Dashboards and graphing dates

Hello,

I am trying to create a dashboard which includes a graph of the project plan baseline compared to the project's actual completion date. Attached is an image of what this looks like in excel. Is there a way to create the attached graph in a SmartSheet dashboard? SmartSheet is giving me an error stating "Invalid Data: To create a chart, you must use numeric data".

Graphing Dates.JPG

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Alejandra

Hello,

As you've found, date values can't be used as data input for a Chart in Smartsheet (dates can only be used as axis labels).

Charts in Smartsheet can only plot numeric values. You might consider extracting the number of days between your baseline and actual with a NETWORKDAYS formula in your source sheet. More info on the NETWORKDAYS function is available here: https://help.smartsheet.com/function/networkdays

Christopher O'Connor

Alejandra - I'm trying to label my horizontal axis with dates (months) so came across this thread. Can you point me to an answer on how to do this?

Thanks

Genevieve P.

Hi @Christopher O'Connor ,

In order to use dates or other information for your horizontal axis, it would need to be present in a column in your source sheet, next to your data. Then, when you select the data to use for the chart, you would select both the column with your data and the column with the related dates:

Screen Shot 2020-01-15 at 6.44.34 PM.png

Screen Shot 2020-01-15 at 6.44.02 PM.png

Note that because it's a date column, the chart can only present the date in your regional default format. You can read more about the Chart Widget settings in the Help Center (see here).

If that's not what you're looking to do, it would be useful to see a screen capture of the source sheet you want to use for the graph, and more detail of what you want displayed.

Thanks!

Genevieve

sflanag1

Hi @Genevieve P. ,

I'm trying to follow these instructions, but the data is in a report instead of a regular sheet. Is that going to prevent me from pulling the dates into my chart? I would like the dates to show along the bottom.

Genevieve P.

Hi @sflanag1

If you're using a Report, I assume that you have a blank Primary Column included in this Report (since Primary columns are text columns and you want the x-axis to be a date).

For example:

Screen Shot 2022-05-25 at 7.29.32 PM.png

If this is the case, make sure you adjust the Chart Widget to only include the two columns you need, the Date column and the Number column. The Chart will have been trying to use the blank, Primary column as the label:

Screen Shot 2022-05-25 at 7.29.59 PM.png

Let me know if this works for you!

Cheers,

Genevieve

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