The General tab of the Graph Properties dialog box configures the title of the graph and what type of graph is displayed. The upper portion of the tab configures the title. You may display one or two titles for a graph, with the title selected from the drop-down list at the top of the tab (Title 1 is the uppermost title). For the title selected from the drop-down list, the remaining fields in the upper part of the tab display:

• The title wording: For Title 1, the system automatically generates the title wording

• The alignment of the title: Left, Center, or Right
• The font size and style: Bold, Italic, Both, or Neither
• Font Angle field: The title may be rotated from the default horizontal position (Font Angle = 0). Positive values rotate the title counterclockwise around the left end of the title; negative values rotate the title clockwise around the right end of the title. Note that +90° is not the same as -90°. Both result in a vertical title, but +90° causes the title to read up, while -90° causes the title to read down.
• The color of the title: If you want to change the color, double-click the displayed color. The Color Settings  dialog box opens, and you can select a different color.

The lower portion of the tab configures the type of graph. Select one of four types of graphs:  line, bar, scatter, or area from the drop-down list in the Graph Type field. Depending on what type is selected, a second drop-down field may open to further determine the type of graph as described below:

• If you select Line, then a Stairs check box is shown. When this check box is selected, the curve will show discrete "steps" between data points. When it is clear, the curve will flow more smoothly from data point to data point.
• If you select Bar, you can choose either Stack or Side. In a Stack bar graph, each X-axis value has a single, layered bar (where each layer is a different series). In a Side bar graph, each X-axis value has multiple, side-by-side bars (where each bar is a different series).
• If you select Area, you can choose either Stack or Percentage. In a Stack area graph, the value of each series is added to the value of the previous series to show a cumulative graph using actual data. In a Percentage area graph, the value of each series is the percentage of total value.
• If you select Scatter, no additional fields are displayed.

For all types of graphs, you can add a 3-D effect by checking the 3-D View check box. When selected, this check box causes a shadow to be added to the curve and axes to give the illusion of depth.