help desperate!!!

Hello, I need help with this excel!

I have data that I would like to put into a table and then create a graph based on it. Table must...like...add the new data which is in the same place as the old one...so it basically updates. And the graph should continue to show new points.

Is it possible in Excel? How can I do it??

PLEASE HELP!!!

Thnx

Here's what I've done. When you define the range of the graph data series, go one row beyond where you have data. This will create a blank column in your graph. For instance, if your graph is showing data for each month of the year, but you only have data for Jan and Feb so far, make the range for three rows: Jan, Feb and blank. When you get March, insert a line after the Feb line and enter your data. Inserting will have expanded your data range for the graph and your new data will show up in the graph.

Is this what you meant?

Good luck.

Matt

Absolutely, this is very helpful, thanks a lot.
But can Excel insert the data automatically, so that I don't have to create a new row all the time?

I may not be grasping what you are after. How will Excel know when the data is available? From where does Excel get the data once its available?

Generally speaking, you can certainly go ahead and make all the rows you want for the graph with formulas that result in zero until you get other "Input" cells complete. I've done that numerous times. Then, each month I enter the new data for the month and the formulas in the graph data range update, and so does the graph. In my earlier example, go ahead and have Jan - Dec as data series rows in the graph. In this scenario, you will see columns for each row in your data series and as long as the formulas result in zero, then the graph will show zero for that data point.

Am I answering your question?

Matt

cheers, matt

...next question, is it possible to extend the line of the graph to make a prediction of what it is going to be? Can i create a moving average on the graph?

Glad that info helped!

As for the average - that's a great feature to add to a graph. If you've created the data range for Jan through Dec, just add one more line called "Average" and in that cell, put =average(a1..a12) which would cover your Jan-Dec data range. Also, make your graph data series include this average line. Now, when your formulas update for March, the average updates as well.

But there's a catch: the =average formula will include the zero's which are in the cells that have not been completed yet, thereby skewing the average. However, =Average() will exclude blanks. So you'll need to modify each formula to include an if statement like this: =IF(C4="","",+D4). This IF statement looks at one of your data entry cells (C4). If its blank (i.e. you haven't put data in for that month yet), then it makes this cell blank and it will be ignored for the average. If C4 isn't blank (you HAVE entered data), then retrieve the relevant data (+D4) for this cell. The math occurs, it provides a value which shows on the graph, and the average calculation is relevant. Follow?

Again, going back to an earlier idea, you could just insert a new line each month and copy the formulas down to the new line and the graph would insert the new column and update the average. I've done it both ways. Purely depends on how much you'll use the worksheet going forward, and how user-friendly you want it to be for each future use.

Once you've figured out this general framework, you will end up re-using this concept with future graphs. Your questions are good ones for making the graphing mindlessly easy for the users going forward. Its a great return on investment.

As for predicting the remainder of the graph, I've never tried that but I think its possible in Excel. Maybe someone else can jump in with that expertise?

Matt

Thanks a lot for your help.

:D