data range referrences

F

FatBytestard

Hi,

I have a chart which relies on the data in a table with 29 rows.

Occaisionally, I want to only use 28 rows as my data set for the chart.

I can manually enter a named range into the dialog, and upon entry, it
automatically ,morphs it into the string that describes the data range
(worksheetname, data set). When I manually type in the other named
range, it flips to the shorter named range in the table.

How can I inject that into the chart's data dialog on the fly?

I have tried to reference cell locations that have the named range name
in them. No worky.

I know it is possible to pass this value to the chart layout, but I do
not know how.

Anyone?
 
F

FatBytestard

This post has some VBA techniques near the end:

http://peltiertech.com/WordPress/dynamic-chart-source-data/

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Peltier Technical Services, Inc.
http://PeltierTech.com/WordPress/

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

So you are saying that this is the best way to handle say leap year?

I was wanting to get along without any VB code. Oh well.

The data table for the 29th day would only receive data if there were a
day 29, a leap year. So I leave the table at 29 rows, and only select 28
rows for the chart. On leap year, I want to select 29 rows as the data
set referred to by the chart. All my other months' days keep track with
whatever year is being done, and February does too. Just not the chart.

I may have to explicitly call the sheet name, not merely the range name
I declared. I will try that, and get back to you. Your stuff is nice,
but I don't think I actually need a dynamic table to accommodate one
single additional row every fourth year. :) The table is fine. The
chart needs to be able to be dynamically defined by accepting named
ranges as data range input. That I can switch in once every fourth year.

I mean I know I can make a separate chart and refer to that chart on
leap year and the other during the interim, but is that the most elegant
solution? Can I merely make another chart below the first February chart,
and make it a 29 day reference, and I guessI don't have to worry about
the year, since one 365th tick not filled would be barely noticeable.
Seems like a kludge for me to simply add a leap year chart on my February
Plot sheet, such that any monkey can tell which set of dual data is valid
for the year they are in.


Hmmm... divisible by 4, by 100, by 400... What's all this leap year
crud?!
 
J

Jon Peltier

If you can use a defined name for the X and Y values for each series in the
chart, you can build dynamic charts that don't use VBA. Somehow when I read
your description, I assumed you didn't want to do that. The defined names
only work for the individual X and Y values, not for the total source data
range.

For info on creating dynamic charts:
http://peltiertech.com/Excel/Charts/DynamicColumnChart1.html
http://peltiertech.com/WordPress/dynamic-charts/

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services, Inc.
http://PeltierTech.com/WordPress/
_______
 
F

FatBytestard

If you can use a defined name for the X and Y values for each series in the
chart, you can build dynamic charts that don't use VBA. Somehow when I read
your description, I assumed you didn't want to do that. The defined names
only work for the individual X and Y values, not for the total source data
range.

For info on creating dynamic charts:
http://peltiertech.com/Excel/Charts/DynamicColumnChart1.html
http://peltiertech.com/WordPress/dynamic-charts/

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services, Inc.
http://PeltierTech.com/WordPress/
_______
Click to expand...
Perhaps the best way to do this is to define two February tables and do
a simple VB leap year test and set a value based on the test results that
hides one or the other table, and that chart always looks at only the
active table. Sound good?

Or two tables AND two charts, and the VB script merely hides the two
that are not pertinent in the year selected.
 
F

FatBytestard

I guess I don't understand what you're trying to do, and how you're going
about it.
Click to expand...

I developed a workbook which contains 12 month 'tables' (worksheets)
that allow two patient test data entries per day.

There are 12 monthly charts that track the test results. I also have
one 365 day chart.

My February month is 29 rows on a leap year, but only 28 otherwise.

The chart will have an error as will the year unless I handle leap
years (or non-leap years) such that the monthly chart and yearly chart
track correctly, according to the row count on the February sheet.

I was thinking of simply making a duplicate "table" a few rows below
the current table, and remove the 29th line from one, and have the use
apply test data to the right one, or run a macro to hide one table.

It still need two charts (three counting the additional annum chart)
for February to keep the error out, so I was wanting to dynamically
declare the chart spec. It appears I may be able to one axis at a time,
just not the data block itself, which is what I was trying to point at.

So, I thought I wanted a test for leap year, and would likely have to
develop a little engine to give the user the access to the right one
only, and the right chart(s) would get declared, or referred to.

So, my other solution was simply to make two tables on the same sheet,
and two charts on the same chart sheet (February), and make a little test
to hide the appropriate ones.

That was as opposed to dynamically declaring things after testing for
the leap year "flag setting".

