Data, Charts and Spreadsheets Chart Editing Manual
Downloading and Opening a Workbook
Using the link “Download Excel Workbook” your browser will invite you either to save or open the workbook. While saving, you may change the workbook’s name.
When opening the workbook, Excel will warn you of the presence of macros. This is a security issue which you should take seriously whenever given a workbook with macros over the internet.
There are two options for proceeding:
Disable Macros. If you have concerns about what our macros are going to do, you can disable them on first opening and inspect them. The macro code is fairly short and straightforward: It send requests to our servers to register and request updates when you ask for them, and they insert the downloaded data into the workbook.)
With macros disabled you will still be able to see and access the data and charts on the page, but you will not be able to use the chart date range modifiers, or load updates.
Enable Macros. Once happy with the safety of our macros, and you wish to try out our update functions, you should select this option.
Initializing and Updating
With macros enabled, click the Initialize button. This sets certain parameters, and registers the workbook with our servers.
You can now call for data updates by clicking the “Check for Updates” button.
Data Updates for your series may not come out for a while, so you are likely to be informed that there is no new data. But, you can download the same data – which is useful if you have corrupted or lost the original data.
When new data is available, you will see the columns of data change, and the chart update.
Debug Info
When initializing, checking and downloading, various small alert dialog boxes will appear with some debug information along the lines of “4 Rows Returned”. Please ignore those.
Data Columns
On the left of the sheet you will set a set of columns,
X-Labels are the systems attempt at providing you with useful X-axis labeling.
Date is the set of dates initially requested for the chart.
The remaining columns are the series data. Each series is given the Label ID it had on the Chart Editor.
Series Descriptions
The details of the series are shown in the top-right (currently in garish yellow). The Release and Published information will change with any updates downloaded.
Chart
Above the chart, there are two drop downs which allow you to choose the start and end dates to display.
Feel free to improve the formatting of the chart itself. Any changes will not be lost on data update.
The aim is to provide a starting chart which you can customize to your desired look. That look will be retained as data updates simply provide new data.