backward parentheses in Excel XP chart

Hi there,
I am having the most unusual problem since upgrading to Office XP.
Some of the data labels that are negative numbers on my Excel charts
are shown with the parentheses backwards. Example )1234(. I am using
the standard formatting option for number with parentheses - (1234).
If I change to the standard formatting with no parentheses, like -1234,
the number on the chart shows the negative sign on the wrong side, like
1234-. On the chart, when I right click and choose format data labels,
I have tried to link it the source data tried not doing that. Either
way, the negative signs or parentheses are backwards. I have also
tried custom formats, none of which have fixed the problem.

This is only happening on some of my charts, not all. Is there some
setting I am missing?

If anyone has a clue, please let me know!

Thanks
Amity Cross


---
Message posted from http://www.ExcelForum.com/

Amity -

It's possible the chart axis number formats are not linked to the source
data. Double click one of the text items with funny formatting, and go
to the Number tab. What is it showing there? Not what your worksheet
data is using, right?

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services
Tutorials and Custom Solutions
http://PeltierTech.com/
_______

crossab wrote:

Hi there,
I am having the most unusual problem since upgrading to Office XP.
Some of the data labels that are negative numbers on my Excel charts
are shown with the parentheses backwards. Example )1234(. I am using
the standard formatting option for number with parentheses - (1234).
If I change to the standard formatting with no parentheses, like -1234,
the number on the chart shows the negative sign on the wrong side, like
1234-. On the chart, when I right click and choose format data labels,
I have tried to link it the source data tried not doing that. Either
way, the negative signs or parentheses are backwards. I have also
tried custom formats, none of which have fixed the problem.

This is only happening on some of my charts, not all. Is there some
setting I am missing?

If anyone has a clue, please let me know!

Thanks
Amity Cross


---
Message posted from http://www.ExcelForum.com/

Jon -
I double click on the data label with funny formatting and go to the
number tab. There is nothing selected, and the box "Linked to source"
is clicked. But, when I go to my source data, the formatting looks
fine.

The problem is with my data labels, not with my axis labels.

Any other ideas? I have figured out that if I copy the graph and
source data into a blank workbook, the formatting problems go away.
It's just more work than I want to do, since I have lots of graphs!


Thanks for your response!

Amity


---
Message posted from http://www.ExcelForum.com/

Well, I don't know what it might be. I'd be worried, though, that my
workbook is acting flaky. How long has it been in use?

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services
Tutorials and Custom Solutions
http://PeltierTech.com/
_______

crossab wrote:

Jon -
I double click on the data label with funny formatting and go to the
number tab. There is nothing selected, and the box "Linked to source"
is clicked. But, when I go to my source data, the formatting looks
fine.

The problem is with my data labels, not with my axis labels.

Any other ideas? I have figured out that if I copy the graph and
source data into a blank workbook, the formatting problems go away.
It's just more work than I want to do, since I have lots of graphs!


Thanks for your response!

Amity


---
Message posted from http://www.ExcelForum.com/

Jon,
I have been using an Excel 97 version of the workbook for a few months
now. It just started happening when I upgraded to Office XP. I think
if I recreated the entire thing in 2003 it would solve the problem. I
just didn't want to have to go through the work to do it. I have a
feeling it has something to do with the upgrade of the workbook from 97
to XP. Or maybe some programmer at Microsoft's idea of a funny joke???


Thanks for your help.
Amity


---
Message posted from http://www.ExcelForum.com/

Amity -

I don't know what might have occurred during the upgrade to mess up your
number formats. The file format hasn't changed between '97 and 2003.
There may have been some residual microcorruption of the workbook that
wasn't noticeable until the upgrade.

I think the MS guys joke about Apple and Sun, not about the struggles of
their poor customers.

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services
Tutorials and Custom Solutions
http://PeltierTech.com/
_______

crossab wrote:
Jon,
I have been using an Excel 97 version of the workbook for a few months
now. It just started happening when I upgraded to Office XP. I think
if I recreated the entire thing in 2003 it would solve the problem. I
just didn't want to have to go through the work to do it. I have a
feeling it has something to do with the upgrade of the workbook from 97
to XP. Or maybe some programmer at Microsoft's idea of a funny joke???


Thanks for your help.
Amity


---
Message posted from http://www.ExcelForum.com/

I just thought I'd chime in here and say that the exact same thing has
happened to the formatting of negative numbers on graphs in my office after
we upgraded to XP. I just came on the boards to ask this same question when
I found your post. We still haven't found an answer and re-creating the
workbooks just isn't an option for us as we have 50 or 60 of them.

"crossab " wrote:

Hi there,
I am having the most unusual problem since upgrading to Office XP.
Some of the data labels that are negative numbers on my Excel charts
are shown with the parentheses backwards. Example )1234(. I am using
the standard formatting option for number with parentheses - (1234).
If I change to the standard formatting with no parentheses, like -1234,
the number on the chart shows the negative sign on the wrong side, like
1234-. On the chart, when I right click and choose format data labels,
I have tried to link it the source data tried not doing that. Either
way, the negative signs or parentheses are backwards. I have also
tried custom formats, none of which have fixed the problem.

This is only happening on some of my charts, not all. Is there some
setting I am missing?

If anyone has a clue, please let me know!

Thanks
Amity Cross


---
Message posted from http://www.ExcelForum.com/