How To Link Excel Data with a Graph in Word or PowerPoint

 

By Jim Gordon

Microsoft Macintosh MVP

5/1/2003

 

The following instructions will create a graph that is linked to a range of cells in an Excel workbook.  When the workbookÕs data is changed, the new information in the range of cells will update the graph that is located in Word or PowerPoint.

 

For this example, letÕs start with a simple range of data in an Excel workbook. Type the following into an Excel workbook to follow along with this example:

 

 

Next, save the Excel workbook.

 

Now switch to Word or PowerPoint. Click in the document that you want the graph to appear. In Word, the graph will appear at the blinking cursor position.

 

From the menu choose INSERT then OBJECTÉ

Then choose Microsoft Graph Chart.

 

This will open a default graph in the Microsoft Graph program. You should see a spreadsheet and a small picture of your graph, and the program name in the upper left corner of the screen should be Graph, It should look like this:

 

 

Next, switch to Excel (click the Excel icon in the Dock, use ALT+TAB, or click on any visible part of the Excel workbook if it is visible in the background).

 

In Excel, select (highlight) the data range. Then use Edit > Copy from the menu (or Apple+C). If you have done this correctly, you should see the range selected and Òcrawling antsÓ around the data range.

 

 

Next, switch back to the Graph program (it has its own badge on the Dock). Select (highlight) the sample data range.

 

 

Next, hold the SHIFT key down on the keyboard while you choose EDIT > PASTE LINK on the Graph menu. Click OK to replace the sample data with the linked data from Excel. Your data should now look like this:

 

and the default graph (VIEW > DATASHEET from the menu if you canÕt find the graph) will look like this:

 

You can customize the graph to your liking at this point. Microsoft graph has the same set of tools as the graphs in Excel.

 

From the Graph menu choose QUIT AND RETURN (or Apple+Q) to return to Word or PowerPoint.

 

Save the Word or PowerPoint document, To refresh the graph with the current information from Excel, double-click the graph in Word or PowerPoint. As soon as Microsoft Graph opens it will update the graph with the current information from the Excel workbook from which the graph was created and you can close Graph right away (Apple+Q) to return to your updated document.

 

Caveats:

  1. Setting transparency in Microsoft Graph will cause an unappealing appearance when the graph is shown in Word or PowerPoint, so you might want to avoid using transparency until Apple and Adobe agree on using Level 2 display postscript in Mac OSX.
  2. When you double-click a linked graph, Microsoft Graph will start up Excel if it is not already running. This may take a moment or two.
  3. Take care to note in your Excel workbook that you have linked a chart to the workbook. If you delete the workbook or make it inaccessible then the linked graph will no longer work.

 

The Microsoft Graph object that is embedded in Word or PowerPoint uses a process called Object Linking and Embedding (OLE).