Automatic Text Labels in Charts

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

Hi folks,

I need to call upon the experts here for a problem that has left me
scratching my head.

I have opened an existing Excel file that has a line chart with 3 data
series and is plotted by date on the X axis. The originator of the chart has
accessed Data Labels for one of the data series, which allows text input at
that line - and can be a different value (or blank) for each data point in
the series. The Format Data Series Window - Data Labels tab shows the box
"Automatic Text" selected for this series.

I need to do a the same thing in a new Excel file, but when I pull up the
Data Labels tab, the "Automatic Text" check box is not there at all.

Any ideas?

Thanks for your help,
Meredith
 
Meredith -

I'm not familiar with this "Automatic Text" feature, but it's easy enough to apply the text in
cells to the data labels in a chart. Especially since there are at least two powerful (and free)
tools available for you to use:

Rob Bovey's Chart Labeler, http://appspro.com
John Walkenbach's Chart Tools, http://j-walk.com

Both are easy to install and use. Rob's copies the cell formatting to the labels, while Johns
does a few other tricks as well.

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services
Tutorials and Custom Solutions
http://PeltierTech.com/
_______
 
Playing around a bit more, I found part of the solution. If you select a
data series, right click and select "Show Labels" on the Data Labels tab,
then labels for all of the data points in that series show up. If you then
change the text in at least one of those labels, the "Automatic Text" check
box appears and is checked when you go back to the Data Labels tab. This
will allow me a way of doing what I want to do... but not a very fun one. I
also figured out how to label individual data points, which is a better than
deleting out all of the automatic labels that I don't want. I am checking
out the links that you suggested.

Thanks!
 
Meredith -

I never knew about the Automatic Text checkbox, but I just went to see it, after your description.

The nice thing about the utilities I pitched at you before is that you can make the linked cells
dynamic, limited only by your ability to think of a relevant formula, and the labels change
automatically. If you want to make a label disappear, the formula should return "".

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services
Tutorials and Custom Solutions
http://PeltierTech.com/
_______
 
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