Microsoft Knowledge Base

XL: Secondary Value Axis Does Not Display Plotted Values
Last reviewed: September 13, 1996
Article ID: Q108726
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0
  • Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 5.0

SUMMARY

In a Microsoft Excel chart, if you change a series type to bar and then insert a secondary category (x) axis, the bar with the highest value may not be displayed in the chart.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

  1. On a new worksheet, enter the following data: 

       A1: 1   B1: 3   C1: 5
   A2: 2   B2: 4   C2: 6

  2. Select cells A1 to C2.

  3. To create a Column chart, press the F11 key and choose Finish.

  4. Select the first column for the first series.

  5. From the Format menu, choose Chart Type.

  6. Choose Bar and then choose OK.

  7. From the Insert menu choose Axes.

  8. Select Secondary Axis Category (X) Axis and choose OK.

When the Secondary Category (X) Axis has been inserted, only two bars are displayed (although three bars are plotted). The bar with the largest value is not displayed. Depending on the data, this problem will not always occur.

To show that the series value is overlaid on the secondary x axis, choose Data Labels from the Insert menu.

WORKAROUND

Select the overlaid (top) y axis and increase the maximum value. This will allow the missing bar to be displayed. To scale the axis, follow these steps:

  1. Select the overlaid (top) y axis.

  2. From the Format menu, choose Selected Axis.

  3. Choose the Scale tab.

  4. Increase the value for the Maximum scale.

REFERENCES

"User s Guide," version 5.0, Chapter 16, pages 284-285

For more information about secondary axes, choose the Search button in Help and type: 

   secondary axes

KBCategory: kbusage
KBSubcategory:

Additional reference words: 5.00 5.00c 7.00



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Last reviewed: September 13, 1996
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