Article ID: 107537
Article Last Modified on 8/16/2005
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft Word 6.0 Standard Edition
- Microsoft Word 6.0a
- Microsoft Word 6.0c
- Microsoft Word 95 Standard Edition
- Microsoft Graph 3.0
- Microsoft Graph 3.0a
- Microsoft Graph 3.0b
- Microsoft Graph 5.0
This article was previously published under Q107537
SYMPTOMS
If you select numbers in a Word for Windows table and then start Microsoft
Graph, a default data sheet and chart may appear instead of a custom chart
of your data.
CAUSE
This behavior occurs because Microsoft Graph interprets parentheses as text
characters, not as the designation for negative numbers. For example, if
your data includes a negative number such as (34), Microsoft Graph does not
use your data, and uses the default chart instead. By contrast, if your
negative numbers contain a minus sign (-) instead of parentheses, Microsoft
Graph plots the data correctly.
Note that if any part of your selection contains text (that is, any non
numeric character except "-" or "+") instead of numeric data, Microsoft
Graph uses the default chart.
RESOLUTION
To work around this behavior, do any of the following:
Method 1: You can copy your table to the default chart. Before running
Graph, follow these steps:
- Highlight your table, and choose Copy from the Edit menu.
- Choose the Insert Chart button on the Standard toolbar.
- Highlight the cells in the default chart and choose Clear
from the Edit menu.
- In the default chart, highlight the corresponding rows and
columns into which you want to paste your information.
- From the Edit menu, choose Paste .
NOTE: The numbers that were originally in parentheses are
converted to minus signs in the Microsoft Graph datasheet.
Your original table is unchanged. You can modify the
format of the number by choosing Number from the Format
menu while editing the Chart.
- Choose the Graph menus to make other modifications or
selections for your chart.
Method 2: Replace the parentheses in your table with minus signs and
restart Graph.
STATUS
We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.
REFERENCES
"Microsoft Word User's Guide," version 6.0, chapter 27,
"WordArt, Equation
Editor, and Graph," "Graph" section
Additional query words: 3.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 word95 ole applet mini-app server default winword parentheses negative table parenthesis minus subtract subtraction chartwizard chart wizard msgraph word7 word6 mschart w4wole
Keywords: KB107537