XL5 AppNote: Working w/ Charts Questions and Answers (XE0925)

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0

SUMMARY

Following is the complete text for the FastTip for Microsoft Excel version 5.0 for Windows. It contains the commonly asked questions and answers about working with charts.

  Microsoft(R) Product Support Services Application Note (Text File)
           XE0925: WORKING WITH CHARTS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

                                                  Revision Date: 12/93
                                                      No Disk Included

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1. Q. What new chart types are available in Microsoft Excel
      version 5.0?

   A. Microsoft Excel version 5.0 provides the new doughnut chart
      type, which is a pie chart that displays more than one data
      series.

      In version 5.0, you can easily combine chart types in a single
      chart by applying the built-in combination autoformat to your
      chart. An autoformat is a predefined collection of chart types,
      colors, patterns, and other visual elements. You can use the
      built-in autoformats provided by Microsoft Excel or you can
      create your own. To apply an autoformat:

      1. Activate the chart. (If the chart is embedded on the
         worksheet, double-click it to activate it.)

      2. From the Format menu, choose AutoFormat.

      3. Select the autoformat you want to use.

      4. Choose OK.

      You can also manually format each data series in a chart as a
      different chart type. This means, for example, that you can
      format one data series, such as actual sales, using a column
      chart type, and another data series in the same chart, such as
      projected sales, using a line chart type. To assign a chart
      type to a single data series:

      1. Activate the chart. (If the chart is embedded on the
         worksheet, double-click it to activate it.)

      2. Select the data series to which you want to apply a
         different chart type.

      3. From the Format menu, choose Chart Type.

      4. Select the chart type you want to use. (To make other
         changes, such as changing the subtype or the series order,
         choose the Options button after changing the chart type.)

      5. Choose OK.

      For more information about chart types and autoformats, see
      "Changing the Chart Type" in Chapter 16 of the "User's Guide."

2. Q. When I create a chart on a new chart sheet, it appears
      different from those in earlier versions of Microsoft Excel.
      Why?

   A. When you create a chart as a new sheet in Microsoft Excel 5.0,
      the chart will appear in a view similar to print preview. (To
      create a new chart, select data on your sheet and choose the
      Chart command from the Insert menu, and then choose As New
      Sheet). This view shows how the layout of your chart and its
      elements will look when you print it. In this view, you can
      size, move, and format the plot area (the region bounded by the
      axes) and add items to your chart such as graphic objects,
      titles, text boxes, and the legend.

      How this chart window appears on screen and when printed depends
      on the settings you select in the Page Setup dialog box for
      items such as paper size, orientation, and margin size. For
      example, if the page orientation is set to Landscape, the window
      appears wider than it is tall. The option you select under
      Printed Chart Size on the Chart tab in the Page Setup dialog box
      affects how you can move and size the chart area, plot area, and
      the chart elements. When you select the Use Full Page option,
      you can size and move the plot area but not the chart area. When
      you select the Scale To Fit Page and Custom options, you can
      size both the plot area and the chart area. With either of these
      options selected, chart elements such as titles, text boxes, and
      arrows will be moved relative to the chart area.

      The following table lists the Printed Chart Size options that
      are located on the Chart tab, how they affect the way the chart
      is displayed and printed, and how they affect what you can move
      and size.

                                                  And you can move
      With this option   The chart does this     and size the following
      -----------------------------------------------------------------

      Use Full Page      Fills the page within    The chart area cannot be
                         the margin settings.     sized. Chart items must
                                                   be individually sized or
                                                   moved.

      Scale To Fit Page  Scales to fit the page   The chart area can be
                         within the margin        sized either vertically
                         settings either by       or horizontally but not
                         width or by height       both. Chart elements move
                         (depending on the        in proportion to the
                         direction you size it)   chart area.


      Custom             Adjusts to any size or   The chart area can be
                         placement within the     moved and sized vertical
                         margin settings.         and horizontally. Chart
                                                  elements move in
                                                  proportion to the chart
                                                  area.

      For additional information, see "Preparing a Chart for
      Printing" in Chapter 18 of the "User's Guide."

3. Q. How do I format my chart to appear as it did in earlier
      versions of Microsoft Excel?

   A. When you create a chart as a new sheet in Microsoft Excel 5.0,
      the chart, by default, appears in a page layout view. If you
      want your chart to be sized with the window (as it is in
      earlier versions of Microsoft Excel), choose the Sized With
      Window command from the View menu. To make this change for all
      new charts:

      1. From the Tools menu, choose Options.

      2. Select the Chart tab.

      3. Select Chart Sizes With Window Frame.

      4. Choose OK.

      For additional information, see "Preparing a Chart for
      Printing" in Chapter 18 of the "User's Guide."

