Chart creating dynamically. in .net, c#

Question

Does anybody have some experience working with charts in .NET? Specially I want to create them programmatically.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Windows.Forms.DataVisualization.Charting;
using System.Diagnostics;

namespace WindowsFormsApplication6
{
  public partial class Form1 : Form
  {
    public Form1()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
    }

    private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        Random rnd = new Random();
        Chart mych = new Chart();
        mych.Series.Add("duck");

        mych.Series["duck"].SetDefault(true);
        mych.Series["duck"].Enabled = true;
        mych.Visible = true;

        for (int q = 0; q < 10; q++)
        {
            int first = rnd.Next(0,10);
            int second = rnd.Next(0,10);
            mych.Series["duck"].Points.AddXY(first, second);
            Debug.WriteLine(first + "  " + second);
        }
        mych.Show();
        Controls.Add(mych);
        mych.Show();
    }
  }
}

I'm trying to use .NET (.net 4, Visual Studio 2010) chart, but the random generated data set, doesn't appear. The chart remained blank. I searched for examples and only found ones like this , and, yes with manual "drag" method it works. I have no idea why the data I programmatically generate doesn't appear.

I like this https://github.com/beto-rodriguez/Live-Charts – bto.rdz Nov 29 '15 at 18:42 — bto.rdz, Nov 29 '15 at 18:42

score 65 · Accepted Answer · edited Sep 04 '12 at 03:33

Yep.

// FakeChart.cs
// ------------------------------------------------------------------
//
// A Winforms app that produces a contrived chart using
// DataVisualization (MSChart).  Requires .net 4.0.
//
// Author: Dino
//
// ------------------------------------------------------------------
//
// compile: \net4.0\csc.exe /t:winexe /debug+ /R:\net4.0\System.Windows.Forms.DataVisualization.dll FakeChart.cs
//

using System;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Windows.Forms.DataVisualization.Charting;


namespace Dino.Tools.WebMonitor
{
    public class FakeChartForm1 : Form
    {
        private System.ComponentModel.IContainer components = null;
        System.Windows.Forms.DataVisualization.Charting.Chart chart1;

        public FakeChartForm1 ()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        private double f(int i)
        {
            var f1 = 59894 - (8128 * i) + (262 * i * i) - (1.6 * i * i * i);
            return f1;
        }

        private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            chart1.Series.Clear();
            var series1 = new System.Windows.Forms.DataVisualization.Charting.Series
            {
                Name = "Series1",
                Color = System.Drawing.Color.Green,
                IsVisibleInLegend = false,
                IsXValueIndexed = true,
                ChartType = SeriesChartType.Line
            };

            this.chart1.Series.Add(series1);

            for (int i=0; i < 100; i++)
            {
                series1.Points.AddXY(i, f(i));
            }
            chart1.Invalidate();
        }

        protected override void Dispose(bool disposing)
        {
            if (disposing && (components != null))
            {
                components.Dispose();
            }
            base.Dispose(disposing);
        }

        private void InitializeComponent()
        {
            this.components = new System.ComponentModel.Container();
            System.Windows.Forms.DataVisualization.Charting.ChartArea chartArea1 = new System.Windows.Forms.DataVisualization.Charting.ChartArea();
            System.Windows.Forms.DataVisualization.Charting.Legend legend1 = new System.Windows.Forms.DataVisualization.Charting.Legend();
            this.chart1 = new System.Windows.Forms.DataVisualization.Charting.Chart();
            ((System.ComponentModel.ISupportInitialize)(this.chart1)).BeginInit();
            this.SuspendLayout();
            //
            // chart1
            //
            chartArea1.Name = "ChartArea1";
            this.chart1.ChartAreas.Add(chartArea1);
            this.chart1.Dock = System.Windows.Forms.DockStyle.Fill;
            legend1.Name = "Legend1";
            this.chart1.Legends.Add(legend1);
            this.chart1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(0, 50);
            this.chart1.Name = "chart1";
            // this.chart1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(284, 212);
            this.chart1.TabIndex = 0;
            this.chart1.Text = "chart1";
            //
            // Form1
            //
            this.AutoScaleDimensions = new System.Drawing.SizeF(6F, 13F);
            this.AutoScaleMode = System.Windows.Forms.AutoScaleMode.Font;
            this.ClientSize = new System.Drawing.Size(284, 262);
            this.Controls.Add(this.chart1);
            this.Name = "Form1";
            this.Text = "FakeChart";
            this.Load += new System.EventHandler(this.Form1_Load);
            ((System.ComponentModel.ISupportInitialize)(this.chart1)).EndInit();
            this.ResumeLayout(false);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// The main entry point for the application.
        /// </summary>
        [STAThread]
        static void Main()
        {
            Application.EnableVisualStyles();
            Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);
            Application.Run(new FakeChartForm1());
        }
    }
}

