Two y axes in bar plot with different scales

Question

I am trying to visualize measurements in seconds on the lower x axis, while the upper x axis is supposed to display a different variable (message count). I read the similar questions, but they did not apply to the exact problem.

If I put all plots in the first axis, I cannot seem to get the x ticks on the upper axis right. They are very hard to control. If I put the 'different' plot in the second axis, it looks as the example below. Can it be done for the bars to look like they belong to either of the categories and have different axis? Any help is appreciated!

The MWE I have is as follows:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{width=7cm,compat=1.3}

\begin{document}
\begin{figure}
\centering
\begin{tikzpicture}%[scale=1.08]
\begin{axis}[
x tick label style={
    /pgf/number format/1000 sep=},
ylabel={some feature},
y label style={at={(axis description cs:-0.1,0.5)},anchor=north},
xlabel={time [s]},
enlargelimits=0.3,
enlarge y limits=0.55,
enlarge x limits={upper,value=0.1},
y=50pt,
axis x line*=bottom,
legend style={at={(0.5,1.25)},
    anchor=north},
symbolic y coords={enabled,disabled},
ytick=data,
xbar=5pt, xmin=0,xmax=35,
width=340pt,
y tick label style={rotate=315,anchor=east},
nodes near coords,
every node near coord/.append style={anchor=west, font=\small},
bar width=15pt,
]
\addplot [fill=gray] 
coordinates {(13.0,disabled) (14.9,enabled)};
\addplot [fill=darkgray]
coordinates {(32.4,disabled) (25.0,enabled)};
\legend{ Tasklet,  AppTask}
\end{axis}
\begin{axis}[   
xbar,
axis x line*=top,
xlabel={this is just a placeholder},
xlabel near ticks,
enlargelimits=0.3,
enlarge x limits={upper,value=0.1},
enlarge y limits=0.55,
axis y line=none,
xtick=data,xmin=0,
width=340pt,
y=50pt,
symbolic y coords={enabled,disabled},
nodes near coords,
every node near coord/.append style={anchor=west, font=\small},
bar width=15pt,
legend style={at={(0.5,1.25)},
anchor=north},
legend columns=3,
]
\addplot [fill=yellow]
coordinates {(168,disabled) (542,enabled)};%168 and 542
\addlegendentry{test}
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\caption{Execution times for AppTasks and Tasklets. Parameters: 5 simulation runs, 1 broker, 100 providers, 50 consumers, forwarding enabled versus disabled, dynamic cache list sizing, filtered cache list composition mode, dynamic [$6s,3s,1s$] dissemination interval}
\label{fig:MeasurementForwarding100}
\end{figure}
\end{document}

please extend your code sniped to complete small document, which we can copy and test in our computers. welcome to tex.se! — Zarko, Mar 15 '18 at 23:19
That makes sense. I updated the snippet, thank you for the hint. — Illuminae, Mar 15 '18 at 23:30

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 16 '18 at 01:02

I think your approach is good, you only need to make space for the third plot.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{width=7cm,compat=1.3}

\begin{document}
\begin{figure}
\centering
\begin{tikzpicture}%[scale=1.08]
\begin{axis}[
x tick label style={
    /pgf/number format/1000 sep=},
ylabel={~~~~~~~some feature}, %<- added some spaces to avoid overlaps
y label style={at={(axis description cs:-0.1,0.5)},anchor=north},
xlabel={time [s]},
enlargelimits=0.3,
enlarge y limits=0.55,
enlarge x limits={upper,value=0.1},
y=75pt,
axis x line*=bottom,
legend style={at={(0.5,1.25)},
    anchor=north},
symbolic y coords={enabled,disabled},
ytick=data,
xbar=5pt, xmin=0,xmax=35,
width=340pt,
y tick label style={rotate=315,anchor=east},
nodes near coords,
every node near coord/.append style={anchor=west, font=\small},
bar width=15pt,
]
\addplot [fill=gray] 
coordinates {(13.0,disabled) (14.9,enabled)};
\addplot [fill=gray] 
coordinates {(0,disabled) (0,enabled)}; %<- added a placeholder plot
\addplot [fill=darkgray]
coordinates {(32.4,disabled) (25.0,enabled)};
\legend{ Tasklet,  AppTask}
\end{axis}
\begin{axis}[   
xbar,
axis x line*=top,
xlabel={},
xlabel near ticks,
enlargelimits=0.3,
enlarge x limits={upper,value=0.1},
enlarge y limits=0.55,
axis y line=none,
xtick=data,xmin=0,
width=340pt,
y=75pt,
symbolic y coords={enabled,disabled},
nodes near coords,
every node near coord/.append style={anchor=west, font=\small},
bar width=15pt,
legend style={at={(0.75,1.25)},
anchor=north},
legend columns=3,
]
\addplot [fill=yellow]
coordinates {(168,disabled) (542,enabled)};%168 and 542
\addlegendentry{test}
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\caption{Execution times for AppTasks and Tasklets. Parameters: 5 simulation runs, 1 broker, 100 providers, 50 consumers, forwarding enabled versus disabled, dynamic cache list sizing, filtered cache list composition mode, dynamic [$6s,3s,1s$] dissemination interval}
\label{fig:MeasurementForwarding100}
\end{figure}
\end{document}

This is brilliant, thank you very much! This cost me way too much time, haha. I used the placeholder-idea to make the yellow plot the third one and then consolidated the legend using (https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/198997/pgfplots-two-y-axis-with-three-plots-and-one-legend) — Illuminae, Mar 16 '18 at 09:46

Two y axes in bar plot with different scales

1 Answers1