Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#1
Posted to microsoft.public.excel.charting
|
|||
|
|||
X-Axis Scale Options Missing
I have a basic line chart with 4 series on it. I want to change the range
displayed on the x-axis (as I have done on numerous charts before). I right clicked the axis and selected 'Scale' tab, but to my surprise the menu was missing selections. Instead of options to display 'maximum' and 'minimum' values, I instead have a menu with options to select where the Y axis crosses, the number of categories between tick marks. Nothing about maximum or minimum values. What gives?? |
#2
Posted to microsoft.public.excel.charting
|
|||
|
|||
X-Axis Scale Options Missing
Arun -
Use an XY (Scatter) chart type, not a Line chart type. That is, select the chart, and change the chart type from Line to XY (Scatter). - Mike Middleton http://www.DecisionToolworks.com Decision Analysis Add-ins for Excel "Arun" wrote in message ... I have a basic line chart with 4 series on it. I want to change the range displayed on the x-axis (as I have done on numerous charts before). I right clicked the axis and selected 'Scale' tab, but to my surprise the menu was missing selections. Instead of options to display 'maximum' and 'minimum' values, I instead have a menu with options to select where the Y axis crosses, the number of categories between tick marks. Nothing about maximum or minimum values. What gives?? |
#3
Posted to microsoft.public.excel.charting
|
|||
|
|||
X-Axis Scale Options Missing
That works, but... can you tell me why the line chart isn't working? I have
one right in the same file and have no issue modifying the x-axis scale. I even tried copying it and changing the data references. "Mike Middleton" wrote: Arun - Use an XY (Scatter) chart type, not a Line chart type. That is, select the chart, and change the chart type from Line to XY (Scatter). - Mike Middleton http://www.DecisionToolworks.com Decision Analysis Add-ins for Excel "Arun" wrote in message ... I have a basic line chart with 4 series on it. I want to change the range displayed on the x-axis (as I have done on numerous charts before). I right clicked the axis and selected 'Scale' tab, but to my surprise the menu was missing selections. Instead of options to display 'maximum' and 'minimum' values, I instead have a menu with options to select where the Y axis crosses, the number of categories between tick marks. Nothing about maximum or minimum values. What gives?? |
#4
Posted to microsoft.public.excel.charting
|
|||
|
|||
X-Axis Scale Options Missing
On Sun, 11 Nov 2007, in microsoft.public.excel.charting,
Arun said: That works, but... can you tell me why the line chart isn't working? I have one right in the same file and have no issue modifying the x-axis scale. I even tried copying it and changing the data references. Microsoft are all messed up when it comes to talking about charts. They call a graph of interval against category a "line" chart. even though the data may be in markers, lines, or lines *and* markers. And then they talk about a graph of interval against interval a "scatter" chart, even though it could just as easily be presented with lines. Have you checked that the thing you call a "line" chart really is one? I bet you'll find it's a "scatter" chart that happens to be formatted using lines. Way back in the dark ages, Lotus produced a basic and primitive graphing facility in their spreadsheet. Microsoft knocked it off almost feature for feature and called it "charting", and it hasn't really advanced since then. The trouble is that they reproduced Lotus 123's bad design features as well as the good ones, when a truly logical design would have actually resulted in a quality improvement over their competitor. But 'twas ever thus with MS. They never choose design quality when sheer market dominance will suit their purpose just as well. I have this fantasy that one day someone will design a graph utility based on known principles of good visual display practice. One of those principles is the "nominal, ordinal, interval" nomenclature devised by Stanley Stevens in the 1940s, and I'd like to see a program where you could choose those features of graph X and Y axes independently of the bogus "chart type" nomenclature of line, scatter, etc. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Level_of_measurement For now, just remember that "line" isn't about lines, it's about category x-axis, and scatter isn't about markers, it's about interval x-axis. Either type can have lines or markers or both. -- Del Cotter NB Personal replies to this post will send email to , which goes to a spam folder-- please send your email to del3 instead. |
#5
Posted to microsoft.public.excel.charting
|
|||
|
|||
X-Axis Scale Options Missing
Love the response Del. I'm not the only one who sees this.
"Del Cotter" wrote: On Sun, 11 Nov 2007, in microsoft.public.excel.charting, Arun said: That works, but... can you tell me why the line chart isn't working? I have one right in the same file and have no issue modifying the x-axis scale. I even tried copying it and changing the data references. Microsoft are all messed up when it comes to talking about charts. They call a graph of interval against category a "line" chart. even though the data may be in markers, lines, or lines *and* markers. And then they talk about a graph of interval against interval a "scatter" chart, even though it could just as easily be presented with lines. Have you checked that the thing you call a "line" chart really is one? I bet you'll find it's a "scatter" chart that happens to be formatted using lines. Way back in the dark ages, Lotus produced a basic and primitive graphing facility in their spreadsheet. Microsoft knocked it off almost feature for feature and called it "charting", and it hasn't really advanced since then. The trouble is that they reproduced Lotus 123's bad design features as well as the good ones, when a truly logical design would have actually resulted in a quality improvement over their competitor. But 'twas ever thus with MS. They never choose design quality when sheer market dominance will suit their purpose just as well. I have this fantasy that one day someone will design a graph utility based on known principles of good visual display practice. One of those principles is the "nominal, ordinal, interval" nomenclature devised by Stanley Stevens in the 1940s, and I'd like to see a program where you could choose those features of graph X and Y axes independently of the bogus "chart type" nomenclature of line, scatter, etc. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Level_of_measurement For now, just remember that "line" isn't about lines, it's about category x-axis, and scatter isn't about markers, it's about interval x-axis. Either type can have lines or markers or both. -- Del Cotter NB Personal replies to this post will send email to , which goes to a spam folder-- please send your email to del3 instead. |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Convert X-Axis Scale from Day/Month/Year Options to Actual Numbers | Charts and Charting in Excel | |||
How to draw chart: log scale on X axis, natural scale on y axis? | Charts and Charting in Excel | |||
How to make Primary axis and Secondary X-axis have the same scale | Excel Discussion (Misc queries) | |||
Format Axis; Scale Tab; "Value Axis Crosses At" ends with preposit | Charts and Charting in Excel | |||
How to insert X axis scale values next to axis and X axis grid lin | Charts and Charting in Excel |