Anyway, my first page has the Year, name (patient), date, and set
points for the tables to show red values at, and the doctor phone number.
That data gets referred to on each sheet and the month's date column
fills in the day of the week based on the year selected. Those
selections do cause date entries to transit from 2/28/xxxx to 3/1/xxxx
correctly on non-leap years, and also on leap years after passing
2/29/xxxx, so I could test for that somewhere. Otherwise it screws up my
Feruary sheet. :)

Not sure if I related this very well.
 
J

Jon Peltier

Make your life simple. Suppose your dates are in column A, from A2 (Feb 1)
to A30 (Feb 29). Put this formula into cell A30:

=IF(MONTH(A29+1)=2,A29+1,NA())

This puts Feb 29 into the cell on a leap year, or #N/A otherwise. The #N/A
will not be plotted in an XY chart or a line chart, and the data will
progress in one step from 2/28 to 3/1 on non-leap years.

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Peltier Technical Services, Inc.
http://PeltierTech.com/WordPress/

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

Archimedes' Lever

Make your life simple. Suppose your dates are in column A, from A2 (Feb 1)
to A30 (Feb 29). Put this formula into cell A30:

=IF(MONTH(A29+1)=2,A29+1,NA())

This puts Feb 29 into the cell on a leap year, or #N/A otherwise. The #N/A
will not be plotted in an XY chart or a line chart, and the data will
progress in one step from 2/28 to 3/1 on non-leap years.

- Jon
Click to expand...

That 'IF(MONTH' test segment is what I was looking for. My third month
is on a separate sheet and will always read as the first day of the third
month on the first row. I am doing this for Feb only and this will allow
me to selectively fill both the date column and the day of week column,
which also shows up in the chart.

So this will make the 29 row blank (#N/A) on other than leap year, and
that blank row will not get used on the chart sheet, even though it is
based on the 29 row range? That is what I gathered from the letter part
of you response, and this will even keep that row out of the 365 day
years.? I think this may be exactly what I was after. This switch, in
fact is short and sweet, whereas I was trying to switch entire charts or
worksheets on which that given month would be based on.

I will let you know. Thank you.
 
A

Archimedes' Lever

Well, it does place the NA in the date cell just fine, and the chart
does not put those tags in, but it does still make a 29 day chart, and
despite telling it to ignore the data, if there is data in the data
cells, it appears in the non-labeled 29th day in the chart.

What I would need to do is actually delete the whole line in the data
set, because the chart is pivot based, and the table adds a line and
incorporates it into the chart automatically when data is added to the
row just under the last row.fine. It also concatenates the chart size
when said row is removed. I just found out that this all works fine by
merely hiding the row, so my test needs to trigger a hide or unhide event
at a row location. The chart follows this move whether there is data in
the hidden row or not.

So it is pretty close. I think I could do this now with a macro
Since I know how to do the test, and I know how to hide and unhide via
menu, and I recall seeing code for it (hiding) while in the help file
too.

Is there a straight excel function that would hide or unhide a row, or
will VB be the only way?

Thanks for the test string. That ties it all together. I know it is
simple, but I do not know all the command functions, so I could not
consider even attempting the test string. When I attempted the hide
while I authored this post, I found that the chart follows the hide
event.

Thanks again. Pretty close to a dynamic February data table and
tracking charts. Only a few decisions left to make.

My almost ready chart has been DL'd on MS' site 100 times. :)

After this fix, it will be as good as it gets... or as good as it
needs to be anyway.
 
J

Jon Peltier

I tested before I posted before, and I've just tested again. If the last
cell has #N/A in it, the chart doesn't even include a blank slot for the
date. This is tested on a line chart and a column chart, both having
date-scale axes. In a line chart, there will be no space even with a
category (text label) axis if you also have a condition on the X value that
returns NA() when the date is #N/A. A column chart with a category (text
label) axis will have a slot with #N/A as the label.

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

Jon Peltier, Peltier Technical Services, Inc.
http://PeltierTech.com/WordPress/
_______
 
A

Archimedes' Lever

I tested before I posted before, and I've just tested again. If the last
cell has #N/A in it, the chart doesn't even include a blank slot for the
date. This is tested on a line chart and a column chart, both having
date-scale axes. In a line chart, there will be no space even with a
category (text label) axis if you also have a condition on the X value that
returns NA() when the date is #N/A. A column chart with a category (text
label) axis will have a slot with #N/A as the label.

- Jon
-------
Click to expand...

Mine adds the slot for years with a leap year, but when it inserts #N/A
as it does correctly in the first two columns of my data range, the chart
blanks the slot labels, but the slot remains.

Hiding and unhiding the row most definitely works.

Perhaps my improper function is related to the chart type, as in the
chart is a pivot chart.
 
