Question

When is it most handy to use a table to display information? When might you use a graph instead?

Answer 1

Use a table

• The display will be used to look up individual values.
• It will be used to compare individual values but not entire series of values to one another.
• Precise values are required.
• The quantitative information to be communicated involves more than one unit of measure.
• Both summary and detail values are included.

Use a graph

• The message is contained in the shape of the values (e.g. patterns, trends, exceptions).
• The display will be used to reveal relationships among whole sets of values.

Source

In the comments

Hope this helps!