UI:

enter image description here

Thank you! I'm trying to find out, witch was to problem with my code. Is great that finally i have a working example. And google, finds, basically nothing, like this. — KilyenOrs, May 16 '12 at 18:25
For anyone searching on this, you have to replace components inside of program.cs and form1.designer.cs as this code isn't meant to be incorporated within another application as a default. Next I will try and figure that part out. — Bbb, Jan 27 '20 at 16:20
That's an ugly double vertical line at the vertical axis. I suggest setting `chart.ChartAreas[0].AxisX.IsMarginVisible = false` — Wyck, Mar 11 '20 at 02:35

score 7 · Answer 2 · answered May 16 '12 at 20:25

7

Microsoft has a nice chart control. Download it here. Great video on this here. Example code is here. Happy coding!

answered May 16 '12 at 20:25

Emmie Lewis-Briggman

855
4
12

2

A good link. Note it is for .NET 3.5. .NET 4+ has the new Chart class in [System.Windows.Forms.DataVisualization.Charting](http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.windows.forms.datavisualization.charting.chart.aspx). – Oct 31 '13 at 05:02

score 6 · Answer 3 · edited Dec 16 '13 at 17:51

Add a reference to System.Windows.Form.DataVisualization, then add the appropriate using statement:

using System.Windows.Forms.DataVisualization.Charting;

private void CreateChart()
{
    var series = new Series("Finance");

    // Frist parameter is X-Axis and Second is Collection of Y- Axis
    series.Points.DataBindXY(new[] { 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 }, new[] { 100, 200, 90, 150 });
    chart1.Series.Add(series);

}

score 6 · Answer 4 · edited Apr 06 '14 at 16:47

6

Try to include these lines on your code, after mych.Visible = true;:

ChartArea chA = new ChartArea();
mych.ChartAreas.Add(chA);

edited Apr 06 '14 at 16:47

Sanoob

2,466
4
30
38

answered Apr 06 '14 at 16:19

user3503997

61
1
1

This should be the accepted answer: the currently accepted one was actually using the 'manually drag and drop' way, not a real 'dynamicly created chart' as required by the question. – Edward Zhang Sep 05 '20 at 09:31
This was the answer for me too – amr osama Jun 26 '21 at 16:40

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered May 16 '12 at 18:16

You need to attach the Form1_Load handler to the Load event:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Windows.Forms.DataVisualization.Charting;
using System.Diagnostics;

namespace WindowsFormsApplication6
{
    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
            Load += Form1_Load;
        }

        private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            Random rnd = new Random();
            Chart mych = new Chart();
            mych.Height = 100;
            mych.Width = 100;
            mych.BackColor = SystemColors.Highlight;
            mych.Series.Add("duck");

            mych.Series["duck"].SetDefault(true);
            mych.Series["duck"].Enabled = true;
            mych.Visible = true;

            for (int q = 0; q < 10; q++)
            {
                int first = rnd.Next(0, 10);
                int second = rnd.Next(0, 10);
                mych.Series["duck"].Points.AddXY(first, second);
                Debug.WriteLine(first + "  " + second);
            }

            Controls.Add(mych);
        }
    }
}

probably i'm the nob one, but only blank chart appears without data (with the exact code you wrote) It's possible that this is one of my mistakes, but not the only one for sure. Thanks for helping anyway. — KilyenOrs, May 16 '12 at 18:46

Chart creating dynamically. in .net, c#

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