Comments on: Date Axis with Centered Years

By: Jon Peltier

Jon Peltier — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 20:55:27 +0000

The “years” are simply text labels (whole numbers, but treated as text in the chart labels), in the block of cells corresponding to “Labels” and all zero Y values.

By: Michael Cassidy

Michael Cassidy — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:08:01 +0000

Can anyone comment on the formats used for the dates in the two series above. I can’t seem to get this to work correctly in Excel 2007. Specifically, are the dates associated with the Label category formatted as Date (YYYY) or is it general text? When I do attempt this, by placing the Shi’l values into A1:B5, and the Legend values in D1:E5 into a Line chart, then moving the Shi’l values to the second Y-axis, I get nothing close to what’s resembled above. Can anyone help? I’d be happy to email a spreadsheet of what I do get, if anyone’s willing to look.

Thanks,
Michael

By: derek

derek — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:15:07 +0000

My data layout was like this. Apologies for the eccentric method of presenting the info, as I'm between ISPs at the moment. Does anyone know of a file hosting service that's as convenient for spreadsheets as flickr, photobucket et al. are for pictures?

By: Jon Peltier

Jon Peltier — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 12:58:30 +0000

Andy -

I think a single trip to Tools > Options (or wherever it’s been moved to in Excel 2007) is easier and cleaner than filling blank cells with formulas.

By: Andy Pope

Andy Pope — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 12:21:54 +0000

The line chart is easier.
If you fill column B’s empty values with =NA() you do not need to go via Tools > options…

By: Jon Peltier

Jon Peltier — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 11:59:10 +0000

Andy -

Except as Derek pointed out, you can change how blanks are treated and avoid the gaps. I am thinking that Derek’s technique is probably the best discussed here. I think I’ll have to rewrite the post, put all of the techniques here, and put his first.