Controlling the Plotting of Empty Cells

When you create a chart from a data table, Excel does its best to translate the numeric values into data points on a chart, according to the specifications you provide. One area where Excel doesn't quite know what to do, however, is empty cells. If a cell is empty, it could be for any number of reasons—the value isn't available, the value isn't important, or the value is really zero.

If you are using a version of Excel prior to Excel 2007 you can instruct the program how you want it to treat empty cells by following these steps:

1. Select the chart you want to affect.
2. Choose Options from the Tools menu. Excel displays the Options dialog box.
3. Make sure the Chart tab is displayed. (Click here to see a related figure.)
4. Using the option buttons at the top of the dialog box, specify how you want Excel to chart empty cells.
5. Click OK.

If the option buttons are not available at the top of the screen, it means that you don't have a chart visible on the screen. The option buttons provide three different settings:

• Not Plotted. Excel leaves gaps in the chart where the empty cells appear.
• Zero. Excel treats the empty cells as if they contained zero values, and plots accordingly.
• Interpolated. Excel examines the values surrounding the empty cell and guesses what value the cell should contain based on those values.

If you are using Excel 2007 then the steps are as follows:

1. Select the chart you want to affect.
2. Display the Design tab of the ribbon.
3. In the Data group click the Select Data tool. Excel displays the Select Data Source dialog box. (Click here to see a related figure.)
4. Click the Hidden and Empty Cells button. Excel displays the Hidden and Empty Cells dialog box. (Click here to see a related figure.)
5. Using the controls in the dialog box, specify how you want Excel to chart empty cells.
6. Click OK to close the Hidden and Empty Cells dialog box.
7. Click OK to close the Select Data Source dialog box.

The option buttons at the top of the Hidden and Empty Cells dialog box (step 5) are similar in effect to those in previous versions of Excel, but the wording used on them is different:

• Gaps. Excel leaves gaps in the chart where the empty cells appear.
• Zero. Excel treats the empty cells as if they contained zero values, and plots accordingly.
• Connect Data Points with Line. Excel examines the values surrounding the empty cell, guesses what the cell value should have been, and then connects the data points with a line.