You open an Excel file and some cells show #### instead of the value. Here is a quick fix.
- Just make the columns wider
Still not working? Read on…
Even after making the columns wide-enough, sometimes Excel can show ### in cells. This can happen if you have dates in the cells and some of the are negative (or after 31 December year 9,999).
See below demo:
How to fix the problem for negative dates:
Excel cannot process negative dates or dates before year 1900. In most situations, a negative date could be just a formula or data entry error. So go ahead and apply the necessary data adjustments.
Can I show another message if the cell has error?
Sure. You can use IFERROR function in Excel to show an alternative result when the original values is error. To use this:
=IFERROR(your original value or formula, “alternative result”)
For example:
=IFERROR(AVERAGEIFS(A1:A10, B1:B10, “England”), “No result”)
The above formula tries to calculate the average of A1:A10 where B1:B10 is “England”. If there is an error, it will print “No result”.
Learn more about Excel errors:
See these pages to learn more about common errors with Excel.
9 Responses to “Show forecast values in a different color with this simple trick [charting]”
While this works in a pinch, it clearly "lightens" the colors of the entire chart. Depending on where you use this, it will be blatantly obvious that you don't know what you are doing and present a poor looking graph.
Why not separate the data into different segments when charting and have as many colors as you have data points? You might have to create a new legend and/or repeat the chart in "invisible ink", but it would be cleaner and more consistent when new or updated data becomes available.
While I think I agree that doing it "properly" via a second series is preferable, I don't necessarily agree that making the entirety of the "future" (data, gridlines, and even the axis) semi-transparent is "poor looking". I think it could be seen as adding more emphasis to the "future-ness" of the forecast data.
In short, it's another tool for the toolbox, even if it's never needed.
Simply and clever 🙂
Quick & effective, cool. thanks.
I always use the dummy series.
Nice little trick, thanks very much!
Two sets of data better. Control is much better.
You can use the same chart next month to see what is actual and what is forecast.
To use this trick, I think grid lines has to be removed, that will make the graphic much more sharp.
to be honest, i dont understand why there is needed to do this way... in this case horizontal lines will be pale as well. then why a just can't change the color of the line partly???
Great tutorial. Thanks for the tutorial!