X-axis should read 20,000 years to 0 in intervals of 5,000

[xm_102]

Hi,
I'm working in Excel 2002 with a line chart plotting sea level durin
the past 20,000 years. I need the x-axis to be properly labeled fro
20,000 (no minus sign) to 0, in intervals of 5,000. How is this done?
Ma

 

[Bernard Liengme]

Would you be happy with a Line chart (rather than XY)?
If so, put 20000 values first, and 0 value at end of column; make Line chart
best wishes

 

[Jon Peltier]

If you're not happy with a line chart, double click on the axis, and on
the Scale tab, check the Values in Reverse Order box, and perhaps also
the Value Axis Crosses at Maximum Value.

If it is a Line chart, and you don't want to sort the worksheet,
double click on the axis, and on the Scale tab, check the Categories in
Reverse Order box, and perhaps also the Value Axis Crosses at Maximum
Category.

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services
Tutorials and Custom Solutions
http://PeltierTech.com/
_______

 

[xm_102]

Thank you both for your answers. However, I can't make sense of them...
should explain more properly.

I have 21 values. In one column, the points in time: 20000, 19000...0
In the second col, the values: -116, -107...0. In another program
tried a while ago there was the option "use first column as label
which would automatically use the first column to label the x-axis
Couldn't find that here, so I marked just the second column:

Step 1: graph type ->choose Line Graph, with each value highlighted
Step 2: input ->choose just the second column
Step 3: alternatives
->try a) in "axis", choose "x-axis: automatic" Output is a graph wit
x-axis labeled 1...21. No formatting alternatives for changing 1 t
20000 etc.
->try b) "x-axis: date". Nothing here either.

If I try to reverse the order of the labels, the values get reverse
too. I don't want that.

This is MS Excel 2002 (10.2614.2625) in Swedish, by the way.

Ma

 

[Jon Peltier]

Max -

You could have selected both columns before starting the chart wizard.
If you make an XY Scatter chart, Excel uses the first column for the X
values. If you make a Line chart, Excel often uses both columns as Y
values for two different series; in this case it does, because both
columns are numeric. You can override the behavior by placing a label in
the cell above the second column, and keeping the cell above the first
column blank, like this:

Values
20000 -116
19000 -107
etc.

With an existing chart, choose Source Data from the Chart menu. Click on
the Series tab, then select the series in the list. Click in the
Category Labels box, then select the cells with your X values (20000 to
0), and press OK.

This is how all versions of Excel work, at least since '97 and probably
earlier, and in all languages.

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services
Tutorials and Custom Solutions
http://PeltierTech.com/
_______

 

[xm_102]

Yes, that works great! Thanks Jon!

Ma