Horizontal Error Bars in Excel 2007

  • Thread starter Thread starter Barb Reinhardt
  • Start date Start date
B

Barb Reinhardt

Is it possible to still do this in Excel 2007? I can find Vertical, but not
horizontal.

Thanks,
Barb Reinhardt
 
Hi Barb,

Yes, they still exist but they're not easy to find. If you have an XY chart
for example, click on the outside edge. In the layout tab go to the analysis
group. Select Error Bars -> More Error Bar Options. It should then add
vertical and horizontal error bars to your chart. However, the Format Error
Bars dialog box indicates only Vertical Error Bars. What is hard to see is
that the dialog box is modeless. So, while it's still on your screen you can
click on the error bars in the chart. As you click on a horizontal error
bar, the dialog box will switch to a horizontal mode. When you click on a
vertical error bar, it then goes to the vertical mode. Seems like it was a
lot easier in Excel 2003.

Jon Peltier has a blog post that covers this behavior:

http://peltiertech.com/WordPress/error-bars-in-excel-2007/
 
I have tried these instructions and Jon Peltier's forum and still cannot add
X-error bars. I have an X-Y scatter plot, and when I add error bars it is
only vertical. If I click on my series with the error bar modeless dialog
box on the screen, I can only click on the vertical error bars. how can I
click on (to select) horizontal error bars if they don't seem to exist? So
very frustrating. Give me Excel 2002 back.
 
The error bars are there, if it is in fact an XY chart and not a line
chart. The arbitrary value Excel assigns may make them too short to see
behind the oversized Excel 2007 markers. You can select them using the
dropdown in the top left of the Chart Tools > Layout and Format tabs.

You could also try out the (free!) utility on my web site:

Error Bars in Excel 2007 Charts | PTS Blog
http://peltiertech.com/WordPress/error-bars-in-excel-2007/

- Jon
 
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