Create a bar graph where the next bar starts where the previous ends

I have a data set where I have alternatingly positive and negative values for each year. I need to plot them on a bar chart but the 2nd bar must start where the first bar ends. I cannot make it work with changing basevalue and can't find anyother option.

Answer 1

[Matt J]

For example,

y = [4 2 3; 
    1 6 5]';

n=size(y,1);
dy=([1,-1].*y).';

yc=[0, repelem(cumsum(dy(:).'),2)];
ymin=min(yc(:));
lims=sort(reshape(yc(1:end-1),2,[]))-ymin;

ys=[lims(1,:); diff(lims)]';

h=bar(ys,'stacked','FaceColor','flat','ShowBase',0); 

h(1).Visible='off';
h(2).CData(1:2:end,:)=repmat( [0 0 1] ,n,1);
yticklabels( str2double(yticklabels) +ymin  + "")  

[Maria Ali]

It worked perfectly. Thanks a lot. I just kept the positive values in the first row and negative in the second as you demostrated with your example. Thanks a lot.

[Image Analyst]

Yeah, but wow -- that's a confusing chart to interpret. To me at least, not sure what your other people think of it. I'd think just a regular old bar chart of single colors coming from the base up would be far, far more intuitive to most people.

[Matt J]

Or perhaps a regular line plot

y = [4 2 3; 
    1 6 5];

y=([1,-1]'.*y);

plot(cumsum(y(:))); ylabel 'Net Position'

[Maria Ali]

Hi. Can you also please tell me how to write the below mentioned code in your program in Matlab App Designer. I need to assign the axes to this code.

h(1).Visible='off';

h(2).CData(1:2:end,:)=repmat( [0 0 1] ,n,1);

[Image Analyst]

They are already handles to the things in the axes. You don't need to "assign axes to the code." Not sure why you think you need to. I think when you assign those things, the effect should be immediate and you'd see them right away.

If you want, you could have one button that reads in the data from a file, and another button whose callback function contains Matt's code.

[Maria Ali]

well when i simply run this code it, the two mentioned lines open up a new figure. I changed the following code

h=bar(ys,'stacked','FaceColor','flat','ShowBase',0);

to

h = bar(app.Bar_tab_16, ys,'stacked','FaceColor','flat','ShowBase',0);

where app.Bar_tab_16 is the name of the axes where i am plotting my chart. But since i don't know how to change the remaining two lines so that I can add the names of the axes, it opens up a new figure and the plot is also different in app designer than simply running it in script file.

[Maria Ali]

It's resolved now. Thanks all.

Answer 2

[Image Analyst]

I think you'll have to use the patch() function to create rectangular patches "floating" off the axis.

[Maria Ali]

Thanks. I'll try to use it.