Great idea. I may just post that as a complete routine when I have a chance.

I’ve added following bit of code for it to decide on its own what is the best place to put labels (start or end)…decision is based on stdev of the first and last data values.

Dim xrange1, xrange2 As Variant

      If ActiveChart Is Nothing Then
        MsgBox "Select a chart and try again.", vbExclamation, "No Chart Selected"
        Exit Sub
      Else

        k = 0
        tot = ActiveChart.SeriesCollection.Count
        ReDim xrange1(1 To 1, 1 To tot)
        ReDim xrange2(1 To 1, 1 To tot)

        For Each mySrs In ActiveChart.SeriesCollection
            k = k + 1
            xrange1(1, k) = mySrs.Values(1)
            xrange2(1, k) = mySrs.Values(mySrs.Points.Count)
        Next mySrs

        stdev1 = WorksheetFunction.StDev(xrange1)
        stdev2 = WorksheetFunction.StDev(xrange2)

        For Each mySrs In ActiveChart.SeriesCollection
          bLabeled = False
          With mySrs
            ptcount = .Points.Count
            If stdev1 > stdev2 Then
                startpt = 1
                endpt = ptcount
                xstp = 1
            Else
                startpt = ptcount
                endpt = 1
                xstp = -1
            End If

            For iPts = startpt To endpt Step xstp
 

Working with legend entries in VBA is a challenge, because there is not a linkage between a series and its legend entry. We have suggested this for future developments of Excel by Microsoft. A legend object model linked to the series collection would be outrageous.

Reordering is actually only possible within a chart group, which is a collection of series of a given type and on a given axis. This is more constrained than you mentioned, but if you’ve never tried this on a combination chart, you would not have run up against it.

I talk about chart groups in a future post, the one talking about legend entry order. Wednesday, I think.

I have found difficulty in ordering legend entries via automation in VBA, especially if the chart has a dual Axis. I have macros that update the legend if an option box is selected to display the series. It may be a limitation of Excel 2003, but the series for one axis will be grouped first, then the series for the second axis. When selecting a series object, and trying to re-order the series on the Series Order Tab in the Format Data Series dialog box, only series for the axis in which it is ascribed to can be re-ordered. Perhaps this is a feature that I should learn to embrace.

I utilize your techniques in setting up Dummy Series in the construction of charts, I wish there was a way to select an option in a dialog box to tell Excel to omit these series from Chart Legends. This would make macros that customizing legends easier, especially in dual-axis charts.

Thank you for sharing in all of these posts, and for personally helping me out in other posts (http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2008/08/15/my-coding-technique/).

Thanks for the comment. In answer to your question, I use a very simple routine to label the last point of each series in the chart. It can be found in two places, in my blog at Label Each Series in a Chart, and on my tutorial site at Label the Last Point in an Excel Chart’s Series, where there is more discussion about the technique and development of the code.

Any help?

thanks