Graphing inconsistent dates and data

I would like to graph some data - body weight for example. I would set up
the date on the X-axis and the weight on the Y-axis. When inputting the
data, I would LIST every day sequentially and then record the weight next to
the date. If I were to consistently record a weight reading every day, I
would have a nice smooth graph.

However, if I were to record a weight for 2 or 3 days and then skip a day or
2, I would have blanks (0's) by the skipped days. When I graph that data
range, the graph goes haywire because it drops all of the way down to 0 on
the skipped days.

I could easily just delete the days when I didn't take a reading but that
goofs up some of the other things I want to do.

Is there a way to get Excel to generate a smooth graph? I was thinking
there might be a way to "average" the weight on the skipped days, thereby
forcing a smooth graph.

Maybe this has already been figured out but I can't find it. Any
suggestions / advice would be appreciated.

TIA

Chuck

Would touching the delete key in each cell where there is no entry help?

--
Don Guillett
SalesAid Software
[email protected]
"Chuck Jurgens" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I would like to graph some data - body weight for example. I would set up
> the date on the X-axis and the weight on the Y-axis. When inputting the
> data, I would LIST every day sequentially and then record the weight next
to
> the date. If I were to consistently record a weight reading every day, I
> would have a nice smooth graph.
>
> However, if I were to record a weight for 2 or 3 days and then skip a day
or
> 2, I would have blanks (0's) by the skipped days. When I graph that data
> range, the graph goes haywire because it drops all of the way down to 0 on
> the skipped days.
>
> I could easily just delete the days when I didn't take a reading but that
> goofs up some of the other things I want to do.
>
> Is there a way to get Excel to generate a smooth graph? I was thinking
> there might be a way to "average" the weight on the skipped days, thereby
> forcing a smooth graph.
>
> Maybe this has already been figured out but I can't find it. Any
> suggestions / advice would be appreciated.
>
> TIA
>
> Chuck
>
>

OR, you could just hide the 0 rows with a macro to view the graph. Then
unhide

--
Don Guillett
SalesAid Software
[email protected]
"Chuck Jurgens" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I would like to graph some data - body weight for example. I would set up
> the date on the X-axis and the weight on the Y-axis. When inputting the
> data, I would LIST every day sequentially and then record the weight next
to
> the date. If I were to consistently record a weight reading every day, I
> would have a nice smooth graph.
>
> However, if I were to record a weight for 2 or 3 days and then skip a day
or
> 2, I would have blanks (0's) by the skipped days. When I graph that data
> range, the graph goes haywire because it drops all of the way down to 0 on
> the skipped days.
>
> I could easily just delete the days when I didn't take a reading but that
> goofs up some of the other things I want to do.
>
> Is there a way to get Excel to generate a smooth graph? I was thinking
> there might be a way to "average" the weight on the skipped days, thereby
> forcing a smooth graph.
>
> Maybe this has already been figured out but I can't find it. Any
> suggestions / advice would be appreciated.
>
> TIA
>
> Chuck
>
>

If the cells are really blank, that is, no formulas that return "", then
select the chart, then select Options from the Tools menu, and on the
Chart tab, select how you want the blanks to be treated, either skipped
with a gap in the line or skipped with the line interpolating over the gap.

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


Chuck Jurgens wrote:
> I would like to graph some data - body weight for example. I would set up
> the date on the X-axis and the weight on the Y-axis. When inputting the
> data, I would LIST every day sequentially and then record the weight next to
> the date. If I were to consistently record a weight reading every day, I
> would have a nice smooth graph.
>
> However, if I were to record a weight for 2 or 3 days and then skip a day or
> 2, I would have blanks (0's) by the skipped days. When I graph that data
> range, the graph goes haywire because it drops all of the way down to 0 on
> the skipped days.
>
> I could easily just delete the days when I didn't take a reading but that
> goofs up some of the other things I want to do.
>
> Is there a way to get Excel to generate a smooth graph? I was thinking
> there might be a way to "average" the weight on the skipped days, thereby
> forcing a smooth graph.
>
> Maybe this has already been figured out but I can't find it. Any
> suggestions / advice would be appreciated.
>
> TIA
>
> Chuck
>
>

Jon,

THANK YOU! That is exactly what I needed. BTW, what is the lowest version of
Excel that has that feature?

Chuck

"Jon Peltier" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> If the cells are really blank, that is, no formulas that return "", then
> select the chart, then select Options from the Tools menu, and on the
> Chart tab, select how you want the blanks to be treated, either skipped
> with a gap in the line or skipped with the line interpolating over the
> gap.
>
> - Jon
> -------
> Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
> Peltier Technical Services
> Tutorials and Custom Solutions
> http://PeltierTech.com/
> _______
>
>
> Chuck Jurgens wrote:
>> I would like to graph some data - body weight for example. I would set
>> up the date on the X-axis and the weight on the Y-axis. When inputting
>> the data, I would LIST every day sequentially and then record the weight
>> next to the date. If I were to consistently record a weight reading
>> every day, I would have a nice smooth graph.
>>
>> However, if I were to record a weight for 2 or 3 days and then skip a day
>> or 2, I would have blanks (0's) by the skipped days. When I graph that
>> data range, the graph goes haywire because it drops all of the way down
>> to 0 on the skipped days.
>>
>> I could easily just delete the days when I didn't take a reading but that
>> goofs up some of the other things I want to do.
>>
>> Is there a way to get Excel to generate a smooth graph? I was thinking
>> there might be a way to "average" the weight on the skipped days, thereby
>> forcing a smooth graph.
>>
>> Maybe this has already been figured out but I can't find it. Any
>> suggestions / advice would be appreciated.
>>
>> TIA
>>
>> Chuck

Chuck -

You're welcome. This behavior definitely goes back to 97, and probably
at least one version prior.

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


Chuck Jurgens wrote:

> Jon,
>
> THANK YOU! That is exactly what I needed. BTW, what is the lowest version of
> Excel that has that feature?
>
> Chuck
>
> "Jon Peltier" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>If the cells are really blank, that is, no formulas that return "", then
>>select the chart, then select Options from the Tools menu, and on the
>>Chart tab, select how you want the blanks to be treated, either skipped
>>with a gap in the line or skipped with the line interpolating over the
>>gap.
>>
>>- Jon
>>-------
>>Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
>>Peltier Technical Services
>>Tutorials and Custom Solutions
>>http://PeltierTech.com/
>>_______
>>
>>
>>Chuck Jurgens wrote:
>>
>>>I would like to graph some data - body weight for example. I would set
>>>up the date on the X-axis and the weight on the Y-axis. When inputting
>>>the data, I would LIST every day sequentially and then record the weight
>>>next to the date. If I were to consistently record a weight reading
>>>every day, I would have a nice smooth graph.
>>>
>>>However, if I were to record a weight for 2 or 3 days and then skip a day
>>>or 2, I would have blanks (0's) by the skipped days. When I graph that
>>>data range, the graph goes haywire because it drops all of the way down
>>>to 0 on the skipped days.
>>>
>>>I could easily just delete the days when I didn't take a reading but that
>>>goofs up some of the other things I want to do.
>>>
>>>Is there a way to get Excel to generate a smooth graph? I was thinking
>>>there might be a way to "average" the weight on the skipped days, thereby
>>>forcing a smooth graph.
>>>
>>>Maybe this has already been figured out but I can't find it. Any
>>>suggestions / advice would be appreciated.
>>>
>>>TIA
>>>
>>>Chuck
>
>
>