Add a second series to a scatter plot.

Edit to the above post for non-adjacent columns:

1. Select the non-adjacent X&Y data for the first series and create a chart.
2. With the chart selected, hold down Option and Command and select any column in your second table for your second series' Y data. You may not be able to select the column you want. Pick another column if the one you want can't be selected. Numbers will choose a column for the "X" data.
3. On the chart, select the second series. Go to the Chart inspector, series tab, and change the X, Y, and Label to the correct columns.

I tried a bunch of more straightforward methods to get that second series on the chart but none worked consistently.

For X-Y data in adjacent columns where one series in the first table and the second is ina second table:

1. Select the data in the first table and create a chart. This will give you the first series
2. The chart should be active but, if not, click on the chart to select it.
3. Hold down Command and select the data in the second table. This will be the second series

I see the problem trying this with non-adjacent columns and two tables. You can't select the second set of data. Other than moving columns around, making the chart as above, then putting the columns back, I don't yet know of a more straightforward method.

click the chart. Notice that the table will be highlighted where the chart takes its' data. there is a small circle at the bottom right corner of the selection. drag this circle to expand the data source area for the chart.

Jeff,

To add a series consisting of a pair of non-adjacent columns, from any table, Hide the columns that fall between X and Y and then Select the X-column and Shift-Select the second column. The X-Y pairs can now be dragged to the chart.

Unfortunately, if you then Unhide the intervening columns, the chart will change and you will have to edit the series specification.

Jerry

Jeff Mendolo wrote:

Badunit,

The option command method seems to add data to an existing series, but does not give me a different series. The last point on the first series is physically connected with a line to the first data point on the next series. There is also only one series listed in the legand.

Are you selecting the chart as a whole (correct) or the first series in the chart (incorrect) before you try to add the second series? The method worked for me.

I'll second Jerry's solution of gathering the data into a separate table for the chart. Otherwise, if you make changes to one of your tables (i.e., add/delete a column between your X & Y data), you'll probably have to readjust the chart to get it looking at the corect columns again. It's more foolproof to use a separate table as the basis for the chart.

That weirdness with selecting the second set of data is the problem I was trying to get around for you but couldn't. I think this wasn't tested thoroughly. I, too, had to choose a different column than I really wanted and I, too, had the Numbers-selected X data be a different number of cells than it should have been. You can tell which columns can/cannot be chosen by watching the shape of the cursor. I couldn't determine the pattern or reason for why some could be chosen and others could not.

Hi Jeff,

"Hopefully someone at Apple's Numbers team monitors these boards and sees this discussion and fixes the bug."

Highly unlikely. These are user-to-user communities, and Apple does not actively monitor them. The monitoring that is done by Apple employees is for compliance with the terms of use, and even that is highly dependent on reports from users.

The route for communicating a bug report directly to Apple is via the Feedback channel. You'll find "Provide Numbers Feedback" in the Application menu (in Numbers, the Numbers menu). Be prepared to describe the bug and the steps necessary t make it occur.

Regards,

Barry

Jeff Mendolo wrote:

Jerry,

The option + command solution worked, there just seems to be an error in the way in which the program automatically assigns X values. It is the simplest way. I don't like the additional table method because it requires extra work, and puts extra clutter on the page. You are right, you can always hide it away, that just seems unelegant... I wonder what Steve Jobs would think about a solution like that. Thank you for the suggestions.

Jeff,

I think the bottom line here is that Apple should have specified in their User Guide that X-Y data pairs, and additional Y-values when X-values are shared, must be in adjacent columns. That's the only way that the interface works normally. And, it's the way the developers would most likely assume the data would be aligned in the typical table. Yes, it would be nice if the app smoothly accomodated data scattered around a table, but knowing what we do, it would make sense to avoid the situation.

Jerry