... I want to chart data from 30 separate worksheets ...

[Guest]

Before I get started, I haven't invested much time in graphing and charting.

I have been tasked to collect data for each of the next 30 days.

I've created a template which has a summary worksheet and 7 catagorized
worksheets which have data linked back to the summary sheet.

I have planned to collect data in 30 different workbooks (.xls files), and
then afterwards chart the data from each of those files. I would do this by
creating a Summary Workbook, which would have 30 Worksheets which were linked
to the summary sheets of each of the other 30 files. I would then make my
chart from within that Summary Workbook.

This seems like a lot of work.

Should I pan this task differently?

Is there an easy way to chart data from multiple workbooks?

Darrell

 

[Guest]

"Should I plan this task differently?"
Unless there's a pressing need to collect the data in separate workbooks,
I'd consider putting it all in a single workbook. You have 7 basic sheets
which could be repeated 30 times within the workbook, just give each group
similar but distinctive names as:
Summary_Day1, Day1_Data1, Day1_Data2 ... Day1_Data7
and
Summary_Day2, Day2_Data1, Day2_Data7 ... Day2_Data7
etc.

Then at least all of your data is in a single workbook. Lots of shortcuts
can be taken this way by judiciously using Edit Replace to alter
formulas/links this way. Plus you don't worry about someone having to have
access to 30 other workbooks when you pass around the final summary sheet.
That final summary sheet could be copied to a 2nd workbook and then only have
to worry about linking to the original to get most current data.

"Is there an easy way to chart data from multiple workbooks?"
Not particularly.