Why I cannot change my y-axis values with ggplot2?

Question

I am trying to change my y-axis for a better view of the overplayed plots, with R, with ggplot2. As you can see Pakistan and United Kingdom in the first column, aren't readable

here is the code:

sympt_count_plot <- ggplot2::ggplot(count_symptoms_positive_add, ggplot2::aes(x = age_band, y = Count, group = Symptoms, fill = Symptoms)) +
  ggplot2::geom_area( color = "white") +
  ggplot2::scale_x_discrete(limits = c( "0-9", "10-19", "20-29", "30-39", "40-49", "50-59", 
                                        "60+"), expand = c(0, 0)) +
  ggplot2::scale_fill_viridis_d() +
  ggplot2::scale_y_continuous(breaks = seq(0, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000,
                                                                       2100, 2200, 2300, 2400, 2500, 2600, 2700, 2800, 2900, 3000)) +
  ggplot2::labs(#title = "% of responders across countries",
    y = "Count", x = "Age band") +
  theme(
    axis.text = element_text(size = 14),
    axis.title = element_text(size = 16),
    plot.title = ggplot2::element_text(size = 17, face = "bold"),
    plot.subtitle = ggplot2::element_text(size = 17),
    axis.text.x = element_text(angle = 90, vjust = 0.5, hjust = 1),
    strip.background = element_blank(),
    strip.text = element_text(size = 10, face = "bold", hjust = 0), 
    legend.title = element_text(size = 16), 
    legend.text = element_text(size = 13)) +
  ggplot2::facet_wrap(~country, ncol = 1)

sympt_count_plot

I get an error of this kind:

Error in seq.default(0, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000,  : 
  too many arguments
    In addition: Warning message:
    In seq.default(0, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 
        2100, 2200, 2300, 2400, 2500, 2600, 2700, 2800, 2900, 3000) :
     extra arguments  will be disregarded

I have added the new values so that I would be able to see the plots better

And here is the data:

https://github.com/gabrielburcea/stackoverflow_fake_data/blob/master/count_symptoms_showing_symptoms_add.csv

Is there a way to fix this?

Update - based on the answer bellow

Ben Bolker · Answer 1 · 2021-01-08T16:23:27.167

1

What you probably meant to do was c(100,200,...) instead of seq(...). Or c(seq(0,1000,by=100),seq(2100,3000,by=100)). But I suspect this will not do what you want; that is, the overall y-axis range of the plots will be the same as before, you will only be adjusting the spacing of the grid lines. I would try omitting scale_y_continuous() (i.e., letting ggplot use its default algorithm for choosing axis breaks) and specifying a free y-scale in facet_wrap(), i.e.

facet_wrap(~country, ncol = 1, scale="free_y")

Full code:

count_symptoms_positive_add <- read.csv("SO65597881.csv")
library(ggplot2)
sympt_count_plot <- ggplot(count_symptoms_positive_add, aes(x = age_band, y = Count, group = Symptoms, fill = Symptoms)) +
  geom_area( color = "white") +
  scale_x_discrete(limits = c( "0-9", "10-19", "20-29", "30-39", "40-49", "50-59", 
                                        "60+"), expand = c(0, 0)) +
  scale_fill_viridis_d() +
  labs(#title = "% of responders across countries",
    y = "Count", x = "Age band") +
  theme(
    axis.text = element_text(size = 14),
    axis.title = element_text(size = 16),
    plot.title = element_text(size = 17, face = "bold"),
    plot.subtitle = element_text(size = 17),
    axis.text.x = element_text(angle = 90, vjust = 0.5, hjust = 1),
    strip.background = element_blank(),
    strip.text = element_text(size = 10, face = "bold", hjust = 0), 
    legend.title = element_text(size = 16), 
    legend.text = element_text(size = 13)) +
  facet_wrap(~country, ncol = 1, scale="free_y")

sympt_count_plot 
ggsave(type="cairo-png",file="sympt_count_plot.png")

edited Jan 08 '21 at 16:23

answered Jan 06 '21 at 14:53

Ben Bolker

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I actually want to keep the same values to all of them. Is this possible? – GaB Jan 06 '21 at 14:58
Do you want an axis break, i.e. the space between 1000 and 3000 is omitted? This is hard (see https://stackoverflow.com/questions/7194688/using-ggplot2-can-i-insert-a-break-in-the-axis ) and will be even harder with a derived plot like `geom_area()` ... – Ben Bolker Jan 06 '21 at 15:02
I totally get you. You're right here. is just that I was trying to make it uniform as I am adding another column, for comorbidities. and tried to have the same values across all overplayed plots including for the second column that will be added later. – GaB Jan 06 '21 at 15:03
c(seq(0,1000,by=100),seq(2100,3000,by=100)) - where exactly I pass this? – GaB Jan 06 '21 at 15:07
as your `breaks` argument (in place of `seq(...)`). But I don't think you'll like the results. – Ben Bolker Jan 06 '21 at 15:26
I am trying to offer this as an alternative. As you are right, probably we cannot achieve what I want as per explanation in stack overflow link you have provided. However, I am not sure how you managed to get clear y-axis, I could not. Check the updated post with the new version of the picture. – GaB Jan 06 '21 at 20:30
the picture? with the second overplayed plots? Do you see it? It does say "Update - based on the version of code provided." But it is situated after your plot. – GaB Jan 07 '21 at 15:01
1

I didn't see that you had edited my answer. Please edit **your question** to include this graph, not my answer ... – Ben Bolker Jan 07 '21 at 15:54
added to my post. Thank you – GaB Jan 07 '21 at 16:00
did not solve my issue with the y axis. Would you please put the whole code you have written in order to give the output? – GaB Jan 08 '21 at 16:16
@ Ben Bolker - I am hoping you saw the above last comment? – GaB Jan 10 '21 at 17:41

Why I cannot change my y-axis values with ggplot2?

1 Answers1