Q147803: HOWTO: Dynamically Create Excel 5.0 Charts in OLE 2.0 Control
Article: Q147803
Product(s): Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows
Version(s): WINDOWS:4.0,5.0
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s): kbprogramming kbtool kb16bitonly kbVBp400
Last Modified: 11-JAN-2001
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The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Visual Basic Standard Edition for Windows, version 4.0
- Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows, version 4.0
- Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows, version 4.0
- Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 5.0
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SUMMARY
=======
This article demonstrates how to create new Excel 5.0 charts at run-time to be
displayed in the Visual Basic OLE 2.0 container control.
MORE INFORMATION
================
The Visual Basic OLE container control can be used to embed new OLE objects at
run-time. One of the objects that you can embed is an Excel chart. It is
basically a four-step process:
1. To embed a new chart into the OLE control, set the Class property to
Excel.Chart or Excel.Chart.5. Both classes (Excel.Chart and Excel.Chart.5)
are for Excel charts. But Excel.Chart.5 is version dependent; it specifies an
Excel version 5.0 chart object.
2. Create the object by setting the Action property to OLE_CREATE_EMBED. This
embeds a default chart (Chart1) from Excel into the OLE control. The chart
(Chart1) is part of a default workbook (Book1) that also contains a default
worksheet (Sheet1) to provide data for the chart.
3. Set object variables to reference the Excel objects you need to manipulate
the chart through OLE Automation. This will make your code smaller and easier
to understand.
4. Call the ChartWizard Method to format the chart.
Setting Object Variables to Reference Excel Objects
---------------------------------------------------
The OLE control provides the Object property to allow you to refer to the object
you created. For example, the following code creates and embeds a chart into the
OLE control and then sets the title:
Const OLE_CREATE_EMBED = 0
Ole1.Class = "Excel.Chart.5"
Ole1.Action = OLE_CREATE_EMBED
Ole1.Object.HasTitle = 1
Ole1.Object.ChartTitle.Caption = "Expenses"
You could navigate from the Object property all the time, but it would be
cumbersome. To make it easier, you can set object variables to reference the
objects you want. Here is a modified version of the previous example with object
variables:
Const OLE_CREATE_EMBED = 0
Dim objChart as Object
Dim objChartTitle as Object
Ole1.Class = "Excel.Chart.5"
Ole1.Action = OLE_CREATE_EMBED
Set objChart = Ole1.Object
Set objChartTitle = Ole1.Object.ChartTitle
objChart.HasTitle = 1
objChartTitle.Caption = "Expenses"
The example shown at the end of this article uses three object variables:
- One referring to the chart.
- One referring to the worksheet.
- One referring to the application object.
Calling the ChartWizard Method to Format a Chart
------------------------------------------------
To format a chart quickly, Excel provides the ChartWizard method. With one call
to the ChartWizard method, you can create a chart in one of many predefined
formats. The example uses this method, but you could also use direct object
manipulation of the chart.
Before you can call the ChartWizard method, the worksheet needs to be filled with
the proper data. The example creates random data. Most of the time you will be
using more meaningful data that you can manipulate with Excel. In the example,
the xlRows orientation is used with 1 row for category labels and one column for
series labels. Here is a diagram showing how the data is put into the
worksheet:
-----------------------------------------------------------
| | Category 1 Label | Category 2 Label |
-----------------------------------------------------------
| Series 1 Label | Data Value | Data Value |
-----------------------------------------------------------
| Series 2 Label | Data Value | Data Value |
-----------------------------------------------------------
| | | |
Once the data (including labels) has been added to the worksheet, you pass the
entire range to the ChartWizard method along with the other formatting
parameters.
ChartWizard Syntax, Parameters, and Descriptions
------------------------------------------------
SYNTAX:
Object.ChartWizard(Source, Gallery, Format, PlotBy, CategoryLabels, SeriesLabels,
HasLegend, Title, CategoryTitle, ValueTitle, ExtraTitle)
Parameter Description
-------------- -------------------------------------------------
Object The Chart object.
Source Specifies range that contains source data for the chart.
