XL: How to Create a Chart with Discontiguous Ranges

• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a

SUMMARY

When you record a macro to create a chart using discontiguous ranges, the source address of cells used to create the chart is fixed by Microsoft Excel. This article contains a sample Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications macro (Sub procedure) that you can use to create a chart when the ranges containing the data to be used in your chart are discontiguous.

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about the support options available from Microsoft, please see the following page on the World Wide Web:

   http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/refguide/default.asp

1. Enter the following information in Sheet1 in a new Workbook:

          C3:          D3:  Region 1   E3:  Region 2   F3:  Region 3
          C4:  Jan     D4:  10         E4:  80         F4:  15
          C5:  Feb     D5:  20         E5:  70         F5:  25
          C6:  Mar     D6:  30         E6:  60         F6:  35
          C7:  Apr     D7:  40         E7:  50         F7:  45
   
         C12:  Jan    D12:  10        E12:  80        F12:  15
         C13:  Feb    D13:  20        E13:  70        F13:  25
         C14:  Mar    D14:  30        E14:  60        F14:  35
         C15:  Apr    D15:  40        E15:  50        F15:  45
   
   

2. Insert a new module sheet in your workbook and type the following code:

         Sub CreateChart()
   
             Worksheets("Sheet1").Activate    ' Activate the worksheet.
   
             Range("C4").Select   ' The upper left corner of the chart
                                  ' data.
   
             ' Select the current range of data. This line of code assumes 
             ' that the current region of cells is contiguous, without empty 
             ' rows or columns.
             Selection.CurrentRegion.Select
   
             Selection.Name = "Firstname"  ' Define a name to the first range.
   
             ' Repeat same steps for next contiguous range of cells.
             Range("C12").Select
             Selection.CurrentRegion.Select
             Selection.Name = "Secondname"
   
             Range("Firstname, Secondname").Select   ' Select both ranges of
                                                     ' cells.
             myrange = Selection.Address
             mysheetname = ActiveSheet.Name
   
             'Add a chart to the active sheet
             ActiveSheet.ChartObjects.Add(125.25, 60, 301.5, 155.25).Select
   
             ' Or, to create a chart on a separate chart sheet, substitute the
             ' next line for one above.
   
             ' Charts.Add
   
             Application.CutCopyMode = False
   
             ' This line can best be written by recording a macro, and
             ' modifying the code generated by Microsoft Excel.
   
             ActiveChart.ChartWizard _
                 Source:= Sheets(mysheetname).Range(myrange), _
                 Gallery:=xlLine, Format:=4, PlotBy:=xlColumns, _
                 CategoryLabels:=1, SeriesLabels:=1, HasLegend:=1, _
                 Title:="", CategoryTitle:="", ValueTitle:="", ExtraTitle:=""
   
         End Sub
   
   

REFERENCES

Microsoft Excel 97

For more information about the ChartWizard Method, do the following:

1. On a blank line on a module sheet, type "chartwizard", without quotation marks.

2. Select the text you typed in step 1.

3. Press F1.

Microsoft Excel Version 7.0

For more information about the ChartWizard Method, on the Help menu, click "Microsoft Excel Help Topics," click the Index Tab, and then type:

   ChartWizard Method

Microsoft Excel Version 5.0

For more information about the ChartWizard Method, on the Help menu, click Contents, click Programming with Visual Basic, click the search button, and then type:

   ChartWizard Method

In Microsoft Excel 5.0 for the Macintosh

For more information about the ChartWizard Method, click the Balloon Help icon, click Microsoft Excel Help, click Programming with Visual Basic, click the search button, and then type:

   ChartWizard Method