4. Q. When I double-click my chart, it doesn't open into a chart
      window as it did in earlier versions of Microsoft Excel. How do
      I move or copy my chart object to a chart window?

   A. When you double-click a chart object in Microsoft Excel 5.0,
      the chart object is activated and the thin border is replaced
      with a thicker border. While the chart object is activated, the
      Chart menu bar is displayed so that you can revise, format, and
      add information directly to the chart on your worksheet.

      If you want to copy your chart object to a chart window:

      1. Select a blank cell on your sheet.

      2. From the Insert menu, choose Chart and then choose As New
         Sheet.

      3. In Step 1 Of 5 of the ChartWizard, choose the Finish button.
         You now have a blank chart sheet.

      4. Activate the sheet that contains your chart object and
         double-click the chart to activate it.

      5. From the Edit menu, choose Copy.

      6. Activate the blank chart sheet.

      7. From the Edit menu, choose Paste.

      For additional information, see "Activating a Chart to Modify
      It" in Chapter 15 of the "User's Guide."

5. Q. How do I add new information to an existing chart?

   A. Microsoft Excel 5.0 offers several easy and direct ways to add
      information to an existing chart. The best method to use depends
      on whether your chart is an object on your worksheet or a
      separate chart sheet. When you add new data to a chart,
      Microsoft Excel compares your data selection with the existing
      chart data and determines how it should be plotted. When there
      is some uncertainty, Microsoft Excel displays the Paste Special
      dialog box so that you can provide more specific information.

      NOTE: In addition to the methods described below, you can also
      use the ChartWizard to add information to a chart object or a
      chart sheet. The ChartWizard walks you through the process of
      creating or adding information to your chart and prompts you
      to enter information and select options along the way. To
      start the ChartWizard, activate your chart and choose the
      ChartWizard button.

      To add new information to a chart object
      ----------------------------------------

      1. Select the data you want to add, including the cell
         containing the category or series name.

      2. Click the outside edge of the selection and continue to hold
         down the mouse button while you drag the selection to your
         chart object.

      3. Release the mouse button.

      To add new information to a chart sheet
      ---------------------------------------

      1. Select the data you want to add, including the cell
         containing the category or series name.

      2. From the Edit menu, choose Copy.

      3. Activate your chart sheet.

      4. From the Edit menu, choose Paste.

      When Your New Data Does Not Appear as Expected
      ----------------------------------------------

      If your new data does not appear as expected on either your
      chart object or your chart sheet, you can choose the Undo
      command from the Edit menu (if adding the data was the last
      action you performed), or you can choose the Clear command from
      the Edit menu and then choose Series.

      Once you've removed the added data from the chart, select the
      data on your sheet and choose Copy from the Edit menu. Activate
      your chart and choose Paste Special from the Edit menu. Specify
      the appropriate options and choose OK.

      For additional information, see "Adding and Deleting Chart
      Data" in Chapter 17 of the "User's Guide."

6. Q. How do I add trendlines or error bars to my chart?

   A. In Microsoft Excel version 5.0, you can add trendlines and
      error bars to 2-D area, bar, column, line or xy (scatter)
      charts. You cannot add trendlines to 3-D, pie, doughnut, or
      radar charts.

      To add trendlines to a chart:

      1. Activate the chart. (If the chart is embedded on the
         worksheet, double-click it to activate it.)

      2. Select the data series that you want the trendline
         associated with.

      3. From the Insert menu, choose Trendline.

      4. Select the Type tab.

      5. Under Trend/Regression Type, select the type of trendline
         you want. (You can use the Options tab to name the trendline
         and select other options such as the forecast period.)

      6. Choose OK.

      To add error bars:

      1. Activate the chart. If the chart is embedded on the
          worksheet, double-click it to activate it.

      2. Select the data series that you want the error bars
         associated with.

      3. From the Insert menu, choose Error Bars.

      4. Under Display, select the type of error bar display you
         want.

      5. Under Error Amount, specify how you want the error amount
         calculated.

      6. Choose OK.

      For more information about adding trendlines and error bars to
      charts, see "Adding a Trendline to a Data Series" in Chapter 19
      of the "User's Guide."