table format

[Gary H]

A data table is linked to an excel file which has amounts in $'s such as
1,280,275. I want to display the chart table in millions i.e. 1.3 I can do
this with formatting the whole data table or individual numbers with the
"custom" number format and it works fine....until I update the links. When
the links update the table format reverts back to the whole number. How do I
retain the 'in million's' format in the data table?

 

[Brian Reilly, MS MVP]

Gary,
Does changing the formatting in the source file make a difference.
When you use links it really is just showing you a "picture" of the
source file.
Brian Reilly, MVP

 

[Gary H]

Yes reformatting the excel file would fix the problem...however I want the
excel spreadsheet to remain showing the full dollar amounts. I may have 20
different worksheets in an excel file that are being accessed with some
amounts shown in various charts in thousands of dollars, others in millions,
and others in full $ amounts. If you can "modify" the picture in the data
table, why can't the modification remain intact.

Also, in the data table when you click on a row or column to 'deactivate' it
from showing in the chart the deactivation is automatically reactivated when
you update the link..this puts the bar back on the chart when I didn't want
it there. Any workaround besides deleting the data from the excel data range?

 

[Bill Dilworth]

Why not add a new sheet to your Excel file that pulls and formats the
information from the original cells. This special export data reference
sheet can call information from elsewhere in your spreadsheet, modify it and
format it as needed. Then you can insert a chart based on the referenced
material instead of the original data. This allows you to modify the
reference page without any danger of data loss.


PowerPoint does PowerPoint stuff pretty well, it just doesn't do all of
Excel's work as well as Excel does. This solution will play to the
strengths of both, with the only downside being an additional page tab or
two in the back of your spreadsheet.


--
Bill Dilworth
A proud member of the Microsoft PPT MVP Team
Users helping fellow users.
http://billdilworth.mvps.org
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yahoo2@ Please read the PowerPoint
yahoo. FAQ pages. They answer most
com of our questions.
www.pptfaq.com
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[Brian Reilly, MS MVP]

Gary.
Exactly as Bill says. OLE works a specific way and MS is not going to
change that (g).
Brian Reilly, MVP