Excel 2013 doesn't correctly graph non-consecutive data cells

Question

Sadly, it seems each new incarnation of Excel is less and less science friendly.... (remember when it was a default to have a title and labels on both axes like almost all correct graphs SHOULD have?)

I have a huge spreadsheet of data from my experiments.  I tried selecting data that was one cell, skip 2 cells, then another cell, then skip two cells, etc.  I did it by selecting 4 cells while the control button was held down.  It puts twelve columns on my column chart.  When I select cells that are my column labels, I notice that there are three data sets and I only created one.  

How do I fix this?  Don't tell me that excel 2013 has lost the ability to deal with non-consecutive cells in a spreadsheet.  I did this all the time in Excel 2010 and previous versions.  I'd much rather select data where it sits in my spreadsheet than to have to copy and paste it so it all sits next to each other so excel doesn't freak out.  I could see myself messing up copying a formula cell and not notice and mess up my chart.

Note:  I did try selecting the four cells before inserting a chart.  This worked, but if I tried to add a second series of four data points, it messed up the graph as before.  Even though it worked, I still had 3 data sets, not one, even though it plotted the four values I chose in one data set.  I had to delete the other two data sets to get my one column centered above the label.

Answer 1

I can't reproduce your problem. Are the data all in the same column? In that case I can add a series by:

1. Ctrl-clicking to select 4 cells, copying, using Paste Special to add the copied cells as a new series.

or by:

2. Going to Select Data, Add, Click in Values box, ctrl-clicking to select four cells.

Either way worked fine.

Maybe I don't understand something about your data?

Answer 2

They are all y-values - it is a bar chart.  And I do add the second set of data exactly as you said..... through Select Data, Add new Series, select and control click them all.  Once I finish this is when I end up with multiple empty columns in between my four data points.  This is what I've done always in Excel 2010 and before.  It just doesn't work now.

Answer 3

Excel 2013 is no worse at this than any previous version.

As always, you can spend five minutes with your data up front (and arrange it in a way that Excel can't mess it up), or you can spend five hours later trying to get Excel to use an arbitrary noncontiguous arrangement of data. But I'll only say that once, quietly, since you already stated that you don't care.

So it works fine when you select four cells and insert a chart. Are the four cells all Y values, or are there X and Y values, or what? Then how are you trying to add the next four cells of data?

If you go to Select Data (right click menu or the first Chart Tools tab), then add a new series, you should be able to click in the refedit boxes and select any number of cells. Like selecting directly on the worksheet, click to select one, then control-click the rest.

Answer 4

Hi A Harrow,

Where is the online share?  I will upload the file.

Thanks,

Jessica

Answer 5

Maybe u can upload a sample file to the online share and give the link for the location so I can check if this issue is with the file or with Excel 2013 itself.