Automatic swap of x - and y - axis

J

Johannes

I am managing a database of lab results for an external company. That compnay
recently upgraded from Excel 2003 to Excel 2007, which resulted in the
automatic swap of the x - and y - axis in all time - value graphs that are
inbeded in each worksheet of the database. I have labouriously reversed many
of the automatic changes, but still have a long way to go. However, the most
frustrating thing is that as soon as staff copy template worksheets, in which
the x - and y - axis have been corrected so that time is whown on the x -
axis and values on th y - axis, to enter data for a new product batch, the x
- and y - axis revert back the wrong way round. Trying to deal with this
problem caused by Excel 2007 has been one of the most frustrating work
experiences I have had for a very long time. Any ideas of what might help?
The other thing is that I can't try your suggestions striaght away, as,
luckily, I don't have Excel 2007; I can only try things, when I am working on
my client's system.
 
J

Jon Peltier

What kind of chart are we talking about here? Do you mean the chart converts
from horizontal bars to vertical or something like that? Or does the actual
data switch in the series formulas?

- Jon
 
J

Johannes

Jon
I use very simple line (mostly) and bar charts. The time line (usually
dates, covering between a few weeks to one year) is shown on the x - axis and
the values, e.g. temperatures in a composting pile, are shown on the y -
axis. The problem I am having is that the x - axis becomes the y-axis and
vice versa, messingup the chart and making it useless. This happened
automatically when Excel 2007 was installed, and it still happens when a
template (= worksheet established in Excel 2007) is copied within an Excel
document to create a new worksheet for a new product batch.

I can manually switch the x- and y - axis back so that the graph look o.k.
again, but this is a frustrating way of doing it, and there must be a way of
preventing this from happening.

Does this explain it better?

Johannes
 
J

Jon Peltier

I'm having trouble understanding "the x - axis becomes the y-axis". How does
the chart change its appearance? What steps do you take to "change it back"?

Are the values that were plotted on the horizontal axis now plotted on the
vertical axis, and the values that were plotted on the vertical axis now
plotted on the horizontal axis? Do the axis titles switch positions? Does a
(vertical) column chart become a (horizontal) bar chart?

- Jon
 
J

Johannes

Jon, sorry for my long silence.

What you are describing is exactely what happens, i.e. that the values on
the x-axis (horizontal) become the values on the y-axis (vertical). This
obviously messes up the the graph.

Unfortunately I can't quite remember what manual changes I make to get the
graph back to the way it used to be (because this problem occurs not on my
computer but on my clients computer where I go only once a month or so). I
think I am changing the graph back by going into the 'Source Data' Menue, and
then change the 'Series in' from Rows to Coloumns, or vice versa. I will be
going to my client again on Monday, and after I have made the change, I will
get back to you to tell you exactely what I do.

Johannes
 
J

Jon Peltier

What happened that made the chart switch? Did the client mess around with
it?

- Jon
 
J

Johannes

O.k. today I am at my cleints place and I have looked a bit more into it. I
have checked last years databases and graphs appear to be o.k. for the first
half of the year (until July / August) while those covering the rest of the
year are skewed. They upgraded to Excel 2007 in June/July. This means, that
old, existing graphs were not changed, but what has changed is that when the
MASTER Sheet (= a template for entering data, which then automatically
creates a time vs value graph) is copied for recording data from a new
product batch, the x - and y - axis switch. Therefore, all graphs after July
/ August are skewed. This problem persists to this day, meaning that every
new worksheet that is created contains skewed graphs, making the problem
(=workload) bigger.

I can correct the problem manually in the following way:
1. right click on the graph
2. Click 'Select data'
3. Click 'Switch Row / Column'
4. Click 'Switch Row / Column' again
5. Correct the format of the x-axis to its original format

However, there are many graphs, and if I am unable to solve the problem, we
will have to ommit using graphs.

If you are able to provide me with an email address, I can send you one of
the files, and you can have a look whether the same thing happens on your
computer, and if so, work out what the problem is.

Johannes
 
J

Jon Peltier

Could you fix the template in the master sheet? Or does simply changing the
data cause the chart to change?

An alternative might be to run a macro. This will change charts in the
active workbook:

Sub FixCharts()
Dim sh As Object
Dim cht As Chart
Dim chobj As ChartObject

For Each cht In ActiveWorkbook.Charts
cht.PlotBy = xlColumns ''' or xlRows ''' ***
Next
For Each sh In ActiveWorkbook.Sheets
For Each chobj In sh.ChartObjects
chobj.Chart.PlotBy = xlColumns ''' or xlRows ''' ***
Next
Next

End Sub

In the two places highlighted by *** you need to make sure the appropriate
alignment is being specified. See this post if you aren't sure how to use
this code:
http://peltiertech.com/WordPress/how-to-use-someone-elses-macro/

- Jon
 
J

Johannes

I have modified the template by re-drawing the graph, but it didn't alleviate
the problem. The graph changes not when data are entered, but when the
template is copied to create a new worksheet. How it works is that we have a
template and then, say 20 or 30 worksheets, which represent individual
product batches. If a new product batch is produced today, laboratory staff
copy the template to create a new worksheet and then enter the recorded data
for that product batch. This means that, by the time the graph is copied, it
does not contain any data. We have tried to enter data, e.g. the date 1.
January, into the template, and that did help in some cases, but not all.

