How to create a combined bar plot with time format?

Question

I'm not sure how to add time format to bar plots. I'd like to be able to make one bar plot for one data set and another for another data set and then combine them, but I don't know how to offset each bar from the origin so they can overlap at the right times.

See image for an idea:

Answer 1

For those with v. 10, here's one way. I didn't overlap the bars because it looks nicer this way, imho.

schedule[{t1_, t2_}, {t3_, t4_}] :=
 Module[{convert, ts = Flatten[{{t1, t2}, {t3, t4}}, 1][[All, 1]], hours},
  convert[{h_, min_}] := h + min/60;
  hours = Range[Min[ts] - 1, Max[ts] + 1];
  NumberLinePlot[{
    convert[t1] < x < convert[t2],
    convert[t3] < x < convert[t4]}, x, PlotTheme -> "Business",
   Ticks -> { hours /. {n_Integer :> {n, ToString[n] <> ":00"}}, None},
   Prolog -> {
     Text[TimeObject[t1], {convert[t1], 1}, {1, 0}],
     Text[TimeObject@t2, {convert[t2], 1}, {-1, 0}],
     Text[TimeObject@t3, {convert[t3], 2}, {1, 0}],
     Text[TimeObject@t4, {convert[t4], 2}, {-1, 0}]},
   GridLines -> {hours, {}},
   GridLinesStyle -> Directive[Orange, Dashed],
   ImageSize -> 500,
   BaseStyle -> 12,
   AspectRatio -> .3,
   PlotRangePadding -> {{2.5, 1.5}, Automatic},
   PlotStyle -> {Directive[Thickness[.06], Red, PointSize[Medium]], 
     Directive[Thickness[.06], Blue, PointSize[Medium]]}]]

 schedule[{{5, 20}, {7, 20}}, {{6, 1}, {8, 7}}]

If you prefer to display times without the TimeObject wrapper, simply replace each instance ofTimeObject[], with`.

---

These approaches should work on v.9. It overlaps the bars, as requested.

Assuming two time intervals,

t1 = "5:20"; t2 = "7:20";
t3 = "6:01"; t4 = "8:07";

toMin[t_] := ToExpression /@ StringSplit[t, ":"] /. {h_, m_} :> 60 h + m

Graphics[{  {Opacity[.4], EdgeForm[Black],
  Gray, Rectangle[{toMin@t1, 0}, {toMin@t2, 1}],
  Red, Rectangle[{toMin@t3, .5}, {toMin@t4, 1.5}]},
  Text[t1, Offset[{0, -20}, {toMin@t1, 0}]],
  Text[t2, Offset[{0, -20}, {toMin@t2, 0}]],
  Text[t3, Offset[{0, 50}, {toMin@t3, 0}]],
  Text[t4, Offset[{0, 50}, {toMin@t4, 0}]]},
  BaseStyle -> 20,
  AspectRatio -> 1/12]

---

Alternative Format

This approach can accommodate a larger number of time intervals. It should be easy to generalize the v.10 code to work in a similar fashion.

t1 = "5:20"; t2 = "7:20";
t3 = "6:01"; t4 = "8:07";
t5 = "1:23"; t6 = "4:19";
t7 = "3:14"; t8 = "4:51";

toMin[t_] := ToExpression /@ StringSplit[t, ":"] /. {h_, m_} :> 60 h + m;
seg[start_, end_, color_, ht_] := {EdgeForm[{Thickness[.003], color}], 
  Rectangle[{toMin@start, ht}, {toMin@end, ht + 1}],
  Black, 
  Text[start <> " \[RightArrow] ", {toMin@start, ht + .5}, {1, 0}], 
  Text[" \[LeftArrow] " <> end, {toMin@end, ht + .5}, {-1, 0}]};

 Graphics[{
  {White,
  seg @@@ {{t1, t2, Gray, 0}, {t3, t4, Red, 2}, {t5, t6, Blue, 4}, 
  {t7, t8,  Darker@Green, 6}}}},
  GridLines -> {toMin /@ {t1, t2, t3, t4, t5, t6, t7, t8}, {}},
  FrameTicks -> {Table[{60 k, k} /. {_Rational -> "", 0 -> 12}, {k, 0, 9, 1/4}], {}},
  FrameLabel -> {"PM"},
  ImageSize -> 600,
  PlotRange -> {{0, 540}, Automatic},
  PlotRangePadding -> 3,
  Frame -> {True, False},
  BaseStyle -> 16,
  AspectRatio -> 1/6]

Answer 2

The following should be enough to get you started:

f[min_, max_, pos_] := 
 Sequence[Rectangle[{min, pos}, {max, pos - 0.5}], {Opacity[1], 
   Text[Style[min, Large, Bold], {min, pos}], 
   Text[Style[max, Large, Bold], {max, pos}]}]
Graphics[{Opacity[0.5], Red, f[1, 2, 0], Blue, f[1.5, 3, .1]}]

You still need to write a function that transforms your times into horizontal coordinates …

Answer 3

In versions 10.1+ you can use TimelinePlot:

t1 = "5:20"; t2 = "7:20";
t3 = "6:01"; t4 = "8:07";
data = {{Interval[{t1, t2}]}, {Interval[{t3, t4}]}};

TimelinePlot[data, Spacings -> {5,1} ]

TimelinePlot[data, Spacings ->None,
 PlotStyle -> {Directive[Opacity[.5,Yellow], AbsoluteThickness[10],   CapForm["Round"]], 
   Directive[Opacity[.5,Blue], AbsoluteThickness[20], CapForm["Round"]]}]