📊 Day 41: Cleveland Dot Plot in Python

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🔹 What is a Cleveland Dot Plot?

A Cleveland Dot Plot is an alternative to a bar chart.

Instead of bars:

• It uses dots

• A thin line connects the dot to the axis

• Makes comparison cleaner and less cluttered

It is great for comparing values across categories.

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🔹 When Should You Use It?

Use a Cleveland Dot Plot when:

• Comparing multiple categories

• Showing rankings

• Making minimal & clean dashboards

• Replacing heavy bar charts

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🔹 Example Scenario

Sales by Product:

• Product A → 120

• Product B → 90

• Product C → 150

• Product D → 70

• Product E → 110

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🔹 Python Code (Beginner Friendly – Matplotlib)

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

products = ["Product A", "Product B", "Product C", "Product D", "Product E"] 
sales = [120, 90, 150, 70, 110]

plt.figure(figsize=(8,5))

# Horizontal lines 
plt.hlines(y=products, xmin=0, xmax=sales)

# Dots
plt.plot(sales, products, "o") 

plt.title("Sales Comparison - Cleveland Dot Plot")
plt.xlabel("Sales")
plt.ylabel("Products") 

plt.grid(axis='x', linestyle='--', alpha=0.5)
plt.show()

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🔹 Output Explanation (Beginner Friendly)

• Each dot represents a product.

• The horizontal position shows the sales value.

• The line connects the product name to its value.

👉 The farther right the dot, the higher the sales.
👉 Product C has the highest sales.
👉 Product D has the lowest sales.

It’s easier to compare than thick bars.

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🔹 Cleveland Dot Plot vs Bar Chart

Aspect	Dot Plot	Bar Chart
Cleaner look	✅	❌
Less ink used	✅	❌
Easy comparison	✅	✅
Better for reports	Excellent	Good

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🔹 Key Takeaways

• Clean and minimal

• Great for ranking data

• Easier to compare values

• Professional looking visualization