XL97: Problems When Selecting Error Bars With a Macro

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel 97, if you use a Visual Basic for Applications macro to format either the x error bars or the y error bars within an xy scatter chart, the formatting is applied to both sets of error bars.

CAUSE

This occurs because it is not possible for a Visual Basic for Applications macro command to individually select either the x error bars or the y error bars. Selecting one set selects the other set as well.

WORKAROUND

Microsoft provides examples of Visual Basic for Applications procedures 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. The Visual Basic procedures in this article are provided 'as is' and Microsoft does not guarantee that they can be used in all situations. While Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular macro, they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality, nor will they help you construct macros to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to consult one of the Microsoft Solution Providers. Solution Providers offer a wide range of fee-based services, including creating fscustom macros. For more information about Microsoft Solution Providers, call Microsoft Customer Information Service at (800) 426-9400.

It is possible to select one or the other set of error bars by using a Microsoft Excel version 4.0 macro language (XLM) command within your Visual Basic subroutine.

To select the x error bars for the first series in the active chart, use the following command:

   Application.ExecuteExcel4Macro ("SELECT(""Series 1 X Error Bars"")")

   Application.ExecuteExcel4Macro ("SELECT(""Series 1 Y Error Bars"")")

   With Selection.Border
       .LineStyle = xlContinuous
       .ColorIndex = 3
       .Weight = xlThin
   End With

   Selection.Delete

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

In Microsoft Excel 97, if you select either the x error bars or the y error bars in a chart while you record a Visual Basic for Applications macro, the following code is recorded:

   ActiveChart.SeriesCollection(1).ErrorBars.Select

It is not possible to individually select one or the other set of error bars unless you remove the command shown above and replace it with one of the two Microsoft Excel 4.0 macro commands shown in the Workaround section of this article.