having trouble with line graph (or linechart), problem with connecting the dots

[jkap123]

I'm trying to graph out three separate lines. i can get the "dots" to show up. the problem is getting the lines to show up.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

x 6 7 8 7

y 7 8 9 7 8

z 6 8 5 6 7

the top row represents the day number (day 1, day 2, etc). can actually get a line to appear between two points, only when the values of those points are on consecutive days (for example, a line will appear between the 7 and 8 from the y group and between the 5 and 6 on the z group.) for the days that have not values (for example, day 2 for the z group,) i just leave the cell blank, because there was no data for that day.

could just manually draw a line between two lines, but that's kind of ridiculous to have to do that. not only that, but when i make the slightest change in the size of the graph, the manual line that i draw doesn't change with it. so it makes it really useless to do it that way.

it's amazing how these programs are so sophisticated and able to perform really complex tasks, but they can't do some of the most simple things!!

thanks for reading.

 

[June Low [MSFT]]

Hi jkap123

You can get lines to draw between the blank values by selecting the chart
then going to Excel > Preferences.... Click on Chart and then select
"Interpolated" under "Empty cells plotted as" (by default, I believe it's
set to "Not plotted (leave gaps)".

Hope this helps,
- June
OfficeArt Tester, MacBU
Microsoft

 

[Jeremy]

Thanks a lot that saved my day...

But this is, the say the least, a very odd choice to have an item preferences in the general app preferences...

 

[jkap123]

thanks June,

that was a big help.

jason (jkap123)

 

[June Low [MSFT]]

Hi Jeremy (and jason)

That is definitely feedback we'd like to hear. I'd encourage you to use the
Help > Send Feedback feature in the app to let us know.

-June
OfficeArt Tester, MacBU
Microsoft

 

[jkap123]

yes, i'll leave feedback.

now that i have your attention, just a couple more questions:

how do i create the label of the x and y axes of a chart. (if i'm plotting hemoblobin values against days, for example, i'd like to have the word "hemoglobin" writtin on the side of the y axis and "day" on the x-axis.)

the other question is - how do i place the chart from excel on word? do i have to save it as an image file first and then place it on word?

thanks,
jason

 

[Jeremy]

Regarding the curbs chart, is it possible to make Excel not draw a line between two values separated by null values?

So far, it still draws the line with a zero value which makes the graph very hard to read. I would like to have broken lines.

Regards

Jeremy

 

[June Low [MSFT]]

Please see inline

yes, i'll leave feedback.

now that i have your attention, just a couple more questions:

how do i create the label of the x and y axes of a chart. (if i'm plotting
hemoblobin values against days, for example, i'd like to have the word
"hemoglobin" writtin on the side of the y axis and "day" on the x-axis.)

With the chart selected, look to your Formatting Palette (if it isn't
currently visible, click on the Toolbox button in the Standard toolbar).
There should be a pane titled "Chart Options". There's a "Titles" section
that allows you to choose from Chart Title, Horizontal Axis and Vertical
Axis. Select the axis you want to insert the title on and type in the text
edit box below it.

the other question is - how do i place the chart from excel on word? do i have
to save it as an image file first and then place it on word?

You should be able to copy & paste (cmd-C, cmd-V) it from Excel into Word.
Dragging and dropping the chart from the Excel worksheet to the Word
document should work as well. You don't need to save it as an image first.

thanks,
jason

--
June
OfficeArt Tester, MacBU
Microsoft

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[June Low [MSFT]]

I'm not sure what you mean by "curbs chart". The option to plot gaps is in
the same place ("Excel > Preferences... > Charts"). You'd select the "Not
plotted (leave gaps)" option.

Or do you mean something completely different?

Regarding the curbs chart, is it possible to make Excel not draw a line
between two values separated by null values?

So far, it still draws the line with a zero value which makes the graph very
hard to read. I would like to have broken lines.

