Updating Excel Data Without Changing Chart Formatting?

[xmjh1]

Hi All,

Is it possible to easily update the Excel data in a spreadsheet without changing the formatting of a table that I made from that data in Excel? I have two columns and 7 rows of data in percentages (i.e. for each one of the 14 questions from a survey) that I used to make column charts. Is there any easy way to change the data in the cells and just refresh my chart with new data without changing the existing formatting? (If I add the new data, and recreate the chart from scratch, I will have to reformat each of my charts, which I want to avoid).

Thanks for your help!!!

[Lifesigns]

Hi xmjh1,

It's a bit tricky visualizing exactly what you mean but if you were to replace the data in your table with new data the chart will merely display the new values with the formatting you used before. You don't have to delete the chart when you change the values.

Shane

[xmjh1]

Great. Thanks Shane! That solves my problem!

[adamfitz77]

xmjh1:

Have you tried paste values? I'm assuming that you're not talking about just typing over the old data, as that would not change the formatting. If you paste data in, however, all of the formatting from the source gets carried with it unless you right click on the paste location, click "Paste Special", and select values. There may be different ways to do this depending on which version of excel you are using.

Additionally, when you paste the new values, your chart should automatically update as well.