Bar width on existing chart changes when changing source data

[Robert Brown]

I have a spreadsheet with a bar chart already in it (it's showing the number
of quotes sent monthly w/ trendlines). In column A, I have a month-year and
in column B, I have the number of quotes sent in that month. I changed the
source data to display a different set of months, and the bar widths narrowed
down to the width of a line. I undid the change and the bar widths went
back. I then tried to edit the chart formula one cell at a time and found
that when I reached a particular month forward in time, that that's when the
change occurred (row 40).

I thought maybe it was because I was adding too many months to fit in the
chart, so I started removing months on the front end of it to keep the total
number of bars static but that didn't make an impact.

Then I noticed that as soon as I add that one month to the source data, the
bottom axis (is that X or Y, I forget) switches from monthly to weekly which
is why all the bars change width.

So my question is, what is it about that cell is causing my chart to switch
like that? I only have monthly numbers in column A, no weekly numbers.

 

[ShaneDevenshire]

Hi,

Don't know what's causing the problem, but you might try this as a solution.
1. Double-click the x-axis (across the bottom)
2. Choose Scale tab and make sure the Base unit is set to Month(s)
3. Make changes to the Major units and Minor unit if necessary

If when you come into the Scale tab you don't see these options then exit
the dialog box and choose Chart, Chart Options, Axis, Time-scale for the
Category (X) axis.

 

[Juli B]

I am having the same problem with the column bars automatically narrowing to
a line. I tried your fix suggestions, but no matter how I edit the x axis
values & scale, I cannot get the columns back. The only way I can restore the
column widths is to remove the x axis labels altogether (which makes the
chart useless).

Help!
Juli B

 

[Jon Peltier]

Change from a time/date scale axis to a category/text axis.

Excel 2003: Chart menu > Chart Options > Axes tab, change Automatic to
Category.

Excel 2007: Right click axis > Format > first tab, select Text type axis.

- Jon

 

[Juli B]

Jon - THANK YOU!!

That also fixed the problem I had running 2 axes with a data table populated
at the bottom... it kept wanting to force the data table into source order
rather than the way it needed to be. Crazy!

Appreciate the response!
Juli B

 

[Dan H.]

Jon:
Agreed! This fixed my problem as well. Thank you.

Dan H.