Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 7-7:
This is a close-up of a successively sorted spreadsheet showing
the tiny cluster of McCain and Palin near the top left.
NodeXL
Excel is a popular program partially because the graph data is visible and
editable directly in Excel, making it easy to adapt, extend, add to, and
modify the data using spreadsheet formulas. NodeXL is a free Excel plug-in
specifically designed for automating the collection of social network data,
organizing the data for graphs, and visualizing graphs. NodeXL makes it
particularly easy to import data from a variety of social networks and
applications, including Twitter, Flickr, Facebook, YouTube, Outlook,
Exchange Server, and more.
NodeXL Basics
NodeXL provides a
template spreadsheet
that you can use to organize a
graph and configure its visual attributes. As shown in
Figure 7-8
, a
ribbon
toolbar
across the top of Excel aids with data acquisition, analysis, filters,
export, help, and so on. A
visualization window
assists with interactive
exploration of the graph.
