Excel: Rules for Plotting Selections May Differ

 Last reviewed: November 30, 1994
Article ID: Q88430
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 3.0
  • Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 3.0
  • Microsoft Excel for OS/2, version 3.0

SUMMARY

The "Microsoft Excel 3.0 User's Guide" states on page 402:

"The rules used for plotting selections by shape are the same whether or not the upper-left cell of the worksheet selection is blank."

This is generally true except when the first row or column in the selection contains dates as category or series labels.

MORE INFORMATION

The following example illustrates this inconsistency:

Example

Enter the following into a worksheet: 

A1:             B1: Jan-99      C1: Feb-99
A2: One         B2: 1           C2: 4
A3: Two         B3: 2           C3: 5
A4: Three       B4: 3           C4: 6
A5: Four        B5: 4           C5: 8
Given that there are more rows than columns, the first column will be the category labels and the first row will be the series names resulting in four categories and two series per category.

If you were to type "Table1" (without the quotation marks) into cell A1 and recreate the chart, the first column will now be the series names and the first row the category labels resulting in two categories and four series per category. Given the number of rows and columns, this is incorrect.

If, however, the dates in cells B1:C1 are changed to text constants, this inconsistency will not occur and the chart will appear the same as it does with cell A1 left blank.

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Excel User's Guide" for Windows, version 3.0, page 402

"Microsoft Excel User's Guide" for the Macintosh, version 3.0, page 402

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Additional reference words: 3.00

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Last reviewed: November 30, 1994
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