Problem with scatter plot

[PattiWagen]

I have been tacking several health stats over time since the 1980s and do a
scatter plot against time. I have noticed that it does fine going through
the year 2000, but after a certain range of source data, it starts plotting
from the year 1900 and bunches my data points on the right side of the
graph. (one of the graphs it is at 20 data points) I can reduce the source
data range from either end and the graph looks fine, but I am missing data.
This happens on excel 2002 and excel 2003. Is there some way to force the
graph to use a specific range -- say 1980-2010 rather than 1900 to 2023?

I do have the year enetered as a 4 digit value. This happens on 2 different
computers with 2 versions of office installed (2002 and 2003). I checked
the control panel
and it had the correct 100 year span. Here is a sample of the years:
4/1/2005
4/24/2006
5/4/2007

Windows allows only a 100-year span when interpreting 2-digits years.

Might help if you go into Regional Settings in Control Panel and change
the ending year for the century under Customize>Date "Interpret 2-digit
years as between"

Windows default is 1930-2029. You may have changed yours to some other
value like 1901-2001

If you enter dates using the full 4-digit year this setting should not
pose a problem.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

I checked the regional settings on the control panel and it is using the
windows default of 1930-1929.
My data has the range of 6/22/1988 - 5/4/2007. The graph looks fine if I
plot 20 or less rows. Once I increase the number of rows, the graph choses
the range of 1900-2023. Is 20 rows a limit in scatter plot?

 

[Stan Brown]

Tue, 15 May 2007 10:16:15 -0700 from PattiWagen

I have been tacking several health stats over time since the 1980s and do a
scatter plot against time. I have noticed that it does fine going through
the year 2000, but after a certain range of source data, it starts plotting
from the year 1900 and bunches my data points on the right side of the
graph. (one of the graphs it is at 20 data points) I can reduce the source
data range from either end and the graph looks fine, but I am missing data.
This happens on excel 2002 and excel 2003. Is there some way to force the
graph to use a specific range -- say 1980-2010 rather than 1900 to 2023?

Right-click on the axis and select Format Axis. Make your desired
changes on the Scale tab.

 

[PattiWagen]

Thank you. That has made it perfect.

Tue, 15 May 2007 10:16:15 -0700 from PattiWagen


Right-click on the axis and select Format Axis. Make your desired
changes on the Scale tab.

 

[Stan Brown]

Wed, 16 May 2007 17:30:38 -0700 from PattiWagen

Thank you. That has made it perfect.

Terrific! Thanks for letting us know.