1. .Graph for Excel Enhancing the Graphics Production Process at the OECD
MSIS2014 Dublin
Prepared by: Susan Cartwright
Presented by: Jonathan Challener

2. Outline
Introduction
Overview of three solutions provided by OECD.Graph
Formatting
Facilitating the translation process
Creation of Statlink files
Evidence of impact
Future developments

3. OECD.Graph: A solution to 3 problems
OECD.Graph is enhancing the graphics production process at the OECD in three ways:
Automating the formatting of graphs with the OECD Look & Feel
Facilitating the creation of alternative language versions of graphs (translating process)
Automating the generation of “StatLink” files (catalogued Excel files for dissemination).

4. How does it work?
OECD.Graph is an Excel macro that users add to their Excel menu
They then open the Excel file with the graphs they want to work on, and move through the ribbon left to right, making formatting, translating,… choices

5. 1. Formatting graphs with the OECD Look & Feel
General (publication) options:
Choice of: Style templates, color palette, page dimensions
Chart/ panel options:
Choice of: Size/layout, Colors, Patterns
Begin with the first function: Formatting -- Lets go through the basic steps required to format a graph. First..

6. Open an Excel file with a graph to format..

7. Choose a style template

8. Select: “OECD Standard”
Icon changes

9. Choose a colour palette

10. Select: “Bichrome”
Icon changes

11. Choose page dimensions

12. Select: 21 x 28
Icon is Large Page by default

13. Choose a size/layout

14. Select: “1/3 Page (2 graphs in same row)”
Icon reflects choice

15. Choose a start color

16. Apply Formatting –> Go

17.  OECD Look & Feel
The graph has been formatted with the OECD look & feel.

18. Formatting a Panel of charts
A panel is a set of several charts to be formatted together on the same page.

19. Select Panel Size & Panel Layout -> Go
The OECD.Graph ribbon has two sets of icons that that allow one to specify the panel size (i.e. as a portion of a page) and the panel layout , which determines the disposition of the graphs in the panel.

20.  OECD Look & Feel

21. Options
Many options are available to customize the formatting of a chart

22. Option: Focus country Allows users to highlight one or two bars
Below: CZE = first focus; OECD= 2nd focus
At the OECD, graphs often focus on the performance of one country as compared with the OECD average and with other member countries. This is possible using focus option in OECD.Graph.

23. Option: Customize
There are many other Options – allowing authors to adjust spacing, change line colors, exclude some components from formatting, etc.

24. Panel Legends: Development in progress
Before - 4 graphs, 4 legends:
We are just completing the “Panel legend” development… Be default, in a panel of graphs, each graph is an ExcelChart object, each with its individual legend. But, often users would like to have only one legend that applies to all graphs in the panel.

25. After - 4 graphs, 1 legend:
This development has not been trivial, as the ExcelChart object model does not contain a panel legend.
So, we are creating a new object, a panel legend object, and positioning it carefully on the sheet above the ExcelCharts in the panel.

26. Separation of macro code and formatting specifications
Style templates = XML files
XML tags = components of the Excel Chart
XML attribute values = formatting specifications in the “charte graphique”
We have carefully separated the actual format specifications from the macro code.
Information about colors, sizes, fonts, etc, are held in XML configuration files that are edited separately from the code.

27. Excerpt from the “OECD Standard” XML file: “Bichrome palette” tag
<Palette Name="Bichrome (B & W + Blue)"> <Picture>PaletteBlue</Picture> ... <Color R="79" G="129" B="189"> <Label> Blue accent 1 </Label> </Color> <Color R="184" G="204" B="228"> <Label> Blue Accent One Lighter 60% </Label> <Color R="216" G="216" B="216"> <Label> White Background Darker 15% </Label> </Palette>

28. 2. Translation Facilitator
Extract Texts
Apply Translation
After formatting, the second major function of OECD.Graph is to assist with the translation process for graphs.

29. Extract Texts icon -> Extract all text elements from the graph
The Extract Texts icon extracts text from Chart Title, Legend, Axis titles, Axis labels, Footnotes,…- all text elements in the graph, and including the footnotes in the cells under the graph,

30. “Extracted texts” sheet
Extracted Texts sheet is created. User then fills in column “French” with translations. Any items that are not translated will be kept in the original language.

31. Do the actual translation

32. Apply translation icon -> New graph is created with translated texts

33. New sheet: Figure 1_French
It’s difficult to read, but the text elements in this graph are in French!
Note that the operation “Extract texts can be applied to “All sheets in a workbook” or even to “All Excel files in a folder”
One “Extracted sheets” file can be created for 100 graphs, with no repeated texts.
The translator can then translate all of the text at once
The author can “Apply translation” to “All sheets in workbook” or to “All Excel files in folder”

34. 3. Automating the creation of Statlink files
Statlinks are hyperlinks that appear at the bottom of all graphs and tables in OECD’s electronic publications.
Clicking on the link gives readers access to “Statlink files” which contain the data behind the graphs – in an Excel table.
OECD.Graph automates the production of Statlink files.
Statlink

36. Statlink file: graph + data in particular format
A new Excel file has been created – containing the graph and the data
Using the “Create Statlinks” icon, it is possible to create statlink files for “All graphs in a workbook” or for “All graphs in all Excel files in a folder.”
This functionality has saved authors hours of work.

37. Evidence of impact of OECD.Graph
The usage of OECD.Graph within the OECD has increased significantly in recent months: from 25 at the beginning of 2013 to over 160 users today.
The tool is used to format graphs in more and more OECD publications.

38. Feedback from users
“Very useful knowledge. Everyone should use OECD.Graph!” “This will save me a lot of time and the end result (the graphs) will look a lot nicer.” “ It's a great tool that should be used across all directorates - people need to know about it!” “Real value for our organisation” “Prepare complying graphs more efficiently.” “I will be using OECD.Graph immediately as a result of this training.” “Great for integrating harmonised graphs into our publications.”
Feedback received after OECD.Graph training sessions.

39. Development roadmap for 2014
OECD.Graph will be interfaced with our new “SVG engine” in order to create high quality SGV (scalable vector graphics) output for the web
Formatting functionality will be extended to tables
Integration with new Authoring Environment: graphs will become smart content in XML-based documents

40. Susan Cartwright, OECD susan.cartwright@oecd.org
Thank you
Susan Cartwright, OECD