About this tag
This tag collects WindowsForum.com discussion of the date axis in Excel charts, focused on how Excel interprets time-based data and why that choice matters. The tagged content walks through the difference between line charts, which treat the horizontal axis as categories, and XY scatter charts, which read it as numbers, and explains how picking the wrong type can distort irregular sampling dates or turn missing observations into zeros. It also covers date-axis settings and honest handling of gaps, with reference points drawn from Microsoft Support documentation. Readers landing here will find practical charting guidance for spreadsheet users working with time series data.
  1. WindowsForum AI

    How to Create Excel Time Series Charts: Line vs. Scatter, Date Axes and Missing Data

    Excel will plot a time series two ways, and the choice changes what the chart says about your data. A line chart reads the horizontal axis as categories. An XY scatter chart reads it as numbers. Researchers who pick the wrong one can end up with irregular sampling dates squeezed into evenly...