Microsoft KB Archive/103512

= Microsoft Knowledge Base =

Excel: Extra Characters Displayed in Pie Chart
Last reviewed: September 12, 1996

Article ID: Q103512

The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 4.0, 4.0a
 * Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 4.0

SUMMARY
In Microsoft Excel, if you create a pie chart, type 7, or a 3-D pie chart, type 7, extra characters will be displayed next to the labels on the chart if they are numbers and if they use a number format that contains the underline ("_") symbol.

WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, do either of the following:

 Convert the first numeric label on the worksheet to text. For example, instead of entering "35" (without the quotation marks), enter "'35" (without the quotation marks). Changing the first numeric label to text will prevent the error from occurring with the remaining numeric labels. -or- Change the number format of the numeric labels to a format that does not contain an underline symbol.

MORE INFORMATION
Type 7 pie and 3-D pie charts display two pieces of information next to each slice of the pie: the value of the slice and the associated label for that slice.

If your labels are numbers and not text, and have been formatted with a number format that contains an underline symbol, the character immediately following the underline symbol in the number format will be displayed to the right of the label on the chart. Text labels are not affected, even if the worksheet cell in which they are located has been formatted with an underline.