Trouble creating a chart

eyemeansit · Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2005 2:37 pm Post subject: Trouble creating a chart

I have tried many times to create a chart of the running sum in my budget, which looks like this:
Date Running Sum
Thu, Jan 1, 04 $1,722.04
Thu, Jan 1, 04 $1,722.04
Fri, Jan 2, 04 $1,347.04
Fri, Jan 2, 04 $1,223.10
Sun, Jan 4, 04 $883.70
Mon, Jan 5, 04 $434.60
Mon, Jan 5, 04 $404.60
Tue, Jan 6, 04 $394.60
Thu, Jan 8, 04 $368.46
Fri, Jan 9, 04 $363.77
Sun, Jan 11, 04 $323.77
Sun, Jan 11, 04 $296.83
Mon, Jan 12, 04 $290.36
Thu, Jan 15, 04 $1,497.59

(these are the first 2 columns of my "budget")
When I select these 2 columns for and press the chart button, It plots really strangely. I would like to have the dates across the bottom as the x axis, with the y axis being the amount of money, but have been unable to make it do this.

What am I doing wrong?
Thanks!

Griffin · Newbie Joined: 06 Mar 2005 Posts: 1

When creating the chart, did you check the box that says 'First row as label' and 'First column as label'. Also, make sure the data ranges are correct.

eyemeansit · Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2005 5:41 pm Post subject:

Yes, the "first row as label is checked", and the data ranges are automatically selected in the chart wizard when you select the cells first. I wind up with 2 data series, one is a straight line across the top of the chart, one is a "lumpy" line across the bottom. The y axis labels show a bunch of ascending dates, and the x axis labels show "row 8, row 9,...row 23"

Thanks again!

eyemeansit · Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2005 5:50 pm Post subject:

Hey, I guess I didn't think of searching the forum soon enough. I came up with the answer within 5 minutes. I needed to be using the "xy" chart type. As soon as I tried that, it did exactly what I was hoping for... dollars on the y axis, dates on the x axis. Many thanks to the great people who created this forum! Very Happy