XL: Numeric Series Axis Label Truncated When Formatted

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0

SYMPTOMS

In the versions of Microsoft Excel listed above, when you format a numeric series axis label on a chart, the number may be truncated.

CAUSE

When a chart is created with a numeric series axis label, a fixed amount of space is set for the label value. If formatting is applied to the axis label that causes it to exceed this fixed limit, the excess characters will be truncated.

WORKAROUND

To avoid truncating a numeric series axis label on your chart, do one of the following:

• Before you create the chart, format the series axis label on the worksheet the way you want it to appear on the chart.

      -or-
  

• Format the series axis label on the chart using a format that displays the label with fewer characters.

STATUS

This is a known problem in the versions of Microsoft Excel listed at the beginning of this article. The problem was corrected in Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows and Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition.

MORE INFORMATION

This behavior only affects numeric series axis labels, and only when formatting is applied that adds characters to the series label. For example, if your series axis label on a chart is 100, and you format the number with a currency format so that it appears as $100.00, the formatted number is longer than the original number. The last characters will be truncated on the chart, and the numeric series axis label will appear as $10.

NOTE: The labels are truncated based on the space allotted for the numeric label, not based on the number of characters in the label. For example, the format applied to the label may add 4 characters to the label, and 5 characters may be truncated in the label.

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

To see an example of this behavior, follow these steps:

1. In a new worksheet, enter the following data:

         A1:      B1: North   C1: South
         A2: 10   B2: 20      C2: 10
         A3: 20   B3: 40      C3: 30
   
   

2. Select the range A1:C3. On the Insert menu, point to Chart, and click As New Sheet.

3. In the Step 1 Of 5 screen, verify that the Range box contains =$A$1:$C$3. Click Next.

4. In the Step 2 Of 5 screen, under Select A Chart Type, select 3-D Column. Click Next.

5. In the Step 3 Of 5 screen, under Select A Format For The 3-D Column Chart, select format 6. Click Next.

6. In the Step 4 Of 5 screen, under Data Series In, select the Rows option. In the Use First Rows box, type "1" (without the quotation marks) and in the Use First Columns box, type "1" (without the quotation marks). Click Finish.

7. Select the series axis. On the Format menu, click Selected Axis. Select the Number tab. In the Category list, select Currency. In the Format Codes list, select any of the formats. Click OK.