[Tex/LaTex] How to correct nodes near coords position in ybar stacked

bar chartnodes-near-coordspgfplots

I'm working with this ybar stacked graph, but I can't position the nodes near coords in a correct position (not over something, not outside the chart, not over other bar, not to far away…readable!).

I've tried nodes near coords align={north} (west, etc.) and it changes place, but I can't understand this coordinates system!

My code:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{pgfplots}          % to print charts
\pgfplotsset{compat=1.8}
\begin{document}

\begin{figure}
  \centering
  \begin{tikzpicture}
    \begin{axis}[
        ybar stacked,
        nodes near coords,
        xbar legend,
%         nodes near coords align={right},
        legend pos=outer north east,
        enlarge x limits={abs=1},
        enlarge y limits=false,
        bar width=.5,
        % x axis
        xtick={1,2},
        xticklabels={Dots,Squares},
        % y axis
        ymin=0,
        ylabel={Aliens founds},
      ]

      \addplot table [
        x=index,
        y=blue,
      ] {
index   blue            pink    gray
1       25              10      5
2       35              0       100
      };

      \addplot table [
        x=index,
        y=pink,
      ] {
index   blue            pink    gray
1       25              10      5
2       35              0       100
};

      \addplot table [
      x=index,
      y=gray,
      ] {
index   blue            pink    gray
1       25              10      5
2       35              0       100
      };

      \legend{First one,Second one,Third}
    \end{axis}
  \end{tikzpicture}

  \caption{Caption placeholder}
\end{figure}
\end{document}

My graph:

Best Answer

My suggestion would be to update your pgfplots package. From pgfplots version 1.9, nodes near coords gives a better result. Compare the result with version 1.8:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{pgfplots}          % to print charts
\pgfplotsset{compat=1.8}

\begin{document}

\begin{figure}
  \centering
  \begin{tikzpicture}
    \begin{axis}[
        ybar stacked,
        nodes near coords,
        every node near coord/.append style={font=\footnotesize},
        xbar legend,
%         nodes near coords align={right},
        legend pos=outer north east,
        enlarge x limits={abs=1},
        enlarge y limits=false,
        bar width=.5,
        % x axis
        xtick={1,2},
        xticklabels={Dots,Squares},
        % y axis
        ymin=0,
        ylabel={Aliens founds},
      ]

      \addplot table [
        x=index,
        y=blue,
      ] {
index   blue            pink    gray
1       25              10      5
2       35              0       100
      };

      \addplot table [
        x=index,
        y=pink,
      ] {
index   blue            pink    gray
1       25              10      5
2       35              0       100
};

      \addplot table [
      x=index,
      y=gray,
      ] {
index   blue            pink    gray
1       25              10      5
2       35              0       100
      };

      \legend{First one,Second one,Third}
    \end{axis}
  \end{tikzpicture}

  \caption{Caption placeholder}
\end{figure}
\end{document}

and that of version 1.9 or newer:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{pgfplots}          % to print charts
\pgfplotsset{compat=1.9}

\begin{document}

\begin{figure}
  \centering
  \begin{tikzpicture}
    \begin{axis}[
        ybar stacked,
        nodes near coords,
        every node near coord/.append style={font=\footnotesize},
        xbar legend,
%         nodes near coords align={right},
        legend pos=outer north east,
        enlarge x limits={abs=1},
        enlarge y limits=false,
        bar width=.5,
        % x axis
        xtick={1,2},
        xticklabels={Dots,Squares},
        % y axis
        ymin=0,
        ylabel={Aliens founds},
      ]

      \addplot table [
        x=index,
        y=blue,
      ] {
index   blue            pink    gray
1       25              10      5
2       35              0       100
      };

      \addplot table [
        x=index,
        y=pink,
      ] {
index   blue            pink    gray
1       25              10      5
2       35              0       100
};

      \addplot table [
      x=index,
      y=gray,
      ] {
index   blue            pink    gray
1       25              10      5
2       35              0       100
      };

