CAN'T SELECT ALL OF MY SOURCE DATA IN EXCEL

G

Guest

I am at wits end; I am building revenue/profit projection charts from a very
complex Excel spreadsheet. Due to the complexity, I am unable to simply
click and drag blocks of source data, I am selecting each cell individually
and separating them with commas in the Source Data Selection Toolbar. This
works fine for my first or second series but if I try a third series or a new
chart, I'm only able to select a dozen or so cells before the Source Data
Selection Toolbar will not allow me to enter anymore data. If I delete all
charts and start over, I'm not even able to select all of the data I need for
one series in a chart. If I copy the spreadsheet and paste it onto another
sheet and delete the original, I am able to do one chart before the
restriction sets in again. I would limp through in this way but by deleting
the original sheet, I delete my source data for charts I've already
completed. If I were to leave the original spreadsheet each time, I would
end up with multiple copies of the same sheet with each chart linked to its
respective source data meaning I couldn't change the inputs of one
spreadsheet and dictate changes over all of my graphs. This is ridiculous.
I should be able to hand pick as many cells to infinity as source data for as
many series' as I'd like. Anyone know what's going on here?
 
D

Del Cotter

I am at wits end; I am building revenue/profit projection charts from a very
complex Excel spreadsheet. Due to the complexity, I am unable to simply
click and drag blocks of source data, I am selecting each cell individually
and separating them with commas in the Source Data Selection Toolbar.

You're making life unecessarily difficult for yourself. Instead of
reading cells from all over the place directly into the graph utility,
read the cells from all over the place into a contiguous cell range, and
then click and drag those blocks of data the way you normally would.

One of the most important tools in the Excel graph-maker's mental
toolbox is to remember: "Worksheet cells cost nothing: I do not have to
conserve them." :)
 
G

Guest

I don't know why I didn't think of that! I feel so stupid. Thanks so much
for the input!
 
J

Jon Peltier

Spending a few minutes to organize your data will save a few hours of
frustration.

- Jon
 

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