Excel Graph (1 Viewer)

[Arbu]

Supposing I've got a list of dates when I've made birding trips, and the number of lifers seen on each trip, all in Excel. I'd be interested in producing a graph showing the progress of my life list on a day by day basis. Is there a straightforward way of doing this?

I can do it laboriously, and the attached bitmaps show how. I start with the black data, then calculate the green, then the red. But creating the red data is rather tedious, and would be very much so for a lot of data. The graph is created from the red data.

Is there a way to automate the creation of the red data?

 

[Ondara]

One easy way to do is is to highlight the row or column you have the data in and then select the graph icon in Excel or Chart > Chart Type from the top menu. That will give you a wizard to work through.

Cheers
Andy

 

[Arbu]

I don't think the Wizard is clever enough for what I want to do...

 

[Dave B Smith]

Wizards are very clever.

However, failing his help, attach a small sample excel file to this post and we'll have a quick look at it.

 

[Arbu]

I simply can't see how to get the wizard to do this. It always regards the two dates as part of the same record, not separate ones. And I can't attach a spreadsheet here - it's not one of the permitted file types. Anyway I've now done it manually and it's attached. If you can see a flattening off over the last year, it's because I'm starting to think I might be focussing my energies on the wrong type of bird...

 

[whomes]

Are you asking for a formula to create the red data? If so, try the following:

Assume the word spain is in 'A2' and the rest of the data is aligned accordingly. Where you have '0' in the red data type =d2-e2

Then click on the bottom right hand corner of the box you've typed this data into and drag the formula down as far as you want it. Highlight the red data, press F11 and your graph should appear.

 

[Arbu]

Are you asking for a formula to create the red data? If so, try the following:

Assume the word spain is in 'A2' and the rest of the data is aligned accordingly. Where you have '0' in the red data type =d2-e2

Then click on the bottom right hand corner of the box you've typed this data into and drag the formula down as far as you want it. Highlight the red data, press F11 and your graph should appear.

That won't work, to start with it will only produce four figures when I need eight. But don't worry, I can do it manually, it's not that much trouble.

 

[Dave B Smith]

I use a pivot table to organize / summarize all my life sightings. Once it is set up, it's only a click on the "refresh" button and it is updated. My graphs print from the Pivot Table data.