Avoiding truncation of labels in graph

[Lars Pete]

Hi all,

I am trying to avoid truncation of labels on the y-axis here in this graph below.

I have tried to change margins using

graph hbar (count), ///
over(spec, gap(*1) label(labsize(tiny))) ///
blabel(bar, size(tiny)) yla(0(50)400, labsize(vsmall)) ///
ysize(15) xsize(15)  ///
ytitle("Number of repsodents", size(small)) ///
title("Specialty you are COMPLETING in 2021 (mark only one)", size(small) span) ///
graphregion(margin(zero))

but they are still getting truncated. See the pic attached.

I tried using splitvallables to reduce the space consumed on the left side to accommodate the full labels using

splitvallabels spec, nob
graph hbar (count), ///
over(spec, gap(*1) label(labsize(vsmall)) relabel(`r(relabel)')) ///
blabel(bar, size(tiny)) yla(0(50)400, labsize(vsmall)) ///
ysize(25) xsize(15)  ///
ytitle("Number of repsodents", size(small)) ///
title("Specialty you are COMPLETING in 2021 (mark only one)", size(small) span)

.

But then the labels are getting mixed up. See

Any help or feedback is much appreciated. Thank you.

[Andrew Musau]

See #11 of https://www.statalist.org/forums/for...rid-in-a-graph on using the -relabel()- option, but I would recommend installing splitvallabels from SSC and reading the documentation.

help splitvallabels

In any case, your graph has too many items and is not readable as is, so fixing the truncation will help some but not much.

[Lars Pete]

Andrew Musau Thank you, I will try to work with splitvallabels. However, is there any way to push the labels to the left and utilize that extra space to avoid truncation in Graph 1, instead of using splitvallabels which takes up more vertical space (as you can see from Graph 2)?

In any case, your graph has too many items and is not readable as is, so fixing the truncation will help some but not much.

Is the first graph not readable too? Any suggestion on how it could be made more readable? Thanks much.

[Andrew Musau]

If you were not able to follow the linked example, provide a sample dataset using dataex. The same is required for alternative suggestions.

[Lars Pete]

Here:

