Excel Video 84 shows you two ways to add noncontiguous data to a chart. Noncontiguous data is data that isn’t stored next to your existing chart data. You can easily add that data to your chart by copying the data (including appropriate headings), selecting the chart, and pasting the data. Usually Excel does a good job of adding your data just where you want it. If you have trouble, copy the data you want to add, select the chart, and then choose Paste Special. Excel will bring up a window to help you choose where you want Excel to add your new chart data.
You can also use the Select Data Source window from the Chart Tools Design tab. I’ll demonstrate how to add a series to your chart with this window. We’ll come back to this window in future videos, since the Select Data Source window can help you modify your data ranges, change the order that Excel plots your data, control what to do with hidden data, and more.
Before we get back to the Select Data Source window, I want to demonstrate a clever way to use an Excel function called OFFSET to automatically update charts as more data is added to your spreadsheet. Charts that automatically update using OFFSET can do a whole bunch of cool things. Stay tuned. We’ll get started with OFFSET in Excel Video 85.