The macro looks complicated to me, I have never done a macro, but I'll have
a look at it. However, I probably won't be back at my clients place for 3 to
4 weeks, before I can have a look at it again.

Johannes
 
J

Jon Peltier

Johannes -

If you could provide a (sanitized) sample of data and a more detailed
description of the chart, someone here may be able to offer a suggestion
that would keep the chart in its intended configuration.

- Jon
 
J

Johannes

Hi Jon

sorry for the long break in communication, but I haven't been back to my
clients for more than a month. However, I will go there on Wednesday, and
then I will forward one of the files, so you or your colleagues can have a
look and hopefully figure out what the problem is and how to rectify it.


Is it possible to attach a file to a posting on this website, and if yes,
how do I do it? If not, what email address should I sent the file?

Thanks

Johannes
 
J

Jon Peltier

If the file is corrupt, you should try rebuilding it from scratch in a new
workbook.

If you want to post some typical data as text in a new thread, a description
of the chart, and a description of the problem, someone may be able to help.
Make sure to describe the charts themselves and the problem clearly.

I'm not sure why the 15-line macro seems so complicated. You could try it on
a copy of your file, using instructions here:
http://peltiertech.com/WordPress/how-to-use-someone-elses-macro/

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Peltier Technical Services, Inc.
http://PeltierTech.com/WordPress/>
Advanced Excel Conference - Training in Charting and Programming
http://peltiertech.com/Training/2009-06-ACNJ/AdvExcelConf200906ACNJ.html
_______
 
J

Johannes

The file is not corrupt. The problem started simultanously in soem 30 files
when my client installed Excel 2007. I established a new file, trying to
overcome the problem, but it didn't work, the problem remianed.

Dealing with the macro might be no problem for you but it is for me - I am
not a computer person, I am simply trying to use a Microsoft product, and
trying to overcome a problem this new product is causing.

By the same tooken, I would like to ask, why is it not possible that I
forward one of the files where the problem occurs and than you or yoru
colleagues can see exactely what the problem is? During our previous
communication I have tried to explain to you what the problem is.

My client has one option to overcome the problem, and that is to continue
using the old Excel program, but that can be hardly the purpose of purchasing
new Microsoft products.

From my point of view, the easiest and most effective way of dealing with
this is if I can send you a file with last years data and you can see that it
everything worked o.k. from January to July (approx) and than from August
onwards the problem occured, which marked the time when the new Excel program
was installed. Please advise to which email address I can send the file.

Johannes
 
J

Johannes

Thanks Jon, I will send the file with some explanation to your email.

I had assumed you are paid by Microsoft for dealing with their customer's
complaints in this forum. If that is not the case I apologise for assuming
so, and would like to thank you even more for volunteering your time.

Johannes
 
J

Jon Peltier

I am not an employee of Microsoft, nor am I paid to answer questions. I have
received the MVP award in recognition for having answered these questions in
the past.

In any case, I have responded to your email.

When you assign a range to a chart, Excel tries to figure out what part of
the range to use for series names, categories or X values, and Y values.
Excel 2003 may have done this a bit more intelligently than Excel 2007 does
now. Excel 2003 could recognize if the first row or column contained
date-formatted values, and realize these were the X values. Excel 2007 seems
not to have done this with your charts, perhaps because the data range is
not contiguous.

The error is that the dates are considered by Excel to be another set of Y
values, not the X values as was intended.

To fix existing charts in 2007, I found a simple approach. Select the chart,
and on the Chart Tools > Design tab, click on the Switch Row/Column button
twice. This is enough to force Excel to re-evaluate the source data range,
and this time Excel gets it right. The format of the changed X axis is not
the same as in the "good" charts. You can copy one of those charts, select
one that needs the axis fixed, and use Paste Special > Formats.

Future conversions may be improved by clearing the top left cell ("DATE"),
because a blank cell helps Excel figure out that the first row and column
are for different purposes.


- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Peltier Technical Services, Inc.
http://PeltierTech.com/WordPress/>
Advanced Excel Conference - Training in Charting and Programming
http://peltiertech.com/Training/2009-06-ACNJ/AdvExcelConf200906ACNJ.html
_______
 

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