Can you enter a formula in a chart data series?

[Guest]

I am referencing a column of data into a chart. How do I perform an
operation on the data before it is entered into the chart? For example, I
want the row of data to be divided by 1000, and then charted.
HELP! This is driving me crazy!

 

[Andy Pope]

Hi,

The simplest way is to use a helper column and formula to alter your
data and then chart that. You can not directly apply formula to the data
series within the chart.

Cheers
Andy

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the help. I have been using the helper column, it just seemed
like I was adding more work. I thought maybe I was missing an easier step.
Thanks again.

 

[Del Cotter]

Thanks for the help. I have been using the helper column, it just seemed
like I was adding more work. I thought maybe I was missing an easier step.

There is another way, but frankly it's hardly worth the effort: use the
properties of the "named range" facility in Excel (that should really be
called "named function", as range is only part of what it can do) to
refer to the original data range and divide its values by a thousand.

There are all sorts of pitfalls and ways to mess it up: I just spent a
few minutes trying to get it to work. It's really better to just go with
the helper range, then at least people trying to work with your
spreadsheet will be able to understand what you did.

Named ranges can be very powerful tools for some charting applications
(see

http://peltiertech.com/Excel/Charts/DynamicColumnChart1.html

for an example), but they're too fiddly to be bothered with for
something as simple as this.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the insight. I will try this with some of the more involved
sheets. The example I gave was the simplest, I have several others that are
much more complicated, and I will try this method.
Thanks!