{smcl}
{* 22aug2004}{...}
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{center:{hi:Taking a test drive}}
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{p 0 2 0}o Play with the menus and dialogs

{p 0 2 0}. {stata sysuse uslifeexp}{p_end}
{p 0 2 0}. {stata keep if year <= 1940}{p_end}

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{p 4 4 4}{it}
Load and prepare a dataset, say by clicking the two commands above.

{p 4 4 4}{it}
Now, 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.
{sf}

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{center:{view overview.smcl:<<}   {view tindex.smcl:index}   {view cmds.smcl:>>}}