Hi Michael:
The x-axis scale range is something of a mystery; I nearly always have to
use Format | Axis, open Scale tab and change Min and Max values.
But I wonder why you are using a XY chart when Excel's Line chart can do
such clever thing when the x-values are a time series - it can cope with
missing dates and even non-sequential dates.
Give it a try - "those who like it, like it a lot" (that's a Canadian beer
ad slogan!)

BTW: With Line charts I generally ensure the x-values have no header in the
top cell when the values are numerical
best wishes
--
Bernard V Liengme
www.stfx.ca/people/bliengme
remove caps from email

"Michael Ryle" wrote in message
...
I have a spread sheet with the following three series:

Series 1 (column 1) is A:2 through A:25, formatted date, values Jan 2005
through Dec 2005

Series 2 (column 2) is B:2 through B:25, fomatted number, values integers

Series 3 (column 3) is C:2 through C:25, formatted number, values integers

I select these three columns and then invoke the chart wizard to make a
line
chart based on them.

Series 2 (column 2) is assigned to one line of the chart. Series 3
(column
3) is assigned to another line. Series 1 (column 1), the list of dates,
is
assigned to the "Category (X) axis label".

When Excel creates the chart, the list of dates beneath the X axis is
extended from Dec 2005 all the way out August 2006, even though the list
ends
with Dec 2005 and there are no values for these dates.

Anybody know what's going on? Thanks.