help graph display dialog: graph display
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title
[G] graph display -- Display graph stored in memory
Syntax
graph display [name] [, options]
If name is not specified, the name of the current graph -- the graph
displayed in the Graph window -- is assumed.
options description
---------------------------------------------------------------------
ysize(#) change height of graph (in inches)
xsize(#) change width of graph (in inches)
margins(marginstyle) change outer margins
scale(#) resize text, markers, and line widths
scheme(schemename) change overall look
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Menu
Graphics > Manage graphs > Make memory graph current
Description
graph display redisplays a graph stored in memory.
Options
ysize(#) and xsize(#) specify in inches the height and width of the
entire graph (also known as the available area). The defaults are
the original height and width of the graph. These two options can be
used to change the aspect ratio; see Changing the size and aspect
ratio under Remarks below.
margins(marginstyle) specifies the outer margins: the margins between
the outer graph region and the inner graph region as shown in the
diagram in [G] region_options. See Changing the margins and aspect
ratio under Remarks below, and see [G] marginstyle.
scale(#) specifies a multiplier that affects the size of all text,
markers, and line widths in a graph. scale(1) is the default, and
scale(1.2) would make all text and markers 20% larger. See [G]
scale_option.
scheme(schemename) specifies the overall look of the graph. The default
is the original scheme with which the graph was drawn. See Changing
the scheme under Remarks below, and see [G] scheme_option.
Remarks
See [G] graph manipulation for an introduction to the graph manipulation
commands.
Remarks are presented under the following headings:
Changing the size and aspect ratio
Changing the margins and aspect ratio
Changing the scheme
Changing the size and aspect ratio
Under Controlling the aspect ratio in [G] region_options, we compared
. sysuse auto
. scatter mpg weight
with
. scatter mpg weight, ysize(5)
We do not need to reconstruct the graph merely to change the ysize() or
xsize(). We could start with some graph
. scatter mpg weight
(click to run)
and then we could redisplay it with different ysize() and/or xsize()
values:
. graph display, ysize(5)
(click to run, but after you click the first one)
In this way we can quickly find the best ysize() and xsize() values.
This works particularly well when the graph we have drawn required many
options:
. sysuse uslifeexp, clear
. line le_wm year, yaxis(1 2) xaxis(1 2)
|| line le_bm year
|| line diff year
|| lfit diff year
||,
ylabel(0(5)20, axis(2) gmin angle(horizontal))
ylabel(0 20(10)80, gmax angle(horizontal))
ytitle("", axis(2))
xlabel(1918, axis(2)) xtitle("", axis(2))
ytitle("Life expectancy at birth (years)")
ylabel(, axis(2) grid)
title("White and black life expectancy")
subtitle("USA, 1900-1999")
note("Source: National Vital Statistics, Vol 50, No. 6"
"(1918 dip caused by 1918 Influenza Pandemic)")
legend(label(1 "White males") label(2 "Black males"))
(click to run)
. graph display, ysize(5.25)
(click to run, but after you click the first one)
Also, we can change sizes of graphs we have previously drawn and stored
on disk:
. graph use ...
. graph display, ysize(...) xsize(...)
You may not remember what ysize() and xsize() values were used (the
defaults are ysize(4) and xsize(5.5)). Then use graph describe to
describe the file; it reports the ysize() and xsize() values; see [G]
graph describe.
Changing the margins and aspect ratio
We can change the size of a graph or change its margins to control the
aspect ratio; this is discussed in Controlling the aspect ratio in [G]
region_options, which gives the example
scatter mpg weight, by(foreign, total graphregion(margin(l+10 r+10)))
This too can be done in two steps:
. scatter mpg weight, by(foreign, total)
. graph display, margins(l+10 r+10)
graph display's margin() option corresponds to graphregion(margin()) used
at the time we construct graphs.
Changing the scheme
Schemes determine the overall look of a graph, such as where axes,
titles, and legends are placed and the color of the background; see [G]
schemes intro. Changing the scheme after a graph has been constructed
sometimes works well and sometimes works poorly.
Here is an example in which it works well:
. sysuse uslifeexp2, clear
. line le year, sort
title("Line plot")
subtitle("Life expectancy at birth, U.S.")
note("1")
caption("Source: National Vital Statistics Report,
Vol. 50 No. 6")
(click to run)
. graph display, scheme(economist)
(click to run, but after you click the first one)
The above example works well because no options were specified to move
from their default location things such as axes, titles, and legends, and
no options were specified to override default colors. The issue is
simple: if we draw a graph and say, "Move the title from its default
location to over here", over here might be a terrible place for the title
once we change schemes. Or if we override a color and make it magenta,
magenta may clash terribly.
The above does not mean that the graph command need be simple. The
example shown in Changing the size and aspect ratio above,
. line le_wm year, yaxis(1 2) xaxis(1 2)
|| line le_bm year
|| line diff year
|| lfit diff year
||,
ylabel(0(5)20, axis(2) gmin angle(horizontal))
ylabel(0 20(10)80, gmax angle(horizontal))
ytitle("", axis(2))
xlabel(1918, axis(2)) xtitle("", axis(2))
ytitle("Life expectancy at birth (years)")
title("White and black life expectancy")
subtitle("USA, 1900-1999")
note("Source: National Vital Statistics, Vol 50, No. 6"
"(1918 dip caused by 1918 Influenza Pandemic)")
legend(label(1 "White males") label(2 "Black males"))
moves across schemes just fine, the only potential problem being our
specification of angle(horizontal) for labeling the two y axes. That
might not look good with some schemes.
If you are concerned about moving between schemes, when you specify
options, specify style options in preference to options that directly
control the outcome. For example, to have two sets of points with the
same color, specify the mstyle() option rather than changing the color of
one set to match the color you currently see of the other set.
There is another issue when moving between styles that have different
background colors. Styles are said to have naturally white or naturally
black background colors; see [G] schemes inro. When you move from one
type of scheme to another, if the colors were not changed, colors that
previously stood out would blend into the background and vice versa. To
prevent this, graph display changes all the colors to be in accordance
with the scheme, except that graph display does not change colors you
specify by name (e.g., you specify mcolor(magenta) or mcolor("255 0 255")
to change the color of a symbol).
We recommend that you do not use graph display to change graphs from
having naturally black to naturally white backgrounds. As long as you
print in monochrome, print does an excellent job translating black to
white backgrounds, so there is no need to change styles for that reason.
If you are printing in color, we recommend that you change your default
scheme to a naturally white scheme; see [G] set scheme.
Also see
Manual: [G] graph display
Help: [G] graph manipulation
