Using Advanced Naming Techniques
21
When you move the mouse over a chart, a small chart tip displays the name of the chart
element under the mouse pointer. When the mouse pointer is over a data point, the chart
tip also displays the value of the data point.If you find these chart tips annoying, you can turn them off. Choose File ➪ Options, and select the Advanced tab in
the Excel Options dialog box. Locate the Chart section, and clear either or both the Show Chart Element Names on
Hover or the Show Data Point Values on Hover check boxes.
Some chart elements (such as a series, a legend, and data labels) consist of multiple items.
For example, a chart series element is made up of individual data points. To select a par-
ticular data point, click twice: first click the series to select it, and then click the specific
element within the series (for example, a column or a line chart marker). Selecting the ele-
ment enables you to apply formatting to only a particular data point in a series.You may find that some chart elements are difficult to select with the mouse. If you rely
on the mouse for selecting a chart element, you may have to click it several times before
the desired element is actually selected. Fortunately, Excel provides other ways to select a
chart element, and it’s worth your while to be familiar with them. Keep reading to see how.Selecting with the keyboard
When a chart is active, you can use the up-arrow and down-arrow navigation keys on your
keyboard to cycle among the chart’s elements. Again, keep your eye on the Chart Elements
control to ensure that the selected chart element is what you think it is.■ (^) When a chart series is selected: Use the left-arrow and right-arrow keys to select
an individual item within the series.
■ (^) When a set of data labels is selected: You can select a specific data label by using
the left-arrow or right-arrow key.
■ (^) When a legend is selected: Select individual elements within the legend by using
the left-arrow or right-arrow key.
Selecting with the Chart Elements control
The Chart Elements control is located in the Chart Tools ➪ Format ➪ Current Selection
group. This control displays the name of the currently selected chart element. It’s a drop-
down control, and you can use it to select a particular element in the active chart.
The Chart Elements control also appears in the Mini toolbar, which is displayed when you
right-click a chart element (see Figure 21.2).