J

Jon Peltier

A pivot chart, eh? They're not so flexible. Keep in mind that it's always
best to share as many details as possible when introducing the post, like
chart type, version number, specific formula that's giving difficulties.

So how are you making a pivot table that gives you a slot for 29 Feb 2009?
Pivot tables don't make up dates. Use the whole dates in the pivot table,
but if you only want to show the day number, use a custom date format that
only shows the day, not month and year.

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

Jon Peltier, Peltier Technical Services, Inc.
http://PeltierTech.com/WordPress/
_______
 
A

Archimedes' Lever

A pivot chart, eh? They're not so flexible. Keep in mind that it's always
best to share as many details as possible when introducing the post, like
chart type, version number, specific formula that's giving difficulties.

So how are you making a pivot table that gives you a slot for 29 Feb 2009?
Pivot tables don't make up dates. Use the whole dates in the pivot table,
but if you only want to show the day number, use a custom date format that
only shows the day, not month and year.
Click to expand...

It has TWO columns at the start that are BOTH date fields, and are both
formatted to show up as day of month, and day of week, so the chart shows
all 31 days in January, and the days of the week associated with those
days. Since it is a blood pressure tracking workbook, info like that is
good to see when the user/patient/doctor wants to examine the data for a
trend or spike, etc.

I am trying to perfect it. It is on the Microsoft Templates page under
community submitted templates. Folks are downloading it, so I want to
get it fixed up. I have since made some changes so it is not formatted
as it is on the MS site currently. That sheet uses a simple number for
the day of the month, so that column was not a date column.

Since I grabbed the sheet from someone else, I was unaware that it was
a pivot chart, as I have only recently become aware of the animal's
existence (thanks). Your help has taught me a lot from what you have
given to what I picked up as I have been doing this exercise in error
abatement. :)


http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/myoo/TC300056691033.aspx

http://office.microsoft.com/search/redir.aspx?assetid=TC300056691033&respos=120&pid=CT101436151033
 
J

Jon Peltier

If this were my project (sorry, I don't have time to make it mine) I think I
would have used an Excel List or Table as the data entry region, kept dates
in one column, and not fed a pivot table with this. I'd build a set of
worksheet controls that would allow the user to select a time range to plot,
on a chart with a date scale on the X axis.

I showed an example that worked like this here:

Dynamic Charting By Dates -
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMArticle.asp?ID=246

-------
Just over a week! Don't miss it!

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

- Jon
 
A

Archimedes' Lever

If this were my project (sorry, I don't have time to make it mine) I think I
would have used an Excel List or Table as the data entry region, kept dates
in one column, and not fed a pivot table with this. I'd build a set of
worksheet controls that would allow the user to select a time range to plot,
on a chart with a date scale on the X axis.

I showed an example that worked like this here:

Dynamic Charting By Dates -
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMArticle.asp?ID=246
Click to expand...


I made this:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/myoo/TC300058731033.aspx

There is no Feb 29 handling currently as MS does not accept macro
enabled template submissions.

There are no pivot charts or tables. Feb 29 messes up the charts, even
with the #N/A () in place in the date fields, which are one axis.

So I omit your IF statement test string, and was using a button to hide
or unhide that row in two locations. That actually works, and also
likely with the area chart under discussion elsewhere. That is a good
way to code it, if it works with all the charts. Is MS going to patch
SP2 to solve its problems I have been reading about?

Anyway, take a gander at my workbook, if you get a moment. I think the
macro buttons could be eliminated, and the test and change be automated
in a single macro with no need for user interaction (simply run the test
and hide or unhide the rows).

Thanks again, Jon, for all the help you have given me. My work is
close to completion, and much better than the previous version thanks to
your help, and the exercises it put me through.

'Grade' my spreadsheet if you would. I like feedback. I should make
it so the user can select that chart plot line colors on the first page
as well. That would be cool, as then the user could make easy universal
color changes without the recursive exercise of activating all the
pertinent sheets and setting the colors and saving. Having a choice
dialog would make it point and click.

Anyone that monitors and tracks their blood pressure should give it a
glance as well.
 
A

Archimedes' Lever

J

Jon Peltier

"The template you are trying to access was not found."

I think the problem is that the MS site "helpfully" checks whether I have
2007 installed on my machine (I do, but on a VM, not on the main machine).
If not, I get an option to download manually, and when I click on that link,
it can't believe I haven't upgraded to the newest, glitteriest spreadsheet
program in history, so it can't bring itself to find the file.

Why they can't just put up a simple freaking link, I don't know. They've
pushed the compatibility pack onto everyone anyway, so why should they care?

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Peltier Technical Services, Inc.
http://PeltierTech.com/WordPress/

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

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