Name: =Sheet1!MyName

Then save the sheet as a one-worksheet workbook with a new name. Open the main workbook, then open the one-sheet workbook, and move the sheet into the main workbook. For each copy, reopen the one-sheet workbook, and move the sheet into the main workbook, then change the data.

I don’t see any reference to Crystal Reports in my Excel (or in add-ins), but I do find a Crystal directory on my hard drive. I have no idea what it is used for.

I searched the web under the error message. Every mention of that message for Excel (and there were quite a few) said one could not open the workbook after getting the message. But I can open just fine, and as I said before, I can’t find anything amiss. Since I have never seen this message before, that is why I though it might have something to do with the way I created dynamic charts.

Excel 2007 has the equivalent of Detect and Repair, but I had not thought of using it. Thanks for the suggestion. Of course now, I don’t seem to be getting the error message (it comes and goes). If I get it again, I will run Detect/Repair.

Harry

After creating dynamic charts using the offset formula (following your instructions), I now get on SOME of the workbooks the following message when I open the file:

“File Error! Data may have been lost.”

Yet I cannot find any data or chart problems. And this message did not appear initially.

Have you ever seen this error on your dynamic charts, and can you guide me as what might be the cause?

Thanks,

Harry

I didn’t have Excel 2003 (upgraded from Office 2000) but I figured out that I had to create a chart the “normal” way first, then click on the displayed data series plot, and =SERIES(…. was displayed on the bar near the top noted as Fx.

Thanks for such a neat tool.

Harry

The series formula in Excel 2007 is just like in 2003: select an existing series and look in the formula bar. You could select the chart area or plot area (both in 2003, I forget which one in 2007) and enter one from scratch, but that’s a pain.

Regarding the offset formula, if you have a column that’s fully populated, it probably has a name defined for it, for example, Name1 which refers to =Offset($B$1,1,0,Count($B:$B),1). Just use an offset of this name for your new name, so Name2 refers to =Offset(Name1,0,1). I actually showed this with the names VertValues and VertCats in this article. If the populated column has no associated name, of course, then using offset of that column in a different column’s name works just fine, as you suggest.

I do have one question. I am using Excel 2007 on Windows XP Pro. You talk about making the chart dynamic using the Series function. But I can’t determine where the Series function gets entered! Perhaps you can provide a more complete description. I had to use your second method (right click on the chart > Select Data), and that works just fine.

You mention to be careful with blank data cell rows when using the Count function. If you simply use the Count function on another (fully populated) column (i.e., if Column C has blanks and Column B does not, use something like
=Offset($C$1,1,0,Count($B:$B),1) everything works. This also works if column C calculates something like a moving average, where all cell rows are not populated on purpose.

Harry

But assuming your X column is intact, define an X range:

Name: Xvalues
Refers To:
=OFFSET(BS2!$A$3,0,0,COUNTA(BS2!$A:$A)-1)

Then define your Y values as offset a number of columns from the X values:

Y1values =OFFSET(Xvalues,0,1)
Y2values =OFFSET(Xvalues,0,2)
etc. (leave off the last two OFFSET arguments)

These Y value ranges will be the same length as the X value range