Formatting dates on x axis of chart...!
 

Win XP HE
Excel 2002
Hi,
I have a chart with a simple y and x axis. The x axis represents dates.
In sheet1 of the spreadsheet being used, the dates are in column A and in
each cell--for the moment is a formula: = sheet2, A2, A3, etc. (where the
dates are in this format: 12/20/2004.)
The result is (obviously) the same number and format 12/20/2004 in sheet1.
When I chart, for the life of me I cannot get rid of this format in the x
axis labels--I am usually able to define the label format in tha chart
itself but, nothing I do lets me change this format.
Even when unchecking the "link to source".
There must be some kind of error here, perhaps in the "text" format, or what
not.
What can I do to be able to change this format as I desire?
Tx a lot.
S

I shoud mention that the dates--whichhave been downloaded from a
database--are not properly formatted in the source sheet--i.e. they are
"stuck" as 12/20/2004 with no "numerical value" underlying--which probably
causes this "sticky" formatting problem.
How can I convert these unproperly formatted dates unti properly formatted
ones--the problem is that there is no real logical sequence to them--so I
cannot autofill.
Thanks a lot to you geniuses out there for a hint..... :)
S

saturnin02 wrote:
Win XP HE
Excel 2002
Hi,
I have a chart with a simple y and x axis. The x axis represents dates.
In sheet1 of the spreadsheet being used, the dates are in column A and in
each cell--for the moment is a formula: = sheet2, A2, A3, etc. (where the
dates are in this format: 12/20/2004.)
The result is (obviously) the same number and format 12/20/2004 in sheet1.
When I chart, for the life of me I cannot get rid of this format in the x
axis labels--I am usually able to define the label format in tha chart
itself but, nothing I do lets me change this format.
Even when unchecking the "link to source".
There must be some kind of error here, perhaps in the "text" format, or
what not.
What can I do to be able to change this format as I desire?
Tx a lot.
S

Well, thinking out loud sometimes is helpful.
I used the formula DATEVALUE to convert the 12/20/2004 to its proper
underlying numerical value, copy-pasted the value in column A and then
formatted as date as I wanted.
Perhaps not the best way but... works.
S
saturnin02 wrote:
I shoud mention that the dates--whichhave been downloaded from a
database--are not properly formatted in the source sheet--i.e. they are
"stuck" as 12/20/2004 with no "numerical value" underlying--which probably
causes this "sticky" formatting problem.
How can I convert these unproperly formatted dates unti properly formatted
ones--the problem is that there is no real logical sequence to them--so I
cannot autofill.
Thanks a lot to you geniuses out there for a hint..... :)
S

saturnin02 wrote:
Win XP HE
Excel 2002
Hi,
I have a chart with a simple y and x axis. The x axis represents dates.
In sheet1 of the spreadsheet being used, the dates are in column A and in
each cell--for the moment is a formula: = sheet2, A2, A3, etc. (where the
dates are in this format: 12/20/2004.)
The result is (obviously) the same number and format 12/20/2004 in
sheet1. When I chart, for the life of me I cannot get rid of this format
in the x axis labels--I am usually able to define the label format in
tha chart itself but, nothing I do lets me change this format.
Even when unchecking the "link to source".
There must be some kind of error here, perhaps in the "text" format, or
what not.
What can I do to be able to change this format as I desire?
Tx a lot.
S

Sometimes you can just do:

Edit|Replace
what: / (slash)
with: / (slash)
replace all

And excel will reevaluate your input (and see it as dates).

saturnin02 wrote:

Well, thinking out loud sometimes is helpful.
I used the formula DATEVALUE to convert the 12/20/2004 to its proper
underlying numerical value, copy-pasted the value in column A and then
formatted as date as I wanted.
Perhaps not the best way but... works.
S
saturnin02 wrote:
I shoud mention that the dates--whichhave been downloaded from a
database--are not properly formatted in the source sheet--i.e. they are
"stuck" as 12/20/2004 with no "numerical value" underlying--which probably
causes this "sticky" formatting problem.
How can I convert these unproperly formatted dates unti properly formatted
ones--the problem is that there is no real logical sequence to them--so I
cannot autofill.
Thanks a lot to you geniuses out there for a hint..... :)
S

saturnin02 wrote:
Win XP HE
Excel 2002
Hi,
I have a chart with a simple y and x axis. The x axis represents dates.
In sheet1 of the spreadsheet being used, the dates are in column A and in
each cell--for the moment is a formula: = sheet2, A2, A3, etc. (where the
dates are in this format: 12/20/2004.)
The result is (obviously) the same number and format 12/20/2004 in
sheet1. When I chart, for the life of me I cannot get rid of this format
in the x axis labels--I am usually able to define the label format in
tha chart itself but, nothing I do lets me change this format.
Even when unchecking the "link to source".
There must be some kind of error here, perhaps in the "text" format, or
what not.
What can I do to be able to change this format as I desire?
Tx a lot.
S

--

Dave Peterson

OK, I'll try that as well.
Tx for the tip.
S

Dave Peterson wrote:
Sometimes you can just do:

Edit|Replace
what: / (slash)
with: / (slash)
replace all

And excel will reevaluate your input (and see it as dates).

saturnin02 wrote:

Well, thinking out loud sometimes is helpful.
I used the formula DATEVALUE to convert the 12/20/2004 to its proper
underlying numerical value, copy-pasted the value in column A and then
formatted as date as I wanted.
Perhaps not the best way but... works.
S
saturnin02 wrote:
I shoud mention that the dates--whichhave been downloaded from a
database--are not properly formatted in the source sheet--i.e. they are
"stuck" as 12/20/2004 with no "numerical value" underlying--which
probably causes this "sticky" formatting problem.
How can I convert these unproperly formatted dates unti properly
formatted ones--the problem is that there is no real logical sequence
to them--so I cannot autofill.
Thanks a lot to you geniuses out there for a hint..... :)
S

saturnin02 wrote:
Win XP HE
Excel 2002
Hi,
I have a chart with a simple y and x axis. The x axis represents
dates. In sheet1 of the spreadsheet being used, the dates are in
column A and in each cell--for the moment is a formula: = sheet2, A2,
A3, etc. (where the dates are in this format: 12/20/2004.)
The result is (obviously) the same number and format 12/20/2004 in
sheet1. When I chart, for the life of me I cannot get rid of this
format in the x axis labels--I am usually able to define the label
format in tha chart itself but, nothing I do lets me change this
format.
Even when unchecking the "link to source".
There must be some kind of error here, perhaps in the "text" format, or
what not.
What can I do to be able to change this format as I desire?
Tx a lot.
S