* Example generated by -dataex-. For more info, type help dataex
clear
input str60 acgme byte(spec gender age)
"400-35-21-270" 31 .  .
"080-35-21-065"  5 1 34
"430-35-21-070" 35 2 32
"4013521004."   33 2 38
"0413512029"     4 2 32
"1403521287"     8 2 29
"0403521104"     2 1  .
"0803500127"     5 2 31
""              26 4  .
"320-35-11-161" 27 2 30
"4403521227"    36 1 30
"140-35-21-301"  2 2  .
""               9 1  .
"400-35-21-142" 31 2 31
""               5 4 31
"2203521200"    23 2 32
"2673521011"    40 1 33
"4203511123"    34 1 33
"3603521058"    42 1 38
"140-35-21-287"  8 1  .
"409-35-31-020" 31 2  .
"0803500127"     5 1  .
"140-35-21-510"  8 4  .
"140-35-31-288"  8 1  .
""              25 2  .
"409 352 1001"  31 1  .
"400-35-11-242" 31 1 31
"4003521270"    31 1 32
"140-35-21-510"  5 2 27
"1403531517"     8 2 33
"140-35-00-921"  8 1 34
" 3103521063"   26 2 36
"260-35-00-225" 44 1 30
"155-35-31-101" 14 1 38
"477-318-5601"  27 1 39
"302-35-30-002" 26 1 30
"1403521486"     8 2  .
"1403511303"     8 2 32
""               8 1 32
"320-35-11-143" 27 1  .
"3293521074"    28 2 31
"0403521106"     2 1 30
"1503521083"    18 1 53
""               8 1  .
"123466"        23 2 40
""              12 1 33
"320-352-1141"  27 2 34
"1403521287"     8 4 28
"1203521204"     7 2 38
"141-35-14-283"  9 1 33
"1403531288"    17 2 29
""              22 1 40
"3203511161"    27 1 28
""              31 1 27
"405-35-40-198" 32 2 42
"4403521383"    36 2 29
"362-35-00-154" 42 2 36
"4463544006"    44 2 35
"3003521398"    45 4  .
"140-35-11-272"  8 4  .
""              36 1 26
""              43 2  .
"4003511136"    31 1 35
"400-35-11-136" 31 1 30
""              45 2 30
""               7 1 28
""               8 1 30
"5203514058"    21 1 34
"3293521075"    28 2 31
""               8 2 27
"140-35-11-261"  8 2 27
"340-35-21-039" 29 1 38
"4003511134"    31 2 30
""              39 1 29
"4403521394"    44 1 31
"146-35-11-013" 15 1 39
"1563513054"    17 2 41
"2157320P0"     27 2 29
"3293521077"    28 2 40
"146-35-21-012" 15 2 45
""              26 1 32
"380-35-80-112" 30 2 55
"4403500452"    36 1  .
"1003531074"     5 2 33
""              36 2 31
"1553531144"    14 2 33
"1403531314"     8 1  .
" 3103521063"   26 1 33
""              19 2  .
"4403500451"    36 1 26
"4403500451"    36 1 38
"unknown"        9 2 35
""              13 1 33
"155-35-31-152" 14 1 40
"2978146F0"     15 1 33
""              33 2 36
"3633521010"    42 2  .
""              45 1 39
"4003511128"    31 . 37
"042-35-04-067"  4 1 31
end
label values spec labels18
label def labels18 2 "Anesthesiology (General)", modify
label def labels18 4 "Other Anesthesiology Subspecialty--specify:", modify
label def labels18 5 "Dermatology", modify
label def labels18 7 "Family Medicine", modify
label def labels18 8 "Internal Medicine (General)", modify
label def labels18 9 "Cardiology", modify
label def labels18 12 "Gastroenterology", modify
label def labels18 13 "Geriatrics", modify
label def labels18 14 "Hematology/Oncology", modify
label def labels18 15 "Infectious Disease", modify
label def labels18 17 "Pulmonary Disease/CCM", modify
label def labels18 18 "Rheumatology", modify
label def labels18 19 "Other Internal Medicine Subspecialty-specify:", modify
label def labels18 21 "Neurology", modify
label def labels18 22 "Nuclear Medicine", modify
label def labels18 23 "Obstetrics and Gynecology (General)", modify
label def labels18 25 "Pathology (General)", modify
label def labels18 26 "Pathology (Subspecialty)-specify:", modify
label def labels18 27 "Pediatrics (General)", modify
label def labels18 28 "Pediatrics (Subspecialty)-specify:", modify
label def labels18 29 "Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation", modify
label def labels18 30 "Preventive Medicine/Public Health/Occupational Medicine", modify
label def labels18 31 "Psychiatry", modify
label def labels18 32 "Child and Adolescent Psychiatry", modify
label def labels18 33 "Other Psychiatry Subspecialty-specify", modify
label def labels18 34 "Radiology (Diagnostic)", modify
label def labels18 35 "Radiology (Therapeutic)", modify
label def labels18 36 "Surgery (General)", modify
label def labels18 39 "Ophthalmology", modify
label def labels18 40 "Orthopedic Surgery", modify
label def labels18 42 "Plastic Surgery", modify
label def labels18 43 "Urology", modify
label def labels18 44 "Other Surgical Subspecialty-specify:", modify
label def labels18 45 "Other-specify:", modify
label values gender labels1
label def labels1 1 "Male", modify
label def labels1 2 "Female", modify
label def labels1 4 "Prefer not to disclose", modify

[Andrew Musau]

It appears to me that your main issue is with cleaning your labels. If I decode the variable and directly use the strings to plot, I get no length restrictions. You can optimize on the space by dropping the axis labels as the information is provided by the bar labels and getting rid of the plot region margins.

