Reversing Dates Sequence along X axis in a chart

[Dave K]

I am attempting to display a trend chart, with Months displayed along
the X axis.


How can i reverse the order the months are displayed, so that the
months count up (i.e., Jan, Feb, Mar, etc) from left to right? Since
the data table they are feeding from is from top to bottom, they are
currently counting backwards (i.e., Dec, Nov, etc) .

When I choose "Dates in reverse order" under Format X axis, it places
the Y axis values on the right side of the chart.

Is there a way to keep the Y axis values on the left side, but to have
the Months counting up, from left to right?

 

[joeu2004]

When I choose "Dates in reverse order" under Format X axis,
it places the Y axis values on the right side of the chart.
Is there a way to keep the Y axis values on the left side,
but to have the Months counting up, from left to right?

You don't say what version of Excel you are using.

In XL2003, when I select the X-axis Format Axis option "Value (Y) axis
crosses at maximum value", the Y-axis labels appear to the left just
outside the plot area.

Oddly, if instead I select "Value (Y) axis / Crosses at" and fill in
the maximum value, the Y-axis labels appear on the left, but
__inside__ the plot area (i.e. just to right of the left edge). I'm
sure that is not what you want.

 

[joeu2004]

How can i reverse the order the months are displayed,
so that the months count up (i.e., Jan, Feb, Mar, etc)
from left to right? [....]
When I choose "Dates in reverse order" under Format X axis,
it places the Y axis values on the right side of the chart.

I am confused about which chart form you are using and what your data
looks like.

In your companion posting at
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.excel/browse_frm/thread/ecb081b29549b3de#
, you explained that your data has the following form:

201011 Value
201010 Value
201009 Value

the "best" solution depends on whether the dates displayed
in column A are actually stored as Excel dates and displayed
with the format Custom yyyymm. If not, how are those dates
stored: as text or as numbers?

If you are seeing X-axis option "Dates in reverse order", that seems
to suggest that you are using a Line chart, and the X-axis labels are
a range that contains Excel dates formatted as Custom yyyymm.

But if that is the case, Excel formats the X-axis in date order, Jan
to Dec and low-to-high years, just wish. There would be no need to
set the "reverse order" option.

Likewise for an XY Scatter chart. But the X-axis option would read
"__Values__ in reverse order", not "Dates ...".

On the other hand, if the X-axis lables are a range that contains the
numbers 201011, 201010 etc, you would need to set the "reverse order"
otpion.

But the Line chart X-axis option would read "__Categories__ in reverse
order", not "Dates ...". And again, the XY Scatter chart X-axis
option would read "__Values__ ...", not "Dates ...".

As I noted in your companion thread, it would be helpful if you
clarified the type of the X-axis and other details (e.g. chart type)
if you would like a definitive answer instead of will-a.s.s guesses
that might lead you astray.

 

[joeu2004]

PS....

But the Line chart X-axis option would read "__Categories__
in reverse order", not "Dates ...".  And again, the XY
Scatter chart X-axis option would read "__Values__ ...",
not "Dates ...".

I should have noted that I am looking at XL2003. What version of
Excel are you using?