Custom x axis labels

[morlo]

I am plotting a chart showing monthly index yields.

My first date is 29th May 1981 and the last 30th June 2009. My x-axis
currently has two yearly spaced dates showing (ie 29th May 1981, 83, 85
etc...) but I really want it to be labelled 29th May 1981 then 31st December
1982, 31st December 1984 and so on...to 31st December 2008.

How can I achieve this? Am happy to add the first one manually but I really
want all of the December ones to be the general default.

Thanks

Rachel

 

[OssieMac]

Not sure if I really understand your question. Do you mean that the chart is
inserting extra intermediate dates. If so, this is a problem with charts and
the work around is to make the dates text at the source. (place a single
leading quote before the date.)

If this is not the problem, then post a sample of your data containing the
dates and mark which ones you want on the chart.

 

[Jon Peltier]

It's not a problem with charts, it's just that Excel saw dates and
provided a date-scale axis, which is like a value axis in that all dates
between min and max are represented.

You don't need to break the dates in the sheet to get around this, only
turn the axis into a category type, which will treat the dates as
nonnumeric labels. In 2003 and earlier, go to Chart menu > Chart Options

Axes tab, and under Category axis, change from Auto to Time Scale. In

2007, right click on the axis, choose Format Axis, and on the main tab,
about halfway down find the option for Text Axis and select it.

- Jon