[Closed] Why is Excel graphing so sodding cryptic?

You need to stop thinking logically, and think MS 🙂

I find the same with the Formula function.

Because it's excel and designed by people who have never tried to use it. I mean what bell-end thought having all the excel files open in the same window was a bright idea?

simple answer is because it has to be able to cope with so many data arrangemnts .

Yours for example isn't very logical. rearrange the data columns to x,y,y2 and it should work straight off.

molgrips - excel is indeed crap, but why are you struggling so much with that?

The simplest way is probably to reorganise the data as Col X, Col Y1, Col Y2. Select all three and plot it.

However even if you plot data that is confused you redefine the source data for each line. OR you can plot one line and then select anohter and PASTE SPECIAL and add to the graph...

Its so difficult compared to Apple (numbers)
With Apple i was able to provide an professional document
within 1 hr without ever using it before.

Excel well half a day and was no way near the quality or size of the Apple numbers.

Also what your trying to achieve you maybe better of using columns in word.
Again much easier using Apple's pages

I'm struggling to see how you can't do that easily. But this should work:

The simplest way is probably to reorganise the data as Col X, Col Y1, Col Y2

Alternatively right click and select 'source data' and tidy it up from there.

Generally Excel is pretty good at graphs it's just not very well documented.

use something else

make sure you use the Scatter function and not the line function.

[url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetware_(brain) ]Wetware Error[/url]

I actually like Excel. MS Office home edition is by far and away the most software you'll ever get for £70 I reckon.

I just got cross because I could not do what I wanted. Rearranging the data (that was output from another program) should not be necessary. I ought to be able to tell it explicitly what I wanted to graph against what but I could not figure out for the life of me how to do it.

I've given up now, found what I wanted to know by eyeballing the data.

Excel has to make some assumptions. In this case, it assumes (wrongly) that the first col is x, the second is the first y value, and the next is the second y. As said, if they're in that order, selecting the 3 columns will result in the graph you need. If the data is something different, you have to edit what the x values are, and what the y values are.
I don't think that's unreasonable, but don't mention 3D graphs, that really is a pain.

I've kept this quiet on here, but I'm the English male voice-over on the 2010 office tutorials.

True story.

As above. Right click and select data. If you have your columns arranged strangely how is it supposed to know what you want?

I ought to be able to tell it explicitly what I wanted to graph against what but I could not figure out for the life of me how to do it.

You can... ...and its not even difficult. Exact method will depend on the version of excel.

But for future reference these will all work:

(1) Plot the graph, then click the series. In the 'formula bar' you will see something like: =SERIES(,Sheet1!$C$3:$C$22,Sheet1!$D$3:$D$22,1)

This takes the form ( SERIES NAME , X-VALUES , Y-VALUES , SERIES ORDER )

(2) Go to Chart >> Source Data >> then set it manually using the menus...

(3) Right click on the points/line in the chart and choose: "Select data" {Takes you to same option at 2]

(4) When you create the chart don't 'preselect' any data. The wizard will guide you through... newer versions have made this less obvious, but it seems to be: Insert > Chart; then pick chart type; then under data on the fancy new toolbars you will see "Select". This takes you to the same as (2) above but with all fields blank.

Plot it the way you originally did, then click,on the relevant line and see the data which becomes highlighted, then drag those boxes around.

If you have your columns arranged strangely how is it supposed to know what you want?

It's not, but I'd have hoped it would let me rearrange them easily 🙂

Will try CM's idea next time, ta.

I've kept this quiet on here, but I'm the English male voice-over on the 2010 office tutorials.
True story.

Really? Really? That's a fun fact.

I'm the English male voice-over on the 2010 office tutorials

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