[comp.sys.mac.misc] Excel chart answers

v132gcnx@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (John A Feinberg) (11/27/90)

The way to graph x-y pairs in Excel, in a nutshell, is to use the Scatter graph
(I was not able to figure this out; someone sent me a mail message telling me to
use the Scatter function.  Short and to the point!).  The simplest way I have
found is to first put the values to be graphed in 2 columns, which do not need
to be next to each other.  Then put a text label on the top of the y-column, and
put a blank cell on the top of the x-column.  Select the two columns (don't copy
them, though), including the top (text or blank) cells.  Then choose new graph,
and (if it isn't your default graph type) choose the scatter graph.  After
fiddling with all of the settings, you can get a nice simple tick-free line.
It actually doesn't even take very much time once you know how to do it; it's
just very counter-intuitive the first time it's done.  I wiped the dust off my
copy of Excel 1.06 and discovered this procedure works on that program too!

John Feinberg
SUNY Buffalo

as an afternote:  I used to use Cricket Graph (Krikket graph for you HHG
afficianados) but the text entry was annoying, the user interface wasn't
up to the Excel standard, and the biggie, it won't work under MultiFinder
with the Ehman 2-page monitor init