Microsoft Graph Does Not Create Custom Chart from Table

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
• Microsoft Word for Windows 95, version 7.0
• Microsoft Graph, versions 3.0, 3.0a, 3.0b, 5.0

SYMPTOMS

If you select numbers in a Word for Windows table and then start Microsoft Graph, a default data sheet and chart may appear instead of a custom chart of your data.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs because Microsoft Graph interprets parentheses as text characters, not as the designation for negative numbers. For example, if your data includes a negative number such as (34), Microsoft Graph does not use your data, and uses the default chart instead. By contrast, if your negative numbers contain a minus sign (-) instead of parentheses, Microsoft Graph plots the data correctly.

Note that if any part of your selection contains text (that is, any non numeric character except "-" or "+") instead of numeric data, Microsoft Graph uses the default chart.

RESOLUTION

To work around this behavior, do any of the following:

Method 1: You can copy your table to the default chart. Before running

           Graph, follow these steps:

           1. Highlight your table, and choose Copy from the Edit menu.

           2. Choose the Insert Chart button on the Standard toolbar.

           3. Highlight the cells in the default chart and choose Clear
              from the Edit menu.

           4. In the default chart, highlight the corresponding rows and
              columns into which you want to paste your information.

           5. From the Edit menu, choose Paste .

              NOTE:  The numbers that were originally in parentheses are
              converted to minus signs in the Microsoft Graph datasheet.
              Your original table is unchanged. You can modify the
              format of the number by choosing Number from the Format
              menu while editing the Chart.

           6. Choose the Graph menus to make other modifications or
              selections for your chart.

           restart Graph.

STATUS

We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Word User's Guide," version 6.0, chapter 27, "WordArt, Equation Editor, and Graph," "Graph" section