X Axis does not display correctly date and time intervals

Frances,

There are two basic kinds of Charts:

1. X-Value vs. Y-Value

2. Y-Value vs. Cagtegory Name

The first type of table assumes that the values are in pairs and the second type of table assumes that each Category has a value. There is constant spacing between the category names.

Guess which type of Chart you used.

The Value vs. Value Chart is called a Scatter Chart.

When charting value pairs, both parts need to be in columns formatted as values. Since body columns and rows are formatted as values by default, both halves of each data pair are normally placed in body columns.

When charting Categories vs. Values, the category names have to be in a row or column formatted as Text and the Values have to be in a row or column formatted as a Value. Since Headers are Text by default, we use a Header for Category names. Thus it's common to have the category name in a Header column (A) and the values in column B.

Jerry

Frances,

Send me your file and I'll try to sort it out for you.

Jerry

It can be done. Here is an example. There is only one chart called a scatter chart. Its icon looks like a shotgun blast. You used the plural (scatter charts) in your post which leads me to believe you are thinking the other line charts are also scatter charts. They are not.

For a scatter chart, all of the data must be in regular cells, none can be in header cells.

Hi Francesco,

Category charts do not have and "X axis". They have a "Value axis" and a "Category axis." "Categories" are always evenly distributed along the "Category axis"

For horizontal bar graphs and horizontal stacked bar graphs, the vertical axis is the "Category axis".

For vertical bar graphs, vertical stacked bar graphs, line graphs, area graphs and the two combination graphs at the bottom of the menu, the vertical axis is the "Category axis".

Only one chart in the list, the Scatter Chart, identified with this icon has two "value axes," an x axis (horizontal) and a y axis (vertical).

A scatter chart will interpret the dates as values rather than category names, and will chart each data point using its x (date) and y (weight) values.

Here are two examples.

On the left is a Line chart, using data from the table on the left. In this table, the dates are in a Header Column. These are actual Date and Time values, identical to those in the second chart, but formatted to display only the day and month. Weight values are estimated from your similar chart above.

On the right is a Scatter chart, using the same data set. All data for this chart is in regular (non-header) columns. The labels at the top are in a Header row.

The Line chart uses default formatting, with two exceptions: Data symbol was set to 'none' for the Goal data series, and the number of steps on the value axis was raised from 4 to 6.

The Scatter chart uses default formatting with six exceptions: Data symbol for the Goal data series and number of steps on the Y axis were set as described above. The size of the data symbol for the Weight series was reduced from 10 points to 7. Both series were set to use a "curve" connector between data points. Stroke weight for both series' curve connectors was set to 3 points. The Date series labels were rotated to 75°, and the legend moved down to a position below the labels.

These format changes were made in the Chart Inspector and the Metrics Inspector. Here's the scatter chart, expanded horizontally. I've increased the number of steps on the x-axis to 8.

Regards,

Barry

Hi, I tried your recommendation, but did not succeed. I use numbers '08. Does your solution apply only to the newest numbers version?

Regards,

Peter

Hi Peter,

There are times when the version number of an application (and of the operating system) are significant. That's why it's usually a good idea to include that information in the description of your issue. 🙂

Numbers '08 (v1.0.x) charts accept only numbers as data.

Date and Time values can be used as Labels in the Category charts, but will be ignored by a scatter chart.

Numbers '09 can chart Numbers, Durations and Date and Time values.

Represent your Dates using a number (number of days since the start of the values being charted, and your scatter chart can be made:

One otherfeature that seems to having been added in '09 is the ability to connect the data points (found on this Inspector page in the Numbers '09 Inspector).

Regards,

Barry

If you selected the Date, Weight and Goal columns when making the chart, the next step is to click on the gear (the one in the top left corner of the table in your screenshot) and choose "Share X Values".

I don't know why the min value for the Y axis is so low, assuming you left it as "auto" in the chart inspector. Maybe you can enter the min date and override the auto setting.

"Moreover the x axis labels show wrong values although the date/time format is selected. Very strange...I use numbers 9 vers. 2.3, any suggestions?"

Settings for the values on either axis are done in the Inspector. You can leave them at 'auto', and Numbers will assign a maximum and minimum at or just below and above the range of values in your data, or you can set the minimum and maximum values manually by entering the values in the appropriate boxes.

Up to 11 values will be shown on the axis, depending on the number of steps you have set. Numbers default setting is (usually) 4 steps.

From the appearance of your x axis labels, I would guess you have accidently set the the minimum to 1/1/01, which Numbers has interpreted as January 1, 2001. Open the Chart Inspector, choose Axis, and delete whatever is in the Min box for Value Axis (X). Press tab to move out of the box, and check the effect on your graph, If not satisfactory, try entering the earliest date on your data table.

Regards,

Barry

Can it be that Numbers in the latest version for Mavericks (Version 3.0 1470) has again lost the ability to use dates for x-values in Scatter-Graphs?

I've tried to do everything right according to the procedures here, but I get the correct data spacing but wrong x-axis labels. Numbers does not permit me to select "Date and Time" for the labels.

Hi EinUser,

This seems to be a bug. Send your feedback to Apple.

In the meantine, use WEEKNUM or some other way of converting dates to numbers

Formula in C2 (and Fill Down)

=WEEKNUM(B2,1)

That gives the week of the year.

Regards,

Ian.

Did you submit a bug? If so can you post a link so people can vote for it? (if Apple lets people vote)

Having the same problem in latest version of numbers.

sMoZely wrote:

Did you submit a bug? If so can you post a link so people can vote for it? (if Apple lets people vote)

Pllease go tothis thread and vote.

Noticed the same problem very annoying. I can't seem to get to voting site though.