Excel: One chart, multiple data sets

Factual Questions
1

Given a set of values like this…

2000/01/01, 12
2000/01/15, 11
2000/02/07, 14
2000/02/25, 17
etc

…it is easy to create a scatter chart that produces a line plotting the values against time. I have four sets of values like this I want to appear on the same chart, each line a different colour. The dates for each set interleave each other. For example, the next set might look like this…

2000/01/05, 20
2000/01/09, 18
2000/02/20, 22
etc

Typically when combining series of data, each series shares the same X-axis values. I tried arranging the data such that the first column contained all dates, followed by a column with set 1’s values, then a column with set 2’s, etc. This resulted in an array of cells with a lot of gaps. The resulting chart reflected those gaps.

Can this even be done?

2

I just tried it out here.
I entered three serieses (sp?) one after the other, separated by a space line, each series in its own column. Something like this:

2000/01/01, 12,
2000/01/15, 11,
2000/02/07, 14,
2000/02/25, 17,

2000/01/05, ,20,
2000/01/09, ,18,
2000/02/20, ,22,

2000/01/03, ,2
2000/01/12, ,14
2000/02/19, ,8
I then marked the whole thing, and let the wizard do its thing. Gave the result you want: all date interlaced on the X axis, each series in a different color, data points only where available.

I’m using office 2003 under XP SP2.

Hope it helps.

3

Thank you! My problem was trying to make it easier for the wizard by sorting on date first :slight_smile:

It also works without the sets being separated by a space.