After you have created your chart, you may decide that you need to use more or less data. Perhaps you want to exclude a month or quarter of data, or to add another region or salesperson. To add or remove a data series, you can simply edit the datasheet. To do so, follow these steps:

1. On the Chart Tools Design tab, click Edit Data. The Excel datasheet appears. A blue outline appears around the range that is to be plotted.
2. (Optional) To change the data range to be plotted, drag the bottom-right corner of the blue outline. For example, in Figure 23-33, the West division is being excluded. You can also enlarge the data range by expanding the blue outline. For example, you could enter another series in column E in Figure 23-33 and then extend the outline to encompass column E.

FIGURE 23-33
You can redefine the range for the chart by dragging the blue outline on the datasheet.

The preceding steps work well if the range that you want to include is contiguous, but what if you wanted to exclude a row or column that is in the middle of the range? To define the range more precisely, follow these steps:

1. On the Chart Tools Design tab, click Select Data. The Select Data Source dialog box opens, along with the Excel datasheet, as shown in Figure 23-34.
2. Do any of the following:
   • To remove a series, select it from the Legend Entries (Series) list and click Remove.
   • To add a series, click Add, and then drag across the range on the datasheet to enter it into the Edit Series dialog box; then click OK to accept it.
   • To edit a series, select it in the Legend Entries (Series) list and click Edit. Then drag across the range or make a change in the Edit Series dialog box, and click OK.

     FIGURE 23-34
     To fine-tune the data ranges, you can use the Select Data Source dialog box.
     

3. (Optional) To redefine the range from which to pull the horizontal axis labels, click the Edit button in the Horizontal (Category) Axis Labels section. A dotted outline appears around the current range; drag to redefine that range and click OK.
4. (Optional) To redefine how empty or hidden cells should be treated, click the Hidden and Empty Cells button. In the Hidden and Empty Cell Settings dialog box that appears, choose whether to show data in hidden rows and columns, and whether to define empty cells as gaps in the chart or as zero values. Then click OK. The Hidden and Empty Cells Settings dialog box is shown in Figure 23-35.

   FIGURE 23-35
   Specify what should happen when the data range contains blank or hidden cells.
   

5. When you are finished editing the settings for the data ranges, click OK to close the Select Data Source dialog box.
6. (Optional) Close the Excel datasheet window, or leave it open for later reference.

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