I did a little playing in Excel 2003. If you use the Source Data Series
dialog, you cannot enter more than about 256 characters into the X Values or
Y Values box. If you directly edit the series formula, it seems you can use
nearly all of the 1024 characters for the Y Values, provided the X Values
argument is omitted. This last surprised me, because I've thought for a long
time that the overall series length didn't matter, but only the length of
the X and Y components of the formula. It may be that earlier Excels had
this limit, and by 2003 the limit was removed, or it may be that the limit
still exists in VBA, which is where I've spent more time trying to get
around it. Certainly VBA can't do as much with a chart series as a user can
working within the user interface.
- Jon
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Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Tutorials and Custom Solutions
http://PeltierTech.com
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"Tushar Mehta" wrote in message
...
Hi Andy,
It used to be about 250 characters per series component (i.e., x-values
specs, y-values specs etc.). Maybe those individual limits got lifted at
some point but they seem to be back w/2007. I just tried plotting a
simple
clustered column chart and XL balked at about 256. Of course, the way it
complained was bizarre.
When creating a chart (changed the worksheet name to the longest allowed,
entered =ROW() in a column and CTRL+picked every alternate cell), the
error
message I got was "some types of charts cannot be combined with others."
Don't ask why.
When trying to extend a series formula, nothing happens. Edited the
current
formula by entering a comma before the closing parentheis and CTRL+clicked
to
add new cells. If the resulting length was 250-whatever, pressing ENTER
did nothing. No error message, no nothing. It showed the updated formula
in
the formula bar but it wouldn't accept it nor provide any kind of error
message. You just had to know that the problem was the length of the
y-values references.
--
Tushar Mehta
http://www.tushar-mehta.com
Custom business solutions leveraging a multi-disciplinary approach
In Excel 2007 double-click to format may not work; right click and select
from the menu
"Andy Pope" wrote:
Hi,
A word of caution with this approach.
Using the ctrl key to select dis-contiguous cells will work but only to
a point. Once the length of the series formula exceeds 1024, I think
that's the cutoff length, you will not be able to add anymore points to
that series. When you consider each point requires a sheet and cell
reference the formula can get very long very quickly.
Cheers
Andy
john the confused wrote:
You can select your data by holding the Ctrl key and then use the chart
wizard. When you want to add new data, enter it in the cell and then
either
click & drag it to the chart or use copy & paste
--
Andy Pope, Microsoft MVP - Excel
http://www.andypope.info