Gallery Specifies chart type (see constants in example.)
Format Specifies built-in autoformat.
PlotBy Specifies orientation of the data (xlRows or xlColumns.)
CategoryLabels The number of rows or columns containing category labels.
SeriesLabels The number of rows or columns containing series labels.
HasLegend Specifies if chart has a legend.
Title The title text of the chart.
CategoryTitle Category axis title text.
ValueTitle Value axis title text.
ExtraTitle Additional axis title text for some charts.
The parameters that are most important to the ChartWizard method are:
- PlotBy
- CategoryLabels
- SeriesLabels
These parameters either determine how your data is going to be set up, or they
are initialized to fit the data you have.
To determine the Gallery and Format parameters, you may want to modify the
example. Also, you could record the use of the ChartWizard in Excel and see what
parameters are used.
All that is left after calling the ChartWizard method is closing the application
and object references.
Step-by-Step Example
--------------------
1. Start a new project in Visual Basic. Form1 is created by default.
2. Add an OLE 2.0 control to Form1, and choose the Cancel button on the Insert
Object dialog.
3. Add a CommandButton (Command1) to Form1.
4. Put the following code in the CommandButton click event.
Private Sub cmdPrint_Click()
Me.PrintForm
End Sub
Private Sub cmdQ147803_Click()
' Excel chart constants (ODK 1.0 XLCONST.BAS or MsgBox
' in Excel):
Const xlArea = 1
Const xlBar = 2
Const xlColumn = 3
Const xlLine = 4
Const xlPie = 5
Const xlRadar = -4151
Const xlXYScatter = -4169
Const xlCombination = -4111
Const xl3DArea = -4098
Const xl3DBar = -4099
Const xl3DColumn = -4100
Const xl3DLine = -4101
Const xl3DPie = -4102
Const xl3DSurface = -4103
Const xlDoughnut = -4120
' Excel orientation constants:
Const xlRows = 1
Const xlColumns = 2
Dim objChart As Object 'Object reference to Excel
'Chart
Dim objXL As Object 'Object reference for Excel
App
Dim objSheet As Object 'Object reference to Excel
'Worksheet
Dim iRow As Integer 'Index variable for the
'current Row
Dim iCol As Integer 'Index variable for the
'current Row
Dim cRows As Integer 'Number of rows
Dim cCols As Integer 'Number of Columns
Dim cwSource As String 'Named Range
Static cwGallery(15) As Integer 'Array for Chart types
Static iGallery As Integer 'Index for Chart type array
Dim cwFormat As Integer 'Format of Chart type
Dim cwPlotBy As Integer 'How data is taken from
'Worksheet
Dim cwCategoryLabels As Integer 'Rows/Cols with Catagory
'labels
Dim cwSeriesLabels As Integer 'Rows/Cols with Catagory
'Labels
Dim cwHasLegend As Integer 'Display Legend
Dim cwTitle As String 'Chart Title
Dim cwCategoryTitle As String 'Category Title
Dim cwValueTitle As String 'Value Title
Dim cwExtraTitle As String 'Extra Title for some Charts
'disable this button
cmdQ147803.Enabled = False
' Fill in array with possible Chart types:
cwGallery(1) = xlArea
cwGallery(2) = xlBar
cwGallery(3) = xlColumn
cwGallery(4) = xlLine
cwGallery(5) = xlPie
cwGallery(6) = xlRadar
cwGallery(7) = xlXYScatter
cwGallery(8) = xlCombination
cwGallery(9) = xl3DArea
cwGallery(10) = xl3DBar
cwGallery(11) = xl3DColumn
cwGallery(12) = xl3DLine
cwGallery(13) = xl3DPie
cwGallery(14) = xl3DSurface
cwGallery(15) = xlDoughnut
' Embed a new Excel 5.0 Chart into the OLE control:
OLE1.CreateEmbed "", "Excel.Chart.5"
'BEGIN FIX FOR DIFFERING OBJECT MODELS BETWEEN VERSIONS 7 & 8
' Set object references to Chart, Worksheet, and Application
'objects:
