Chart adds in extra date values on the X axis

[Pete Rooney]

Good afternoon - just wondering if anyone can help.

I'm plotiing a range of data where the X-axis cells contain dates. I'm
trying to plot a cumulative line where the number of items processed each day
is the same, so the line will be straight. However, I'm only going to be
working Monday-Friday, and there's a bank Holiday coming up, so I won't have
items processed on every day.
So, I11 contains Thu 01 May, J11 contains Fri 02 May, K11 contains Tue 6th
of May.

The problem I have is that the resultant chart is adding the missing dates
to the X-Axis, so instead of a straight line being plotted, it's kinked.

How can I make the chart plot just the dates contained in the X-axis range
and not add in all the days in between?

Thanks in advance

Pete


The cells are actual dates, as they are used as lookup values with
SUMPRODUCT formulae, so I can't change them to labels.

 

[Pete Rooney]

I managed to get around the problem by adding a new row that contained the
TEXT() values of the cells containing the dates and used this row as the
x-axis instead.
However, I would be interested to know if this "fill in the missing dates in
the series" effect is something that can be deactivated without having to go
this workaround.

Cheers

Pete

 

[David Biddulph]

You haven't told us what type of chart you are using. If it's a line chart,
try changing the X axis from a time axis to a category axis (under Chart
Options/ Axes).

 

[Del Cotter]

I managed to get around the problem by adding a new row that contained the
TEXT() values of the cells containing the dates and used this row as the
x-axis instead.
However, I would be interested to know if this "fill in the missing dates in
the series" effect is something that can be deactivated without having to go
this workaround.

Yes. The first time, you had dates that Excel recognised, and it
automatically selected "Time-scale" for the X axis. The second time, you
gave the X axis data as words that Excel cold not recognise as dates,
and it chose "Category" for the X axis.

If you go to the menu...

Chart.. Chart Options.. Axes

...you can switch the X axis from "Automatic" (Excel chooses) to
"Category" or "Time-scale" (you choose). You want to choose "Category",
and then the X axis will work the way you want even if the cells are
clearly dates.

Typical of Microsoft to hide important axis controls in a separate
"Chart Options" section instead of the logical "Format Axis" section
that everybody knows about, so that nobody knows what's going on when
this happens, or how to fix it. And of course they're too cheap for
manuals, which should make them even more careful to design their
product logically, not less.

 

[Pete Rooney]

Del,

Yes, that's it exactly - thank you VERY much!

Regards

Pete

 

[Pete Rooney]

David,

Yes, it was a line chart and yes, this was the answer!

Cheers

Pete

 

[David Biddulph]

Glad it helped.
--
David Biddulph

David,

Yes, it was a line chart and yes, this was the answer!

Cheers

Pete