XL97: Unable to Create a Transparent Chart Area

In Microsoft Excel 97, if you format the chart area of a chart with a fill pattern of None, the chart appears to be transparent; however, you cannot select the cells behind the chart.

This behavior occurs when the following conditions are met:

• You right-click the chart area of a chart, and then click Format Chart Area on the shortcut menu that appears (or click Format Chart Area on the Chart toolbar). -and-
  
  
• You click the Patterns tab, and then click None under Area.

Formatting the chart area with no fill pattern provides the illusion that the chart area is transparent.

The behavior is by design of Microsoft Excel 97.

This behavior differs from behavior in earlier versions of Microsoft Excel. In earlier versions, if you format the chart area of an embedded chart with no fill pattern, you can access the cells behind the object by clicking them.