Crosstab Query Contains <> Column

[rfear]

I have constructed a crosstab query in order to populate a stacked column chart.

Everything is fine except the crosstab query seems to contain an extra blank column with the header <>. This is therefore appearing in the chart when I don't want it to.

As the crosstab query is itself based on a select query I think the <> column is a reference to a blank row in the select query.

The blank row in the select query is itself the "new record" row from the underlying table.

Whether significant or not one of the data types is an autonumber.

To solve my problem I think I need to find a criteria to use in the select query that would exclude the new record row. I've tried to use the autonumber field but various "is null" "is not null" <>"" statements don't seem to work.

I basically want to include all populated rows but exclude the blank "new record" row.

 

[rfear]

Not so much solved my own problem as dug a bit deeper and found what seems to be the real issue - and it's nothing to do with <autonumber>.

I am trying to use a stacked column chart to display a stage-gate process. There are 5 stages to this process and numerous projects that can only be in one stage at any one time. There is no guarantee of a stage having a project but I still need to chart the process from start to finish.

I've set up 2 tables. The first with the 5 stage names and the second with the project data ( including what stage the project is at ).

In the crosstab query I link the stages fields between the tables and modify the join property to display all names from the one table and only matching records from the data table.

The problem is that the crosstab query then creates what seems to be a blank column ( <> ) if any stage does not contain any data. It seems to be a querk of this joint type, any other joint type I don't get this problem but then I don't get a complete view of the process.

Any idea how I can stop it creating a blank column or stop this column appearing on my chart ?