Charts are a great way to visually represent data, and Apple has designed some nice ones for you to use. Click the Charts button in the Toolbar (or go to Insert ? Chart) and Author gives you a list of the different kinds of charts you can choose. There are 11 options, 8 of which have both 2D and 3D versions. Choose the chart that’s right for your data, and Author unceremoniously drops it onto the middle of your page.

Along with your chart, you get a table filled with placeholder values—this is the Chart Data Editor, where you add the data for your chart. Change the data values in the Chart Data Editor. To delete a column, click any cell within that column, and then right-click anywhere except the header row, and choose Delete Column. Adding a column generally adds another data point to your chart, and adding a row adds another data set. For example, if you chose a line chart, adding a new column will add another axis in your lines, and adding a row will add a whole new line to the chart. Click in the table cells to change the values, and do the same to change the labels. You can also change the labels by clicking directly on them in the chart, and you’ll see the Chart Data Editor update to match your change.

You can adjust the way your chart looks in the Chart Inspector (Figure 4-7). To open it, click the Inspector button in the toolbar, and choose the Chart tab (third from the right). Your options in the Chart Inspector vary depending on the type of chart you choose. Turn on Show Title to add a description to your chart. Toggle Show Legend on or off to show information about what each part of the chart represents.