKIng for your answwer. I can´t get an Excel-type graph from the chart option in the report design. I tried with the query I showed but I´m unable to get anything. I found getting graphs in Access a real headache. I'm not a VB skilled person as to program the graph myself. I need to know how this wizard works in Access if at all possible.

Or, could I export the query to Excel, make it produce the graph and then call it from within Access? Or is there an easier way?

[Boxcar74]

Hi,

If you need it in Access the a crosstab query is the way to go.

But here is some food for thought.

I had the same problem. Access Graphing is awful!!!!! and overall Excel is more flexable.

The way I sloved this was to link the my query data into excel.

You might want to try this.
In Excel
1. Go to the Data Menu / Import External Data / Import data.

2. Find you DB, Connect to it.

3. You can select you query right there from the list.

OR (very optional)
if after you select one (table or query) you can "Edit Query"
under "Command Text" you can Select SQL instead of TABLE and just paste youe SQL code there. (This is how I do it, I'd have too many sved queries in my DB if I didn't.)

NOTE: you might want to check out the "Properties" button to see options. Mostly post import formating.

Either way it ends up in Excel and you can format it and make it look nice.

In the future you can right click on the data and select "Refresh Data" (also under the Data Menu).

I doubt you want all this info but i like the way it works for me and want to spread the word.

I hate being hindered by Access lack of charts.

-- Boxcar