If Left(OLE1.object.Application.Version, 1) = "7" Then
'Excel 95's object model is different from Excel 97's
Set objChart = OLE1.object ' Chart1 default chart
Else 'assume all future excel object models are going to be
'the same
Set objChart = OLE1.object.ActiveChart 'ole1.object is in
'Excel 97 the workbook
End If
Set objSheet = objChart.Parent.Worksheets(1) ' Sheet1 default
' data
Set objXL = objChart.Application
'END FIX
' Set the number of columns and rows used for data:
cCols = 10
cRows = 3
' Create Series Labels on Worksheet:
For iRow = 1 To cRows
objSheet.Cells(iRow + 1, 1).Value = "SL" & iRow
Next
' Create Category Labels on Worksheet:
For iCol = 1 To cCols
objSheet.Cells(1, iCol + 1).Value = "CL" & iCol
Next
'exiting here leaves the default chart drawn with sample data
' Create random data on Worksheet:
Randomize Timer
For iRow = 1 To cRows
For iCol = 1 To cCols
objSheet.Cells(iRow + 1, iCol + 1).Value = _
Int(Rnd * 50) + 1
Next iCol
Next iRow
' Name the Range containing the previously added data:
objSheet.Range(objSheet.Cells(1, 1), objSheet.Cells(cRows + _
1, cCols + 1)).Name = "ChartDataRange"
'objSheet.Range(objSheet.Cells(1, 1), objSheet.Cells(cRows + _
1, cCols + 1)).Clear
' Set the ChartWizard parameters:
cwSource = "ChartDataRange" 'Name of Named Range
iGallery = iGallery Mod 15 + 1 'Iterate through 15 Chart
'types
cwFormat = 1 'Use default format of Chart
'Type
cwPlotBy = xlRows 'Rows = Series orientation
cwCategoryLabels = 1 '1 Row contains Category
'Labels
cwSeriesLabels = 1 '1 Column contains Series
'Labels
cwHasLegend = 1 'Display the Legend
cwTitle = "Embedded Chart" 'Chart Title
cwCategoryTitle = "Categories" 'Category Title
cwValueTitle = "Values" 'Value Title
cwExtraTitle = "Extras" 'Extra Title
' Use the ChartWizard method to fill in the Chart:
objChart.ChartWizard cwSource, cwGallery(iGallery), cwFormat,
cwPlotBy, cwCategoryLabels, cwSeriesLabels, cwHasLegend,
cwTitle,cwCategoryTitle, cwValueTitle, cwExtraTitle
' Shut Down Excel and erase objects:
Set objXL = Nothing
Set objChart = Nothing
Set objSheet = Nothing
'enable this button
cmdQ147803.Enabled = True
End Sub
Private Sub cmdXLView_Click()
OLE1.DoVerb vbOLEOpen
End Sub
5. Save the project.
6. Run the program, and click the Command1 button. The first chart should be
created.
7. Keep clicking the Command1 button to cycle through the 15 Gallery chart types
of Format 1.
Notes
-----
- To modify a chart in the OLE control, you must activate the control by first
setting the Verb property to "-1" (without the quotation marks) (Edit) and
then setting the Action property to "7" (without the quotation marks)
(OLE_ACTIVATE). Then the Object property will refer to an active object.
- The example uses Format 1 with the ChartWizard method. You may want to
experiment with other values.
- After using the ChartWizard method, you can still use objects, methods, and
properties of the Chart object to modify it.
- Users will be able to edit the chart by double-clicking the OLE control or by
clicking the right mouse button and choosing Edit from the pop-up menu. You
can eliminate this ability by setting the AutoActivate and AutoVerbMenu
properties of the OLE control.
Additional query words:
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Keywords : kbprogramming kbtool kb16bitonly kbVBp400
Technology : kbVBSearch kbExcelSearch kbAudDeveloper kbZNotKeyword6 kbExcel500 kbZNotKeyword2 kbVB400Search kbVB400
Version : WINDOWS:4.0,5.0
Issue type : kbhowto
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