* Example generated by -dataex-. For more info, type help dataex
clear
input str60 acgme byte(spec gender age)
"400-35-21-270" 31 .  .
"080-35-21-065"  5 1 34
"430-35-21-070" 35 2 32
"4013521004."   33 2 38
"0413512029"     4 2 32
"1403521287"     8 2 29
"0403521104"     2 1  .
"0803500127"     5 2 31
""              26 4  .
"320-35-11-161" 27 2 30
"4403521227"    36 1 30
"140-35-21-301"  2 2  .
""               9 1  .
"400-35-21-142" 31 2 31
""               5 4 31
"2203521200"    23 2 32
"2673521011"    40 1 33
"4203511123"    34 1 33
"3603521058"    42 1 38
"140-35-21-287"  8 1  .
"409-35-31-020" 31 2  .
"0803500127"     5 1  .
"140-35-21-510"  8 4  .
"140-35-31-288"  8 1  .
""              25 2  .
"409 352 1001"  31 1  .
"400-35-11-242" 31 1 31
"4003521270"    31 1 32
"140-35-21-510"  5 2 27
"1403531517"     8 2 33
"140-35-00-921"  8 1 34
" 3103521063"   26 2 36
"260-35-00-225" 44 1 30
"155-35-31-101" 14 1 38
"477-318-5601"  27 1 39
"302-35-30-002" 26 1 30
"1403521486"     8 2  .
"1403511303"     8 2 32
""               8 1 32
"320-35-11-143" 27 1  .
"3293521074"    28 2 31
"0403521106"     2 1 30
"1503521083"    18 1 53
""               8 1  .
"123466"        23 2 40
""              12 1 33
"320-352-1141"  27 2 34
"1403521287"     8 4 28
"1203521204"     7 2 38
"141-35-14-283"  9 1 33
"1403531288"    17 2 29
""              22 1 40
"3203511161"    27 1 28
""              31 1 27
"405-35-40-198" 32 2 42
"4403521383"    36 2 29
"362-35-00-154" 42 2 36
"4463544006"    44 2 35
"3003521398"    45 4  .
"140-35-11-272"  8 4  .
""              36 1 26
""              43 2  .
"4003511136"    31 1 35
"400-35-11-136" 31 1 30
""              45 2 30
""               7 1 28
""               8 1 30
"5203514058"    21 1 34
"3293521075"    28 2 31
""               8 2 27
"140-35-11-261"  8 2 27
"340-35-21-039" 29 1 38
"4003511134"    31 2 30
""              39 1 29
"4403521394"    44 1 31
"146-35-11-013" 15 1 39
"1563513054"    17 2 41
"2157320P0"     27 2 29
"3293521077"    28 2 40
"146-35-21-012" 15 2 45
""              26 1 32
"380-35-80-112" 30 2 55
"4403500452"    36 1  .
"1003531074"     5 2 33
""              36 2 31
"1553531144"    14 2 33
"1403531314"     8 1  .
" 3103521063"   26 1 33
""              19 2  .
"4403500451"    36 1 26
"4403500451"    36 1 38
"unknown"        9 2 35
""              13 1 33
"155-35-31-152" 14 1 40
"2978146F0"     15 1 33
""              33 2 36
"3633521010"    42 2  .
""              45 1 39
"4003511128"    31 . 37
"042-35-04-067"  4 1 31
end
label values spec labels18
label def labels18 2 "Anesthesiology (General)", modify
label def labels18 4 "Other Anesthesiology Subspecialty--specify:", modify
label def labels18 5 "Dermatology", modify
label def labels18 7 "Family Medicine", modify
label def labels18 8 "Internal Medicine (General)", modify
label def labels18 9 "Cardiology", modify
label def labels18 12 "Gastroenterology", modify
label def labels18 13 "Geriatrics", modify
label def labels18 14 "Hematology/Oncology", modify
label def labels18 15 "Infectious Disease", modify
label def labels18 17 "Pulmonary Disease/CCM", modify
label def labels18 18 "Rheumatology", modify
label def labels18 19 "Other Internal Medicine Subspecialty-specify:", modify
label def labels18 21 "Neurology", modify
label def labels18 22 "Nuclear Medicine", modify
label def labels18 23 "Obstetrics and Gynecology (General)", modify
label def labels18 25 "Pathology (General)", modify
label def labels18 26 "Pathology (Subspecialty)-specify:", modify
label def labels18 27 "Pediatrics (General)", modify
label def labels18 28 "Pediatrics (Subspecialty)-specify:", modify
label def labels18 29 "Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation", modify
label def labels18 30 "Preventive Medicine/Public Health/Occupational Medicine", modify
label def labels18 31 "Psychiatry", modify
label def labels18 32 "Child and Adolescent Psychiatry", modify
label def labels18 33 "Other Psychiatry Subspecialty-specify", modify
label def labels18 34 "Radiology (Diagnostic)", modify
label def labels18 35 "Radiology (Therapeutic)", modify
label def labels18 36 "Surgery (General)", modify
label def labels18 39 "Ophthalmology", modify
label def labels18 40 "Orthopedic Surgery", modify
label def labels18 42 "Plastic Surgery", modify
label def labels18 43 "Urology", modify
label def labels18 44 "Other Surgical Subspecialty-specify:", modify
label def labels18 45 "Other-specify:", modify
label values gender labels1
label def labels1 1 "Male", modify
label def labels1 2 "Female", modify
label def labels1 4 "Prefer not to disclose", modify

decode spec, g(label)
replace label = ustrregexra(ustrregexra(label, "(\w+|\w+\))(-specify|--specify[:]$)", "$1"), ":", "")
contract label
set scheme s1mono
gr hbar _freq, over(label, lab(labsize(vsmall)) gap(25) sort(1)) ytitle(Frequency) ///
blab(total, size(vsmall)) ylab("") ysc(r(. 17)) plotregion(margin(zero))

[Lars Pete]

Andrew Musau Thank you. I could only figure out vaguely what you did in the second line of the code but it worked perfectly. Best wishes.