Plotting Individual X-Y Scatter with Legend Containing Labels

 Last reviewed: November 2, 1994
Article ID: Q31374
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 2.x, 3.0, 4.0, 4.0a, 5.0
  • Microsoft Excel for OS/2, version 2.2 and 3.0

SUMMARY

In Microsoft Excel, you can create a chart with individual points on an x-y scatter plot. You can add a legend that contains each point marker and the corresponding label from the spreadsheet.

MORE INFORMATION

The following is a sample spreadsheet: 

   {label}  {X}  {Y} <-- not on sheet
    pt1      1    2
    pt2      2    5
    pt3      3    7
    pt4      4    5
    pt5      5    11
To create a chart with both X-Y values and text attached to each individual point in the legend, you must alter the layout of the data. The data should be rearranged as follows: 

           1       2       3       4       5
   pt1     2
   pt2             5
   pt3                     7
   pt4                             9
   pt5                                     11
The graph it creates would look as follows: 

   12 T                                           _______
      |                                       %  |       |
   10 +                                          | @ pt1 |
      |                             #            |       |
    8 +                                          | & pt2 |
      |                   *                      |       |
    6 +                                          | * pt3 |
      |         &                                |       |
    4 +                                          | # pt4 |
      |                                          |       |
    2 @                                          | % pt5 |
      |                                          |_______|
    0 +____+____+____+____+____+____+____+____+

      1   1.5   2   2.5   3   3.5   4   4.5   5
The limitation of this type of chart is that Microsoft Excel offers only 10 different symbols for a line chart. After the tenth symbol, the symbols begin to repeat.

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Last reviewed: November 2, 1994
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