How do I bridge the gaps in data in (XL 2007) Area Chart

  • Thread starter Thread starter BABs
  • Start date Start date
B

BABs

XL 2007 doesn't have the TOOLS-Options-Interpolate menu and choices.
This goes for a line chart as well.
Thx
 
Click the chart to activate it
In the Design tab of Chart Tools, click Select Data
A dialog box opens, look at lower left corner for "Hidden and Empty Cells"
button and click it
You get three options: gaps, zero and connect.

Alternative (works in all version of Excel); in the empty cell type =NA().
It will display as #N/A and will be ignored by the chart engine

best wishes
 
Bernard,
That worked for bridging the gaps in the line plot, but not the area chart.
The area chart has the "connect" grayed out. Also, if I enter =na(), it
treats them as 0's and doesn't interpolate.
Any suggestions?
 
Sorry, I cannot help. Let's hope Jon see you question.
I never use Area charts and I failed to see this in the subject line --
sorry!!!
Suggest you post the question again
best wishes
 
Bernard,
That worked for bridging the gaps in the line plot, but not the area chart.
The area chart has the "connect" grayed out. Also, if I enter =na(), it
treats them as 0's and doesn't interpolate.
Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Hiding the row removes it from any chart referring to that data range
the row is hidden within.
 
Hi,

The NA() trick does/did not work with area charts.
xl2003: the gap in data results in a zero value. The Empty cells options of
Gap/Interpolate are the same, zero.

xl2007: the gap plotted as zero is as expected. Plotted as gap produces
shear drops between gaps.

The only way to fill the gap is to use another series to plot the missing
values. You will need formula to calculate the interpolated values.

Cheers
Andy
 
Want to see something fun? Make a line chart with a missing value in the
middle, set the option to connect points across a gap, then convert to an
unstacked area chart. Where the area chart would have shown a gap with
vertical sides, now the area is filled up to the top of the chart between
vertical sides. If you copy the chart, the copy treats the gap as a zero,
and when you change back to gap, you get the gap to the bottom, not the
block to the top.

Only the unstacked area charts give you a gap with vertical sides (and as I
mentioned, the copy of one has its option reset to zero). The stacked ones
can only treat the gap as zero.


Advanced Excel Conference - June 17-18 2009 - Charting and Programming
http://peltiertech.com/Training/2009-06-ACNJ/AdvExcelConf200906ACNJ.html


- Jon
 
Yes I saw that when testing. I guess the copy process doesn't check invalid
settings and uses defaults instead.

Cheers
Andy
 
I hope someone is still reviewing this thread. I'm trying to create a stacked
line chart that has a lot of zero's here and there. When I access the "Hidden
and Empty Cells" dialogue box the only active choice I have is "zero" - the
choices for gaps and lines are grayed out. What do I have to do to get all of
the choices?
 
Do all the gaps line up? If not, you won't get the stacked appearance
that I think you're expecting. I figured a stacked line chart wouldn't
offer gaps or interpolated lines for this reason. I was wrong, at least
in 2003. The options are all offered, but whatever is selected, the
chart treats the blank cells as zero values.

In any case, the setting is for blank cells, not for cells containing
any kind of formula or for cells containing zero values.

- Jon
 
Jon,
I finally figured out why I wasn't able to access the options in the hidden
and empty cells dialogue box. The stacked line chart doesn't support it. I
tried playing around with several different styles of charts and when I
changed to a simple line chart the options were available.
Thanks for the reply

Laurie Foss
 
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