Regards

Jeremy

--
June
OfficeArt Tester, MacBU
Microsoft

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Jeremy]

I am using the French version so I am not sure of the English wording.

I mean a very basic charts with lines, Line chart I guess so that in a line with some null values, Excel does not draw a line going to Zero but breaks the line in pieces.

Even with playing with the general preferences graphs settings, it does not do much.

Regards

Jeremy

 

[June Low [MSFT]]

Ah, I think I got it.

If the options are the same as in English, with your chart selected, under
Preferences...> Chart, there is a section with 3 radio buttons enabled.
The first radio button is to not plot the null values, which would result in
a broken line.
The second radio button is to plot the null values as zero, so you'd have an
unbroken lines but all null values are 0, so you'd have a really jagged line
(it sounds like your chart is set to this option at the moment).
The third button is to interpolate, which joins two existing values bridging
the gap across the null value, resulting in an unbroken line.

You'll have to click OK in the preferences dialogue before you see your
chosen option take effect in your chart.

If this is still unclear, I'll try and dig up a french version or find
someone who might be able to help with the wording

I am using the French version so I am not sure of the English wording.

I mean a very basic charts with lines, Line chart I guess so that in a line
with some null values, Excel does not draw a line going to Zero but breaks the
line in pieces.

Even with playing with the general preferences graphs settings, it does not do
much.

Regards

Jeremy

--
June
OfficeArt Tester, MacBU
Microsoft

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Jeremy]

I got it too.

First thanks for your help.

Basically, my table is made of this kind of formula:
=SI(ESTERREUR(E7+E14+E20+E26+E32);"";E7+E14+E20+E26+E32)

which would be IF(ISERROR...)
So the cell is shown has empty "" but is not so Excel does draw the line...

Is there a way to make it thinks it's empty to draw the broken lines?

I hope this is clear enough.

 

[June Low [MSFT]]

My apologies for being thick. I guess I didn't get it the first time

Unfortunately, I could not find any way to make Excel not plot the "" as 0.

Hopefully someone with more Excel knowledge than I do will be able to help.

I got it too.

First thanks for your help.

Basically, my table is made of this kind of formula:
=SI(ESTERREUR(E7+E14+E20+E26+E32);"";E7+E14+E20+E26+E32)

which would be IF(ISERROR...)
So the cell is shown has empty "" but is not so Excel does draw the line...

Is there a way to make it thinks it's empty to draw the broken lines?

I hope this is clear enough.

--
June
OfficeArt Tester, MacBU
Microsoft

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Jeremy]

Thanks a lot anyway.

I will do it by hand!

Regards

 

[Carl Witthoft]

There is a way, although it's bit of a kludge. Darn, I forget the
website, but Google for Andrew Pope. He posted a workbook that makes a
graph "look" like it's got broken lines. Basically he plots the data,
then plots a specially crafted subset of the data with line color set to
white, and it 'blots out' the undesired segments.

Otherwise, it's macro time :-(

 

[djfaix]

I have a similar issue--Excel 2008 is graphing line point with zero values when the cells are empty. I want it to leave a gap, but the interpolate and the not plotted (leave blank) radio buttons are greyed out and not available to me.

How can I get these radio buttons to be active??

 

[Bob Greenblatt]

I have a similar issue--Excel 2008 is graphing line point with zero values
when the cells are empty. I want it to leave a gap, but the interpolate and
the not plotted (leave blank) radio buttons are greyed out and not available
to me.

How can I get these radio buttons to be active??

If, instead of Blank, the cell value is NA, which you can assign with =NA(),
the plot of that point will be eliminated.

 

[Carl Witthoft]

If, instead of Blank, the cell value is NA, which you can assign with =NA(),
the plot of that point will be eliminated.

Unless Office2008 changed the way Excel handles #n/a cells, the line
will be drawn from one valid point to the next valid point. If you want
an actual gap, you need the cells to be blank (Edit: Clear:All).