MS Excel question

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

Ok, so maybe I'll get a better response to my post on the mrexcel chatboard (hey, another place for GGW to stalk me!), but what the hell...any of you nerds here have any idea?
 
 
    I have a graph with monthly data points that automatically connects the monthly data points.
 
    The problem occurs when the data is quarterly (on some of the data). Thus, when there is missing data, the data points don't connect. I can't very well make up data for the missing months just to get the points to connect, as it would plot nonexistant data.
 
    Any suggestions on how to get them to connect?

[ratioci nation]

If I understand correctly, they shouldn't connect, if there was a line connecting them wouldn't it be representing nonexistant data?

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

Nope. The boss wants the line in this case. The data is reported either monthly, quarterly, or annually. It's a measure of data for one whole month, quarter, or year, even though it's one number representing an entire time span. Seems the graph defaults to a monthly plot, and if you're graphing quarterly data you'll have missing months (even though all three months are covered in a quarter).
 
    That Mr.Excel chatboard is quick. Within a minute, I got a response to use #N/A in the cells lacking data. Thus, I will have continuity and get my lines, without data points at points where there is no data.

[eltee]

Originally posted by Venerable Balls:
  to use #N/A

I was close -- I was going to say use "0" but then your lines would drop.

[ggw]

You have to type in =NA()
 
 If you use #NA, the interceding points will all be zero.

[brennser]

#N/A works as well

[Celeste]

Originally posted by Venerable Balls:
  That Mr.Excel chatboard is quick.

Yeah but I bet they couldn't tell you whether British Sea Power was going to sell out.

[markie]

I do all my graphing in an ancient application called Kaleidagraph. It is a useless spreadsheet, but makes beautiful graphs.
 
 http://www.synergy.com

[mankie]

Originally posted by Celestial Balls:
   

Originally posted by Venerable Balls:
  That Mr.Excel chatboard is quick.

Yeah but I bet they couldn't tell you whether British Sea Power was going to sell out. [/b]

It's so quick because there's only Venerable Balls and GGW on it.

[Samantha]

speaking of Excel.  I gotta learn that fucker...my bf is going to give me a copy.  I'm searching for a receptionist job by this summer and it looks like all jobs want you to know it.  I'm so idiotic when it comes to these programs.

[angelml]

lol...that's funny...i had the same question last week...but in the end, my boss didn't care about the line...the data points were more important to him...