Comments on: Why Are My Excel Bar Chart Categories Backwards?

By: Myles

Myles — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 01:29:24 +0000

Posted in 2009, still helpful today. Many thanks for the info!

By: Jon Peltier

Jon Peltier — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:30:39 +0000

Mark -

I never use those data tables, I really hate them, so I can’t help.

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:17:17 +0000

I really like the blog! Keep going!

My issue is with the added data table. I have the axis at the top (which I like) and I reversed my order for the left access (Jan through Oct with Jan at the top), but when I added the data table at the bottom, the months are backward. Oct is on the left and Jan is on the right. How can I switch the months on the data table?

By: Grant

Grant — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:57:19 +0000

This is exactly what I was looking for. Stupid Excel for putting my months bottom up! Or stupid me for expecting it that way? Smart u for knowing what I want to do.

Thanks a million!
-g

By: Jon Peltier

Jon Peltier — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:25:59 +0000

I think many of us have been using charts with axes along the bottom and left edges of a chart since we took pre-algebra in middle school. Often it makes more sense to put the vertical axis to the right, since that’s often where you find the latest and most important data. But we stick to our conventions because they look right or feel right.

By: Alex Kerin

Alex Kerin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:58:37 +0000

Jon, thank you for the post. I suppose there’s an element of consolation that at least there’s a reason why they are not in the order we would expect them.

Tony brings up a good point as well – having the axis at the top is good, especially if it’s a chart that the user is not accustomed to.