Thread: Colors of columns after sorting data in the supporting table

When creating a chart off of a table, the colors of each column appear to be
in the order of their display in the chart. For example, let's say I have
January data as red, February data as white and March data as blue. Then I
sort the table in the Excel sheet by value. Now the labels are ordered
February, March, January. Well, now the first column (February) is red, the
second (March) white and the third (January)blue.

Is there a method to hard-code the column color to the data label in the
charts rather than simply the order that the data appears?

I'm about to do this on a project where I want consistent colors by
"Brand Name" and I plan to use a VBA routine and a Select Case
statement on the "Brand Name" text and then apply the correct color
index. You just have to iterate throught the datapoints.

Brian Reilly, PowerPoint MVP

BB -

You might be able to make a conditional chart with your data:

http://peltiertech.com/Excel/Charts/...nalChart1.html

It will cost you a few extra columns and some formulas, but it is dynamic as the
data changes, whereas the VBA procedure would have to be rerun.

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services
Tutorials and Custom Solutions
http://PeltierTech.com/
_______

Booger_Boy wrote:

> When creating a chart off of a table, the colors of each column appear to be
> in the order of their display in the chart. For example, let's say I have
> January data as red, February data as white and March data as blue. Then I
> sort the table in the Excel sheet by value. Now the labels are ordered
> February, March, January. Well, now the first column (February) is red, the
> second (March) white and the third (January)blue.
>
> Is there a method to hard-code the column color to the data label in the
> charts rather than simply the order that the data appears?

Hi,

Depending on the complexity you may be able to use a conditional chart.
http://www.andypope.info/ngs/ng32.htm

Although the data layout technique will work in MSGraph it would not be
dynamic unless you used some VBA code.

Cheers
Andy

Brian Reilly, MS MVP wrote:
> I'm about to do this on a project where I want consistent colors by
> "Brand Name" and I plan to use a VBA routine and a Select Case
> statement on the "Brand Name" text and then apply the correct color
> index. You just have to iterate throught the datapoints.
>
> Brian Reilly, PowerPoint MVP

--

Andy Pope, Microsoft MVP - Excel
http://www.andypope.info

Hi Andy,
Could do this with conditional formattting as you and Jon say. Would
want to think about it in MS Grump, heck, wouldn't even use MS Grump
unless a shotgun was pointed at my head, and I'd probably get it wrong
even then.

Seems to me that if one has lots of charts across many presentations
that I'd be a whole heap better off by just having a Private Sub that
gets called from a table drivern thing. Sub stays the same always and
the user maintains the Table, in where else some worksheet(s)
somewhere and we just read the variables each time and spit them at
the Private Sub routine. Kinda table driven programming like Rob Bovey
taught me to like and endorse.

Brian Reilly, PowerPoint MVP

On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 15:31:40 +0000, Andy Pope <andy@andypope.info>
wrote:

>Hi,
>
>Depending on the complexity you may be able to use a conditional chart.
>http://www.andypope.info/ngs/ng32.htm
>
>Although the data layout technique will work in MSGraph it would not be
>dynamic unless you used some VBA code.
>
>Cheers
>Andy
>
>Brian Reilly, MS MVP wrote:
>> I'm about to do this on a project where I want consistent colors by
>> "Brand Name" and I plan to use a VBA routine and a Select Case
>> statement on the "Brand Name" text and then apply the correct color
>> index. You just have to iterate throught the datapoints.
>>
>> Brian Reilly, PowerPoint MVP

Hi Brian,

If you can use VBA then it will certainly be easier to apply changes to
many charts.

Cheers
Andy

brian@nothere_reillyand.com wrote:
> Hi Andy,
> Could do this with conditional formattting as you and Jon say. Would
> want to think about it in MS Grump, heck, wouldn't even use MS Grump
> unless a shotgun was pointed at my head, and I'd probably get it wrong
> even then.
>
> Seems to me that if one has lots of charts across many presentations
> that I'd be a whole heap better off by just having a Private Sub that
> gets called from a table drivern thing. Sub stays the same always and
> the user maintains the Table, in where else some worksheet(s)
> somewhere and we just read the variables each time and spit them at
> the Private Sub routine. Kinda table driven programming like Rob Bovey
> taught me to like and endorse.
>
> Brian Reilly, PowerPoint MVP
>
> On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 15:31:40 +0000, Andy Pope <andy@andypope.info>
> wrote:
>
>
>>Hi,
>>
>>Depending on the complexity you may be able to use a conditional chart.
>>http://www.andypope.info/ngs/ng32.htm
>>
>>Although the data layout technique will work in MSGraph it would not be
>>dynamic unless you used some VBA code.
>>
>>Cheers
>>Andy
>>
>>Brian Reilly, MS MVP wrote:
>>
>>>I'm about to do this on a project where I want consistent colors by
>>>"Brand Name" and I plan to use a VBA routine and a Select Case
>>>statement on the "Brand Name" text and then apply the correct color
>>>index. You just have to iterate throught the datapoints.
>>>
>>>Brian Reilly, PowerPoint MVP
>
>

--

Andy Pope, Microsoft MVP - Excel
http://www.andypope.info

Most excellent! Thanks for your assistance.

I wasn't about to delve into VBA code, which I have found to be mind-numbing
in the past.

-BB.

"Andy Pope" wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Depending on the complexity you may be able to use a conditional chart.
> http://www.andypope.info/ngs/ng32.htm
>
> Although the data layout technique will work in MSGraph it would not be
> dynamic unless you used some VBA code.
>
> Cheers
> Andy
>
> Brian Reilly, MS MVP wrote:
> > I'm about to do this on a project where I want consistent colors by
> > "Brand Name" and I plan to use a VBA routine and a Select Case
> > statement on the "Brand Name" text and then apply the correct color
> > index. You just have to iterate throught the datapoints.
> >
> > Brian Reilly, PowerPoint MVP
>
> --
>
> Andy Pope, Microsoft MVP - Excel
> http://www.andypope.info
>