Imagine you have a worksheet with lots of charts. And you want to make it look awesome & clean.
Solution?
Simple, create an interactive chart so that your users can pick one of many charts and see them.
Today let us understand how to create an interactive chart using Excel.
PS: This is a revised version of almost 5 year old article – Select & show one chart from many.
A demo of our interactive Excel chart
First, take a look at the chart that you will be creating.
Feeling excited? read on to learn how to create this.
Solution – Creating Interactive chart in Excel
- First create all the charts you want and place them in separate locations in your worksheet. Lets say your charts look like this.
- Now, select all the cells corresponding to first chart, press ALT MMD (Formula ribbon > Define name). Give a name like
Chart1.
- Repeat this process for all charts you have, naming them like
Chart2,Chart3… - In a separate range of cells, list down all chart names. Give this range a name like
lstChartTypes. - Add a new sheet to your workbook. Call it “Output”.
- In the output sheet, insert a combo-box form control (from Developer Ribbon > Insert > Form Controls)
- Select the combo box control and press Ctrl+1 (format control).
- Specify input range as
lstChartTypesand cell link as a blank cell in your output sheet (or data sheet).
[Related: Detailed tutorial on Excel Combo box & other form controls]
- Now, when you make a selection in the combo box, you will know which option is selected in the linked cell.
- Now, we need a mechanism to pull corresponding chart based on user selection. Enter a named range –
selChart. - Press ALT MMD or go to Formula ribbon > Define name. Give the name as
selChartand define it as
=CHOOSE(linked_cell, Chart1, Chart2, Chart3, Chart4)
PS: CHOOSE formula will select one of the Chart ranges based on user’s selection (help). - Now, go back to data & charts sheet. Select Chart1 range. Press CTRL+C to copy it.
- Go to Output sheet and paste it as linked picture (Right click > Paste Special > Linked Picture)
- This will insert a linked picture of Chart 1.
[Related: What is a picture link and how to use it?] - Now, click on the picture, go to formula bar, type =selChart and press enter
- Move the image around, position it nicely next to the combo box.
- Congratulations! Your interactive chart is ready 🙂
Video tutorial explaining this chart
Watch below tutorial to understand how to make this chart.
(or watch it on our Youtube channel)
Download Interactive Chart Excel file
Click here to download interactive chart Excel file and play with it. Observe the named ranges (selChart) and set up charts to learn more.
More Examples of Dynamic & Interactive Charts
If you want to learn more about these techniques, go thru below examples.
- Interactive sales analysis chart using Excel
- Use analytical charts to make your boss fall in love with you
- Making a dynamic chart with checkboxes
- How to make your charts & dashboards interactive – Detailed how to guide
- Lots of examples, tips & downloads on interactive & dynamic charts in Excel
Do you use interactive charts?
Dynamic & interactive charts are one of my favorite Excel tricks. I use them in almost all of my dashboards, Excel models and my clients are always wowed by them.
What about you? Do you use interactive charts often? What are your favorite techniques for creating them? Please share your tips & ideas using comments.
Want to learn more? Consider joining my upcoming Dashboards & Advanced Excel Masterclass
I’m very excited to announce my upcoming Advanced Dashboards in Excel Masterclass in USA.
Chandoo.org & PowerPivotPro.com will be hosting this two day, intensive hands-on Masterclass. Enhance your Excel skills to create interactive, dynamic and polished looking dashboards your boss will love. Don’t miss out, this is a one-time opportunity to attend my live workshop in Chicago, New York, Washington DC & Columbus OH in May and June 2013. Places are strictly limited.
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Above article is a preview of the tips and tricks you will be learning in the Masterclass.
17 Responses to “Custom Number Formats – Colors”
You are right, Chandoo. I was playing with the colour numbers last week and some of them don't appear different from each other. Others are totally different from yours.
@Duncan
Each version of Excel, post 2003, renders colors slightly differently
Different language versions may also have different default color palettes
Hello in french
excel 2010
colo1 = couleur1 = black
[couleur1]; [couleur2]; etc..
@Hui, thank you very much again for this great post.
However - under Excel 2007, Hungarian version your solution does not work with color names. I've tried both English and Hungarian names, but drops an error message "not valid formats"
Do you have any idea how to solve this issue?
thanks in advance
@Andras
Without a Hungarian version of Excel 2003 I don't think I can assist
Have you tried using the colour numbers? I couldn't get the names to work (despite using an english version of excel). but it did work with the numbers though. I left out the "u" and was easily able to produce burgundy using [color9]
Here a possible solution: find an English version of Excel, write there the formats using English names, then open the file in the Hungarian version and see the translation.
In Excel 2007 I can't get the colour names to work e.g Sea Green but the numbers do e.g color3 - colour3 does not work so I must bow to the country that has stolen my language (ha ha!)
Hey chandoo, nice Tip!
Wouldn't be easier just apply some conditional formatting for negative numbers and another for positive numbers? Or there's some cases that you can't do that?
Unfortunately the TEXT function doesn't color the cell as number formatting does.
Hi Hui,
Great post Sir, love the new way of formatting with color numbers.
I am using 2007, and it leads me to the last color number 56.
Thanks Hui.
[…] explains how to set up custom number formats with a wide array of […]
Thanks Hui - works a treat!
Thank you, very helpful.
Trying to figure out if it is possible to apply color only to a part of the cell?
E.g. I have a value formatted as Accounting with a currency symbol.
Those I find somewhat distracting though necessary. If I could make them less obtrusive by coloring them gray while the number would stay black, that would be great. Tried tinkering with the format string, but didn't get the desired result. Single color for complete cell value works, but coloring just part of it could not be achieved. Maybe somebody managed that?
Exactly what I was looking for - thank you!
colour in the Australian doesn't work - we have to go American and no problem.
I always thought is was 56 colours notice you have 57. Cool.
thanks
Analir Pisani
Customised Microsoft Office Training Specialist
Sydney - Australia
http://www.azsolutions.com.au
Thank You!