{smcl} {* 21jun2004}{...} {hline} {center:{hi:Resources for those less familiar with {cmd:graph}}} {hline} {p 0 2 0}o Graphics menu and dialog boxes {p 0 2 0}o {it:Visual Guide to Stata Graphics} , Michael Mitchell, Stata Press, 2004 {p 0 2 0}o Many examples with syntax in: {p 4 6 0} - {it:A Handbook of Statistical Analyses using Stata}, Third Edition, Sophia Rabe-Hesketh and Brian Everitt, Chapman & Hall/CRC, 2004 {p 4 6 0} - {it:Statistics with Stata (Updated for Version 8)}, Lawrence C. Hamilton, Duxbury Press, 2004 {p 4 6 0} - Recent {it:Stata Journal} columns, "Speaking Stata", by Nicholas Cox. {hline} {p 4 4 4}{it} Specifically, pull down the {cmd:graphics} menu and select a graph. I would start with an "Easy graph", in particular {cmd:Graphics|Easy graphs|Scatter plot}. Use your favorite dataset and begin drawing graphs by selecting variables and setting options. Use the {cmd:submit} button to draw graphs so that the dialog box stays up and you you can make more changes. The tabs on the dialog box give you an overview of the main objects on a graph and the items on each tab show the type of things you can change. {p 4 4 4}{it} Note that as you {cmd:submit} graphs to be drawn that the command to produce the graph appears in the {cmd:Results} window. By changing things on the dialog box and observing the changes in the command, you can learn much about the {cmd:graph} command and its options. {p 4 4 4}{it} When you tire of the "Easy" dialog boxes, graduate to {cmd:Graphics|Overlaid twoway graphs}. Initially, ignore the {cmd:Plot 2}, {cmd:Plot 3}, and {cmd:Plot 4} tabs, and just notice how much more control you have over the {cmd:scatter}, {cmd:line}, {cmd:bar}, {cmd:fit}, etc. that you are graphing. Note also how much more control you have over the axes, the titles, the captions, and the legends. Remember that as you {cmd:submit} commands from this dialog box that you can see the resulting {cmd:graph} command in the {cmd:Results} window. {p 4 4 4}{it} Later, choose the {cmd:Plot 2} tab and add a {cmd:line}, {cmd:scatter}, or {cmd:fit} to your original plot {c -} {cmd:Plot 1}. Change that new plot from one "Type" (e.g., {cmd:scatter} or {cmd:line}) to another. Change how it looks using the controls on the {cmd:Plot 2} tab. Note that you can use the "if:" qualifier to produce 2 or more plots from different subsamples. Look at the {cmd:Results} window to see how multiple plots are produced using the {cmd:graph} command. {p 4 4 4}{it} Go back to the {cmd:Graphics} menu and select some other graph types. Note that many of the tabs are the same as those from {cmd:Overlaid twoway graphs} and that what you learned there applies equally to this new graph type. {p 4 4 4}{it} Explore. Have fun. {p 4 4 4}{it} When you want to learn more about the {cmd:graph} command, locate a copy of Michael Mitchell's book {it:Visual Guide to Stata Graphics}. It provides a very complete introduction and overview in an easily-browsed format. {p 4 4 4}{it} To see many examples of graph's and get a brief overview of the {cmd:graph} command, try the other books listed above. {p 4 4 4}{it} To see {cmd:graph} used in sophisticated ways, see articles in the {it:Stata Journal} and in particular the latest series of articles in Nick Cox's "Speaking Stata" column.{p_end}{sf} {hline} {center:{view twoways.smcl:<<} {view tindex.smcl:index}}