Charting multiple values per category

[pah4w]

Hello all, this is probably a question with a really basic answer,
which is why it's driving me nuts that I can't make it work. Any help
will be greatly appreciated and will reduce the swearing coming out of
my office (doesn't help that I'm wearing headphones).
Anyway, this is the scenario. I have a small data set of tree ages
across a handful of field sites, with multiple trees aged per site.
The site ID is text, e.g. EFW. What I want to do is make a chart with
the site ID on the x axis and the tree ages associated with that site
stacked above it.
This has so far proven impossible. I've been trying to make a line
chart (excel 2003), but what I get is the set spread out, with each
data point seemingly assigned it's own unique x value and then labeled
with the text. So instead of having three data points above EFW, there
are three EFWs on the x-axis each with one point above it.
Sorry this is a little verbose, anyone have any ideas?

 

[Jon Peltier]

You need to associate numerical values for each category (site ID): 1 for
the first, 2 for the second, etc.

Plot a line chart with each category appearing once and an associated value
of zero. Format the line to be invisible (no line, no marker).

Set up the rest of your data with X values corresponding to the category
numbers (site ID numbers) above and Y values corresponding to tree ages.
Copy this data, select the chart, use Paste Special to add this data as a
new series with the appropriate settings (especially categories in first
column, or row if you are so oriented). Right click on this new series,
choose Chart Type, and select an XY type with markers and no lines. The XY
chart will automatically plot X=1 above the first category on the line chart
axis, X=2 above the second, etc.

- Jon

 

[pah4w]

Wow, that was actually crazy enough to work. Now I can put off
learning more advanced statistical/graphing software for a while
longer. Thank you for the help.
Paul

 

[pah4w]

Wow, that was crazy enough to work. Makes me wonder what else I don't
know that program can do.
Thanks for the help.
Paul