Graph from table with date on x axis

Hi Sam,

You have come across the distinction between Category Charts and Scatter Charts. Both types have a Value Axis, most of the time the vertical axis, where the magnitude of your data is expressed. The difference is in the other axis, most of the time the horizontal one. In Category Charts, the horizontal axis lists the names you assigned to each data point, as text. In Scatter Charts, the horizontal axis represents the value of the X part of an X-Y pair of values.

It seems to me that you are asking how to treat the horizontal axis as values rather than text. The answer is to use a Scatter Chart. The rub is that you have placed your Dates into a Header Column, so they default to text for the purpose of charting and won't work in a Scatter Chart.

To fix this, put your dates in a normal, Body, column and your Dependent Values in an adjacent column, forming X-Y value pairs. Select the two columns and Insert a Scatter Chart. Now, you may not get a label for each data point on the X-Axis because they will be evenly spaced, even if your data isn't. But, you can't have it both ways, at least not easily.

Jerry

Sam,

Maybe I could have been more clear. There is one other point that may be a problem. I can't tell from the table in your post, but your entry dates may not be recognized as dates by the program. A Month and Year isn't a Date. A Date such as December 1, 2002 can be formatted as December 2002, but December 2002 as an entry isn't recognized as a Date by the program because it is incomplete. I realize that this may seem odd, but it's the way it is.

I've retyped the first half of your data as true dates and charted them:

After changing the format, we can show as Month Year:

Jerry

Sorry I wasn't around to answer your last question. Glad you figured it out.

Jerryt