In Excel 2003 if I wanted to change the source data of a chart, I would
right-click on the chart, click Source Data and get onto the Series tab.
There, I would select the text field where I want to make changes (typically
series names or Y value data). Now, if the text in the Y values field is long
(reference to another workbook, for example), it isn't shown in whole and I
click on it, then use the arrow buttons on the keyboard to navigate the
string of letters and numbers to change a column reference from "D" to "E",
for example. Simple and easy.

In Excel 2007, if I click anywhere in the Y data text field (or any data
range entry field) and then press an arrow key to navigate the text, the
press of the arrow key results in the cell selection moving around. I have
deduced that this is because, in Excel 2007, when you "activate" the data
range entry text field, the worksheet and cells referred to by the data range
entry field are activated and arrow keys navigate the worksheet cells instead
of the text field. And unless the whole text is painted, pressing an arrow
key will simply result in "+Sheet1!E5" (example) to be added wherever in the
data range entry field the blinking pointer happens to be.

If you want to try to reproduce this, please note that it only applies when
modifying source data of an existing chart. When creating the chart in Excel
2003, the worksheet cells are activated just like in Excel 2007. However, in
2003, if you click on a chart and then edit source data, the chart is
activated instead of the worksheet cells and you can move the cursor in the
text field freely with the keyboard.

So now, to do what I used to be able to do easily in Excel 2003, I instead
have to click the mouse in exactly the place in the text field where I want
to change something, then use Backspace or Del to remove characters I want to
replace with something else (like a column reference). Either that or try to
paint just the one character and replace it with another. I see no good
reason for this annoying "feature" of Excel 2007 and later. Is there any
work-around to this?

Click in the range selection box, press the F2 key, and use your arrows.
This key toggles between the edit and the mouse modes of the box.

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier
Peltier Technical Services, Inc.
http://peltiertech.com/



J-Sep wrote:
In Excel 2003 if I wanted to change the source data of a chart, I would
right-click on the chart, click Source Data and get onto the Series tab.
There, I would select the text field where I want to make changes (typically
series names or Y value data). Now, if the text in the Y values field is long
(reference to another workbook, for example), it isn't shown in whole and I
click on it, then use the arrow buttons on the keyboard to navigate the
string of letters and numbers to change a column reference from "D" to "E",
for example. Simple and easy.

In Excel 2007, if I click anywhere in the Y data text field (or any data
range entry field) and then press an arrow key to navigate the text, the
press of the arrow key results in the cell selection moving around. I have
deduced that this is because, in Excel 2007, when you "activate" the data
range entry text field, the worksheet and cells referred to by the data range
entry field are activated and arrow keys navigate the worksheet cells instead
of the text field. And unless the whole text is painted, pressing an arrow
key will simply result in "+Sheet1!E5" (example) to be added wherever in the
data range entry field the blinking pointer happens to be.

If you want to try to reproduce this, please note that it only applies when
modifying source data of an existing chart. When creating the chart in Excel
2003, the worksheet cells are activated just like in Excel 2007. However, in
2003, if you click on a chart and then edit source data, the chart is
activated instead of the worksheet cells and you can move the cursor in the
text field freely with the keyboard.

So now, to do what I used to be able to do easily in Excel 2003, I instead
have to click the mouse in exactly the place in the text field where I want
to change something, then use Backspace or Del to remove characters I want to
replace with something else (like a column reference). Either that or try to
paint just the one character and replace it with another. I see no good
reason for this annoying "feature" of Excel 2007 and later. Is there any
work-around to this?