PRB: Office Chart Component May Not Automatically Apply a Timescale (286319)

CAUSE

Before the Office Chart component automatically applies a timescale to a category axis, it examines the values on the category axis to determine if they are dates. The Chart component examines only a subset of the category data; in general, if the first, middle and last category values represent dates, a timescale is applied.

Also, note that the timescale feature is supported only with Column, Bar, Line, Area and Stock charts. Other chart types do not support a timescale for categories.

RESOLUTION

There is no way to force a timescale for category values. If you are using one of the chart types that support a timescale but the timescale is not applied because of non-date category data, use one of the following workarounds:

Apply a different sort order to the category data.
Use a filter for the category data so that the non-date values are removed before you plot your chart.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

In any text editor, create a new HTML file named Timescale.htm, and paste the following code:

<html>
<body>
<object classid="clsid:0002E556-0000-0000-C000-000000000046" id="CSpace">
</object>
</body>
<script language="VBScript">
    Dim c, oChart, oSeries
    CSpace.Clear
    Set oChart = CSpace.Charts.Add
    Set oSeries = oChart.SeriesCollection.Add
    Set c = CSpace.Constants
    oSeries.SetData c.chDimCategories, c.chDataLiteral, _
        Array(" ", "Jan-3", "Jan-6", "Jan-7", " ", "Jan-12", "Jan-13")
    oSeries.SetData c.chDimValues, c.chDataLiteral, _
        Array(100, 200, 150, 200, 350, 450, 200)        
</script>        
</html>

NOTE: In the preceeding code, please change the classid according to the version of Office installed on your computer.

Start Internet Explorer, and browse to Timescale.htm. When the Web page is rendered, a column chart appears with no timescale.

Workaround

In the sample code, change the following line:

    oSeries.SetData c.chDimCategories, c.chDataLiteral, _
        Array(" ", "Jan-3", "Jan-6", "Jan-7", " ", "Jan-12", "Jan-13")

to:

    oSeries.SetData c.chDimCategories, c.chDataLiteral, _
        Array("Jan-1", "Jan-3", "Jan-6", "Jan-7 ", " ", "Jan-12 ", "Jan-13 ")

In the browser, refresh the Web page. Notice that the column chart now has a timescale.

REFERENCES

For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

289288 INFO: Using Timescale Axes with the Office XP Chart Component

For more information about Microsoft Office and Office Web Components, see the following Microsoft Web sites:

Microsoft Office Web Components
http://support.microsoft.com/ofd

Microsoft Office Developer Center
http://msdn.microsoft.com/office/