How to get DATE-TIME column into chart as X-axis (domain) values

[Herb Martin]

How do I get DATE-TIME column into chart as X-axis (domain) values?

This should be easy so obviously I am doing something wrong.

The date-time is in on column with 4 other columns already set as data
values in the Y-dimension.

The chart is giving me one "increment" of X-value for each entry but the
data was taken at multiple/random times through each day so this is both
inaccurate and very confusing.

FYI: It's blood pressure values for Left-Right, Systolic/Diastolic
with the first column a "sum of Date + Time" the values were taken.

It's a line chart (the first one listed in the second row of default types,
with DATA point markers plotted, but without the word "stacked"
associated with it) in Office 2003 Excel 11.6355 build 6408 SP1.

Also, my lines don't seem to get drawn for any of the four data ranges
(it is appearing as an odd hybrid between a scatter and a line chart
with a few connection lines but most missing.)

Thanks.

 

[Herb Martin]

Found the answers:

1) Charts apparently don't "get" dates automatically unless you use
certain standard
increments (days, months, years)

2) So (apparently) I can't use "line charts" but X-Y work fine with
manual setup
(The X-data can then be set to the date-time column)

3) As to skipping the lines between points this is due to the nature of
the (BP) data
where (left or right arm) values are not always present so with
a missing value
it stops the line drawing rather than connect previous available
value to next
available value.

One could interpolate values to fix #3; I wonder if there is a better way
(less
labor intensive, more faithful since I wouldn't want actual points to plot
for those.)