Excel: Legend Text Missing or Other Than Expected

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 2.x, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0
• Microsoft Excel for OS/2, versions 2.2, 2.21, 3.0
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 1.x, 2.x, 3.0, 4.0

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, your chart legend may not contain text, or the text it does contain may be not be the text you want (for example, it may be "Series1," "Series2," and so on, instead of the actual name of your series).

CAUSE

In Microsoft Excel 5.0, the first row or column in your selection is automatically included in the legend.

In Microsoft Excel versions 3.0 and 4.0, if you do not include column or row headings in your selection, the labels "Series1," "Series2," and so on, are automatically inserted in your legend.

In Microsoft Excel versions 2.x, in order for text to appear in the legend, each series must have a name. If you select chart data without selecting the column or row headings, your legend may not contain text.

WORKAROUND

To edit (or to add) a series name in the legend, follow the appropriate procedure below.

Microsoft Excel 5.0

Edit the worksheet cells containing the chart data series or category names.

-or-

1. Select the series you want to change the name of.

2. From the Format menu, choose Selected Data Series.

3. Select the Name And Values tab, and in the Name box, type the legend text for that series.

Microsoft Excel versions 3.0, 4.0, and 4.0a

Edit the worksheet cells containing the chart data series or category names.

-or-

1. From the Chart menu, choose Edit Series.

2. From the Series list, select the name (Series 1, Series 2, and so on) for the series you want to add text to.

3. In the Name box, type the desired legend text.

Microsoft Excel version 2.x

Do the following for each data series on the chart:

1. Select the data series.

2. In the =SERIES() formula in the formula bar, enter the name of data series in quotation marks. The series name is the first argument in the function. The formula would look something like the following:

         =SERIES("SeriesName",......)
   

   You can also make a reference to a cell on any worksheet for this name.

   The formula would look something like the following:

         =SERIES(sheet1.xls!$a$1,.....)
   

   The value in the referenced cell will appear in the legend. Note that the worksheet to which you are referring must be open for the reference to be valid.