1.235 FAQ-1007 How do I label data points in a plot with text or numeric values from other columns?

Last Update: 5/9/2019

User Story: You have a worksheet with many columns, including columns of text or numeric values that you want to use to label your plot. This usually involves some repeating pattern in your worksheet data such as XYXYXY or XYLYLYL (where "L" = Label).

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One easy solution is to select the entire worksheet, then use a shortcut menu command or the coldesig dialog box to define a repeating pattern in terms of X, Y, and L.

When this is not convenient -- for instance, you may not want to preset your column designations because it will interfere with something else that you plan to do with this data -- there is another solution. This involves using the Plot Details Label tab's Label Form and Format String controls. By setting Label Form to Custom and then entering a custom Format String, you can designate your label columns without having to preset column designation.

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For help with syntax and notation used in labeling plots, click the "details" link in the popup hint or go to this page in the LabTalk User Guide.


Keywords:label, annotate, column designations,