      \legend{First one,Second one,Third}
    \end{axis}
  \end{tikzpicture}

  \caption{Caption placeholder}
\end{figure}
\end{document}

If updating is not an option, you can try some manual adjustments; for example:

        every node near coord/.append style={xshift=-15pt,yshift=-3pt,anchor=east,font=\footnotesize},

which yields

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{pgfplots}          % to print charts
\pgfplotsset{compat=1.8}
\begin{document}

\begin{figure}
  \centering
  \begin{tikzpicture}
    \begin{axis}[
        ybar stacked,
        nodes near coords,
        every node near coord/.append style={xshift=-15pt,yshift=-3pt,anchor=east,font=\footnotesize},
        xbar legend,
%         nodes near coords align={right},
        legend pos=outer north east,
        enlarge x limits={abs=1},
        enlarge y limits=false,
        bar width=.5,
        % x axis
        xtick={1,2},
        xticklabels={Dots,Squares},
        % y axis
        ymin=0,
        ylabel={Aliens founds},
      ]

      \addplot table [
        x=index,
        y=blue,
      ] {
index   blue            pink    gray
1       25              10      5
2       35              0       100
      };

      \addplot table [
        x=index,
        y=pink,
      ] {
index   blue            pink    gray
1       25              10      5
2       35              0       100
};

      \addplot table [
      x=index,
      y=gray,
      ] {
index   blue            pink    gray
1       25              10      5
2       35              0       100
      };

      \legend{First one,Second one,Third}
    \end{axis}
  \end{tikzpicture}

  \caption{Caption placeholder}
\end{figure}
\end{document}

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] plotting two time series with bounds

This happens because PGFPlots only uses one "stack" per axis: You're stacking the second confidence interval on top of the first. The easiest way to fix this is probably to use the approach described in "Is there an easy way of using line thickness as error indicator in a plot?": After plotting the first confidence interval, stack the upper bound on top again, using stack dir=minus. That way, the stack will be reset to zero, and you can draw the second confidence interval in the same fashion as the first:

\documentclass{standalone}
\usepackage{pgfplots, tikz}

\usepackage{pgfplotstable}

\pgfplotstableread{
temps   y_h y_h__inf    y_h__sup    y_f y_f__inf    y_f__sup    

1   0.237340    0.135170    0.339511    0.237653    0.135482    0.339823    
2   0.561320    0.422007    0.700633    0.165871    0.026558    0.305184    
3   0.694760    0.534205    0.855314    0.074856    -0.085698   0.235411    
4   0.728306    0.560179    0.896432    0.003361    -0.164765   0.171487    
5   0.711710    0.544944    0.878477    -0.044582   -0.211349   0.122184    
6   0.671241    0.511191    0.831291    -0.073347   -0.233397   0.086703    
7   0.621177    0.471219    0.771135    -0.088418   -0.238376   0.061540    
8   0.569354    0.431826    0.706882    -0.094382   -0.231910   0.043146    
9   0.519973    0.396571    0.643376    -0.094619   -0.218022   0.028783    
10  0.475121    0.366990    0.583251    -0.091467   -0.199598   0.016664    
}{\table}

\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}

    \begin{axis}
    % y_h confidence interval
    \addplot [stack plots=y, fill=none, draw=none, forget plot]   table [x=temps, y=y_h__inf]   {\table} \closedcycle;
    \addplot [stack plots=y, fill=gray!50, opacity=0.4, draw opacity=0, area legend]   table [x=temps, y expr=\thisrow{y_h__sup}-\thisrow{y_h__inf}]   {\table} \closedcycle;
    % subtract the upper bound so our stack is back at zero
    \addplot [stack plots=y, stack dir=minus, forget plot, draw=none] table [x=temps, y=y_h__sup] {\table};

    % y_f confidence interval
    \addplot [stack plots=y, fill=none, draw=none, forget plot]   table [x=temps, y=y_f__inf]   {\table} \closedcycle;
    \addplot [stack plots=y, fill=gray!50, opacity=0.4, draw opacity=0, area legend]   table [x=temps, y expr=\thisrow{y_f__sup}-\thisrow{y_f__inf}]   {\table} \closedcycle;

    % the line plots (y_h and y_f)    
    \addplot [stack plots=false, very thick,smooth,blue]  table [x=temps, y=y_h]   {\table};
    \addplot [stack plots=false, very thick,smooth,blue]  table [x=temps, y=y_f]   {\table};
    \end{axis}

\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

[Tex/LaTex] Nodes near coords gives Undefined Control Sequence

Oke solved the problem,

I was using the v1.8 unstable package, after installing the v1.8 stable package I didn't have any error at all.

I hope this can help anybody else (but one should never install beta packages).

Regards,

Best Answer

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] plotting two time series with bounds

[Tex/LaTex] Nodes near coords gives Undefined Control Sequence

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