Bar Chart: bars are just a line. Why?

[Dale501]

I'm using Excel 2000. I'm trying to make a bar chart, but if I selec
any of the bar chart types, they all appear pencil thin (as just
line). If I select the data series and try to go to Format / Options
the Overlap says its 100 and the Gap Width says its 150. Changin
these numbers doesn't appear to do anything.
The chart appears this way even in when I "Press and hold to preview
before actually selecting the chart type. Both columns and bars behav
the same

 

[Jon Peltier]

Your X axis shows dates, right? The axis has a base unit of days, so
Excel reserves space in the chart for each day, even between points
where there's no data. So the bars are not quite as wide as the width of
one day. If you're covering a month or more, the bars get very thin.

If your data is only monthly, change the base unit of the axis (double
click on the axis, Scale tab, find Base Unit and change it). Otherwise
change from a date-scale axis to a category axis (right click the chart,
choose Chart Options, Axes tab, check the Category option under X axis).

- Jon

 

[Dale501]

THANK you, Jon. By gosh, that was frustrating. You're a godsend. Than
you