Description: The date/time labelling on a chart is so poor that it is un-usable!!! I am currently using LO 6.4.6.2 I am plotting temperature data versus time. I can provide the data file. YES, I have wandered the web to see how to fix it -- no luck! I have also edited chart info with NO change seen. If someone contacts me, I can send the "chart" as a .png file and the calc file!! Steps to Reproduce: 1. Load my data file 2. Make a chart of 5 temps versus time 3. Note AWFUL labelling of x axis (date/time) Actual Results: Awful labelling that is un-usable Expected Results: Useful labelling! Something readable (fewer increments) with rational increments. For example: 10/24/2020 0:00 "" 6:00 "" 12:00 "" 18:00 10/25/2020 0:00 Reproducible: Always User Profile Reset: No Additional Info: Version: 6.4.6.2 Build ID: 0ce51a4fd21bff07a5c061082cc82c5ed232f115 CPU threads: 4; OS: Linux 5.4; UI render: default; VCL: gtk3; Locale: en-US (en_US.UTF-8); UI-Language: en-US Calc: threaded
Created attachment 167006 [details] Plot showing un-usable x-axis labelling
Created attachment 167007 [details] data file with chart that has un-usable x-axis labeling Yes, it is an xls file. I am shipping the data to non-libreoffice people
There are 2 problems 1) The Date column A is not a date/time and hence not numerical data 2) The chart type is "Line chart", which uses 1) as categories and hence there is no way to format the data of the x-axis. To get full control of the format of the data appearing in x-axis you need to: 1) Turn the data in column A into real calc dates/times 2) Use an XY(Scatter) diagram.
Created attachment 167042 [details] Modified Version of the example Please the the attached modified sample file of your data, which implements the changes mentioned in my last comment.
From my perspective not a bug but a usage problem.
(In reply to Uwe Auer from comment #4) > Created attachment 167042 [details] > Modified Version of the example > > Please the the attached modified sample file of your data, which implements > the changes mentioned in my last comment. I am fairly confused! The x-axis of your plot is incorrectly formatted and there is no data plotted??? See attachment! i have tried your suggestions, or at least I thing that I have. The result is not quite correct... I will continue "mucking around" to see if I can figure this out.
Created attachment 167088 [details] Snapshot of modified file This is a snapshot of the file and plot that you sent to me (Ralph Peters). I reference it in my last response
(In reply to Ralph Peters from comment #7) > Created attachment 167088 [details] > Snapshot of modified file > > This is a snapshot of the file and plot that you sent to me (Ralph Peters). > I reference it in my last response Sorry - can't explain what happened to the uploaded sheet. Tyring once more the version which worked form me.
Created attachment 167096 [details] Update of the Modified Version This is the update versions
Created attachment 167101 [details] My bad plot Hi Uwe, Your last attachment/file worked fine!! All looks correct. Now I need to understand how to do what you did! This attachment shows what I get. I can change the format of the x-axis to "Time" but then I get dates starting in 1900; this is not what I see when I inspect x-axis info in your chart. I think (or hope) the difference is that somehow you have set the Format of Column A to BOTH "Date" and "Time" and I cannot figure out how to do that. I can set the Format to EITHER "Date" or "Time". Suggestions? Thanks for your help! Ralph
(In reply to Ralph Peters from comment #10) > Created attachment 167101 [details] > My bad plot > > Hi Uwe, > > Your last attachment/file worked fine!! All looks correct. Now I need to > understand how to do what you did! > > This attachment shows what I get. I can change the format of the x-axis to > "Time" but then I get dates starting in 1900; this is not what I see when I > inspect x-axis info in your chart. > > I think (or hope) the difference is that somehow you have set the Format of > Column A to BOTH "Date" and "Time" and I cannot figure out how to do that. > I can set the Format to EITHER "Date" or "Time". Suggestions? > > Thanks for your help! > Ralph Please understand that this is not a support forum but a bug tracker - please ask your question at ask.libreoffice.org. My comment #3 https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=137991#c3 directed to the problems of your sheet. The dates are not calc dates but text, hence you need to turn the text to date using `Data -> Text To Columns`. The second problem is you are using a Line Chart, which is not the type of chart to be used if both axis contain numerical data. You should use "XY(Scatter)" type chart.
Created attachment 167144 [details] It works Hello Uwe, FIRST, thank you for your help!!! Second, it works! I have been using "x-y scatter chart" since you suggested it. I am not using "Line Chart" You said: "The dates are not calc dates but text, hence you need to turn the text to date using `Data -> Text To Columns`." I tried this and it works! (BTW, this is NOT an obvious fix, at least to me!) I have attached my current result. Yes, I understand that this is a bug-tracker and not a "help" column. I looked through various sites, including AskLibreOffice, tried their suggestions and made little progress. IF YOU ARE WILLING, I have a comment for your consideration. I would suggest that there is a software problem (or maybe "bug") in the sense that it was difficult for me to plot simple values versus date/time. I am not a newbie with no experience writing software for myself AND for others. My first FORTRAN program was written in 1970 and I wrote software for myself and others for 30+ years at Sandia National Laboratories. This included software to interactively and/or automatically convert "scanner" data into 3D models for use by automated machinery (robots). I always welcomed questions from my users as they helped me make my software better. Many times they identified bugs, but sometimes it was just poor "communication" on my part. Thanks again for your help!! Ralph Peters
(In reply to Ralph Peters from comment #12) > Created attachment 167144 [details] > ..............(BTW, this is NOT an obvious fix, at least to > me!) > This is **not** meant as a fix but a hint about correct usage of dates. It is a common misuse/misunderstanding of dates being text and not a calc date in the sense of the OASIS standard, which is a date being (and stored as) an integer number counting the days since a certain reference day (which in case of calc is 1899-12-30 as day 0). Your original file contained text and in this case it will be treated as a **category** labeled with text **looking** like a date, but it is the same type of category like *red*,*blue*,.... items are to be categorized.
(In reply to Ralph Peters from comment #12) > Created attachment 167144 [details] > It works > > I would suggest that there is a software problem (or maybe "bug") in the > sense that it was difficult for me to plot simple values versus date/time. > Feel free to file an enhancement request (but this report is not a bug and it is not an outline of how you expect the enhancement to work). But to be honest: I can't see how the improper usage in this case could be avoided by means of the software.
Yes, "fixing" the "problem" would require some software work and may add other problems. In my case, my problems disappeared IF I make one slight change when importing the data from the CSV data files. During import, I need to change the date-time column's "Column type" from "Standard" to "Date(YMD)" THEN, almost all of my problems disappear and it is straightforward to do the rest and get a nice plot. So, detecting that "Standard" might not be correct for the date-time column and informing the user may help. I would imagine that there is at least entry on this CSV import topic in AskLibreOffice, but I did not see it. Thanks again, Ralph Peters