Re: chart either does not work or is not intuitive

[Jean Bréfort <jean brefort normalesup org>]

Le jeudi 04 septembre 2008 à 17:16 -0700, Ralph Shumaker a écrit :
> I have wasted several hours now.  I haven't tried to set up a chart for
> many years.
> 
> I have 3 different programs that can do charts, and every one of them is
> doing the same brain-dead mistakes.  So, I must come to the conclusion
> that the way I used to do it must have been in some outdated program and
> does not work any more.
> 
> I have a small set of data that I'm trying to set up a chart to
> display.  It's small enough that I can just give you the data.
> 
> If you see this email in a fixed width font, you will see it as I
> present it:
>  Date   act1  act2  act3  act4  act5    acctTot   act6
> 070615  2605     0     0   737     0   =sum(b:f)   300
> 080110  1504     0     0  1564     0   =sum(b:f)  1500
> 080229  1280     0     0  2657     0   =sum(b:f)  2350
> 080305  1280     0     0  2657     0   =sum(b:f)  2450
> 080310  1280     0     0  2657     0   =sum(b:f)  2650
> 080330   825     0     0  2657     0   =sum(b:f)  2850
> 080830   194     0     0   235     0   =sum(b:f)  3406
> 090705     0     0     0     0     0   =sum(b:f)  4000
> 
> In the above, =sum(b:f) is abbreviated, but on line 2 is actually
> =sum(b2:f2) and on line 9 is =sum(b9:f9), with like progression between
> them.  Also, the final date is just a final line set far enough in the
> future that I can insert rows as I get new data.  Inserting takes care
> of formula expansion, whereas adding a row makes me have to track down
> all formulas that need to be adjusted to include a new row.  It's like
> if I were to insert a column between b and c, the formulas in g (shoved
> to h) would then say =sum(b:g) without me having to lift a finger.  I
> remember doing this with previous charts, inserting new data and
> successfully see the chart adjust itself.
> 
> I don't know why I cannot get the dates (erratic as they are) to by my
> X-axis, columns b thru h to be data lines, and the amounts to be my
> Y-axis.  I even tried changing the dates to simple numbers, 1 thru 8. 
> The charts that would come up were just astoundingly disconnected from
> what it should have been.
> 
> For example, the first data point on the line for act1 should start off
> on the far left (at date 070615) at a height of 2605 of a total chart
> height of 0 to 4000.  Ideally, at the appropriate distance from the left
> side should be the second date, 080110, where the second data point for
> the line of act1 should be at a height of 1504.
> 
> Perhaps someone can tell me what I'm doing wrong?

Which plot type are you using?
Can you provide a screenshot of what you get?