XY Chart Labeler Version 7.0
I’ve just posted version 7.0 of the XY Chart Labeler on my web site. This is the first significant upgrade to this utility in almost five years. Because the XY Chart Labeler was already a mature, stable utility prior to version 7, most new features in this version are background improvements that provide better performance for pre-existing features. However, several new minor features make their debut in version 7, including:
- Smart Selection - If you select the chart series, data point or label you want to operate on, the XY Chart Labeler will recognize the selection and pre-select the appropriate entries in its dialogs.
- Active Selection - As you select chart series and data points in the various chart labeler dialog dropdowns, the objects you select will also be selected in the chart below, so you can see exactly what you’ll be modifying.
- Larger Dialogs - The width of all XY Chart Labeler dialogs has been increased in order to improve the display of wide entries.
- Automation - In this version, the core chart series labeling logic has been exposed as a public function that can be called from other Excel VBA programs.
- Help File - I’ve written a comprehensive help file and example files for this version.
I’m making no promises regarding Excel 2007 compatability other than the chart labeler will work in the simplest cases. I’ll evaluate this policy again once we see a service pack or two. There will be a German translation available shortly courtesy of Excel MVP Thomas Ramel. You can get the latest version of the XY Chart Labeler here:
Jim Cone:
Excel 97 spits this up…
Compile Error - Automation type not supported in Visual Basic
At this line of code…
Public Function LabelChartSeries(ByRef srsSeriesToLabel As Excel.Series, _
ByRef rngLabelText As Excel.Range, _
ByVal uLabelPosition As Excel.XlDataLabelPosition) As Boolean
I am wondering if this is part of a trend.
Another well known developer’s, just released, add-in that I tried
early this week will not compile in Excel 97.
I read somewhere that about 40% of current users are still using Excel 97.
Only Microsoft I thought was ignoring them ?
Jim Cone
23 March 2007, 10:16 pmSan Francisco
Rob Bovey:
Hi Jim,
It’s a fact, but one I neglected to mention with this utility or my updated code cleaner. I’m no longer making any attempt to support Excel 97 in new versions of my utilities. I stopped supporting Excel 97 in my consulting business about two years ago and nobody complained. I am more than happy to send an older, 97-compatible version of any of my utilities to any Excel 97 user who asks for them.
24 March 2007, 2:06 pmdoco:
40% 97? Wow!
Is there any reason beyond the monetary that there would be that high a number? We are poor but even we are updating to 2007 (Albeit, prematurely I think).
25 March 2007, 5:44 amJon Peltier:
Jim -
You read that 40% of Excel users are still using Excel 97? When did you read that, 2002? I dropped Excel 97 support over two years ago when I finished a project for my only client using Excel 97. I’ve seen more recent statistics (probably on Jenson Harris’ blog) that put ‘97 usage in the low single digits.
If you said 40% were using Excel 2000 I might have believed it. Of my clients, a bit over half are using 2003, and the rest are in 2002 or 2000. Since many of my clients are small consultants, they probably upgrade Windows and Office when they get a new computer, not when the IT dinosaur rolls out a new installation; I’d expect these clients to have a more recent version than larger companies, and that’s what I observe.
Only one client is dabbling in 2007, and that’s a pre-emptive move to support his customers who might upgrade and want an advanced version of the add-in I’m helping him to develop. He’s had no takers for the 2007 version yet.
Doco -
Wait for the SP.
25 March 2007, 7:31 amJim Cone:
Jon,
The 40% number comes from what I remember of a business article from
last year analyzing Microsoft’s financial prospects. It was referring to
worldwide usage numbers in anticipation of the release of Office 12.
There is no way I could find the article again and I remember no quoted
source for the percentage.
I do know that I had a potential customer (USA) in January whose employer
was still using Excel 5.
I doubt if I will even try xl2007 until a $9.95 add-in becomes available
that allows users to switch between a classic (xl2002/xl2003) menu and the ribbon.
Jim Cone
25 March 2007, 1:19 pmSan Francisco
Jon Peltier:
I tried Googling for the source of my numbers (any numbers really), and couldn’t find anything. Maybe we’re both right. 40% seems pretty high to me, though, even given companies’ reluctance for financial or logistic reasons to upgrade. Most (non-corporate) new computers have come with a trial version of Office pre-installed for at least a handful of years, and I suspect this would drive upgrades to some degree.
I’ve seen a product which purports to replace Excel 2007’s ribbon with menu-like controls that mimic the familiar old interface (and Word’s and PowerPoint’s too). Then I read a review that claimed it didn’t implement 2007 UI features well, and it was wrong about a lot of things it was trying to incorporate from 2003. I’d say it’s a waste to try to use 2007 in some kind of Rube Goldberg “classic” mode. Either bite the bullet and upgrade all the way, or stay with what is comfortable and familiar, and what you know will work.
25 March 2007, 8:27 pmRob Bovey:
I don’t know if this guy’s methodology is any good, but his conclusions seem consistent with my experience.
http://www.fontstuff.com/comment/comment05.htm
25 March 2007, 9:42 pmJon Peltier:
Rob -
This isn’t exactly the breakdown I remember, but it’s not far off. If I had to estimate my users’ Office versions, I’d say 60% 2003, 15% 2002, 25% 2000. If I assume a new client uses 2003, I’m usually correct.
26 March 2007, 5:57 amMichael:
Hi Rob -
Do you now support dynamic ranges? On my wish list
…mrt
27 March 2007, 4:04 pmRob Bovey:
Hi Michael,
This is one of many variations on what is by far the most common feature request I get for the chart labeler. Unfortunately, the inability of custom data labels to follow changes in the structure of a chart series is a limitation (bug) in the Excel charting feature. The only workaround would require dynamically generating and embedding some reasonably complex event handling code in the workbook containing the chart, so it’s unfortunately not something the chart labeler is ever likely to support.
28 March 2007, 5:25 pmMichael:
Hi Rob -
A least it’s been considered. Thanks.
Also nice to now that my wishes are “mainstream”
Thanks also for a very useful tool.
…best, Michael
29 March 2007, 5:35 amBill:
Any idea how to do x-y chart labels that only appear with a mouse over the data point?
4 January 2008, 7:36 amAndy Pope:
Check Tushar’s Hover Label
4 January 2008, 8:47 amhttp://tushar-mehta.com/excel/software/chart_hover_label/index.html
Steve Clough:
Sorry to be an incredibly boring late comer with stupid questions, …. but …. is there a short how-to anywhere?
17 January 2008, 2:19 pmTom Turton:
I’ve “rediscovered” XY Chart Labeler for use with Excel. As I am now trying to implement some charting functions in VBA (true novice user), I’ve grasped the Help manual discussion of how to access the Chart Labeler via ‘Application.Run “XYChartLabeler.xla!LabelChartSeries….”‘.
However, now I’m trying to see if I can also use VBA to access the “Move Chart Labels” feature. Can’t seem to figure out (1) IF it is possible, (2) How to do it if possible.
Thanks!
14 May 2008, 1:31 pmJon Peltier:
Tom -
I haven’t tried this yet, but set a reference to the Chart Labeler in the project you’re writing code that calls it. You should be able to find the Labeler in the Object Browser and find the routines that are available to you, as well as the arguments you need.
14 May 2008, 8:03 pmAndy Pope:
Tom, looks like Rob only exposed the LabelChartSeries function.
15 May 2008, 1:46 am