How to Create Charts in a Presentation

A new Aspose.Slides for .NET API has been released and now this single product supports the capability to generate PowerPoint documents from scratch and editing the existing ones.

Support for Legacy code

In order to use the legacy code developed with Aspose.Slides for .NET versions earlier to 13.x, you need to make some minor changes in your code and the code will work as earlier. All the classes that were present in old Aspose.Slides for .NET under Aspose.Slide and Aspose.Slides.Pptx namespaces are now merged in single Aspose.Slides namespace. Please take a look over the following simple code snippet for creating a normal chart from scratch in presentation using legacy Aspose.Slides API and follow the steps describing how to migrate to new merged API.

Legacy Aspose.Slides for .NET approach

//Instantiate PresentationEx class that represents PPTX file
using (PresentationEx pres = new PresentationEx())
{
	//Access first slide
	SlideEx sld = pres.Slides[0];

	// Add chart with default data
	ChartEx chart = sld.Shapes.AddChart(ChartTypeEx.ClusteredColumn, 0, 0, 500, 500);

	//Setting chart Title
	chart.ChartTitle.Text.Text = "Sample Title";
	chart.ChartTitle.Text.CenterText = true;
	chart.ChartTitle.Height = 20;
	chart.HasTitle = true;

	//Set first series to Show Values
	chart.ChartData.Series[0].Labels.ShowValue = true;

	//Setting the index of chart data sheet 
	int defaultWorksheetIndex = 0;

	//Getting the chart data worksheet
	ChartDataCellFactory fact = chart.ChartData.ChartDataCellFactory;

	//Delete default generated series and categories
	chart.ChartData.Series.Clear();
	chart.ChartData.Categories.Clear();
	int s = chart.ChartData.Series.Count;
	s = chart.ChartData.Categories.Count;

	//Adding new series
	chart.ChartData.Series.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 0, 1, "Series 1"), chart.Type);
	chart.ChartData.Series.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 0, 2, "Series 2"), chart.Type);

	//Adding new categories
	chart.ChartData.Categories.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 1, 0, "Caetegoty 1"));
	chart.ChartData.Categories.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 2, 0, "Caetegoty 2"));
	chart.ChartData.Categories.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 3, 0, "Caetegoty 3"));

	//Take first chart series
	ChartSeriesEx series = chart.ChartData.Series[0];

	//Now populating series data
	series.Values.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 1, 1, 20));
	series.Values.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 2, 1, 50));
	series.Values.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 3, 1, 30));

	//Setting fill color for series
	series.Format.Fill.FillType = FillTypeEx.Solid;
	series.Format.Fill.SolidFillColor.Color = Color.Red;


	//Take second chart series
	series = chart.ChartData.Series[1];

	//Now populating series data
	series.Values.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 1, 2, 30));
	series.Values.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 2, 2, 10));
	series.Values.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 3, 2, 60));

	//Setting fill color for series
	series.Format.Fill.FillType = FillTypeEx.Solid;
	series.Format.Fill.SolidFillColor.Color = Color.Green;


	//create custom labels for each of categories for new series

	//first label will be show Category name
	DataLabelEx lbl = new DataLabelEx(series);
	lbl.ShowCategoryName = true;
	lbl.Id = 0;
	series.Labels.Add(lbl);

	//Show series name for second label
	lbl = new DataLabelEx(series);
	lbl.ShowSeriesName = true;
	lbl.Id = 1;
	series.Labels.Add(lbl);

	//Show value for third label
	lbl = new DataLabelEx(series);
	lbl.ShowValue = true;
	lbl.ShowSeriesName = true;
	lbl.Separator = "/";
	lbl.Id = 2;
	series.Labels.Add(lbl);

	//Show value and custom text
	lbl = new DataLabelEx(series);
	lbl.TextFrame.Text = "My text";
	lbl.Id = 3;
	series.Labels.Add(lbl);

	//Save presentation with chart
	pres.Write(@"D:\AsposeChart.pptx");
}

New Aspose.Slides for .NET 13.x approach

//Instantiate Presentation class that represents PPTX file//Instantiate Presentation class that represents PPTX file
Presentation pres = new Presentation();

//Access first slide
ISlide sld = pres.Slides[0];

// Add chart with default data
IChart chart = sld.Shapes.AddChart(ChartType.ClusteredColumn, 0, 0, 500, 500);

//Setting chart Title
//chart.ChartTitle.TextFrameForOverriding.Text = "Sample Title";
chart.ChartTitle.AddTextFrameForOverriding("Sample Title");
chart.ChartTitle.TextFrameForOverriding.TextFrameFormat.CenterText = NullableBool.True;
chart.ChartTitle.Height = 20;
chart.HasTitle = true;

//Set first series to Show Values
chart.ChartData.Series[0].Labels.DefaultDataLabelFormat.ShowValue = true;

//Setting the index of chart data sheet
int defaultWorksheetIndex = 0;

//Getting the chart data worksheet
IChartDataWorkbook fact = chart.ChartData.ChartDataWorkbook;

//Delete default generated series and categories
chart.ChartData.Series.Clear();
chart.ChartData.Categories.Clear();
int s = chart.ChartData.Series.Count;
s = chart.ChartData.Categories.Count;

//Adding new series
chart.ChartData.Series.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 0, 1, "Series 1"), chart.Type);
chart.ChartData.Series.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 0, 2, "Series 2"), chart.Type);

//Adding new categories
chart.ChartData.Categories.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 1, 0, "Caetegoty 1"));
chart.ChartData.Categories.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 2, 0, "Caetegoty 2"));
chart.ChartData.Categories.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 3, 0, "Caetegoty 3"));

//Take first chart series
IChartSeries series = chart.ChartData.Series[0];

//Now populating series data

series.DataPoints.AddDataPointForBarSeries(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 1, 1, 20));
series.DataPoints.AddDataPointForBarSeries(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 2, 1, 50));
series.DataPoints.AddDataPointForBarSeries(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 3, 1, 30));

//Setting fill color for series
series.Format.Fill.FillType = FillType.Solid;
series.Format.Fill.SolidFillColor.Color = Color.Red;


//Take second chart series
series = chart.ChartData.Series[1];

//Now populating series data
series.DataPoints.AddDataPointForBarSeries(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 1, 2, 30));
series.DataPoints.AddDataPointForBarSeries(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 2, 2, 10));
series.DataPoints.AddDataPointForBarSeries(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 3, 2, 60));

//Setting fill color for series
series.Format.Fill.FillType = FillType.Solid;
series.Format.Fill.SolidFillColor.Color = Color.Green;


//create custom labels for each of categories for new series

//first label will be show Category name
IDataLabel lbl = series.DataPoints[0].Label;
lbl.DataLabelFormat.ShowCategoryName = true;

lbl = series.DataPoints[1].Label;
lbl.DataLabelFormat.ShowSeriesName = true;

//Show value for third label
lbl = series.DataPoints[2].Label;
lbl.DataLabelFormat.ShowValue = true;
lbl.DataLabelFormat.ShowSeriesName = true;
lbl.DataLabelFormat.Separator = "/";

//Save presentation with chart
pres.Save("AsposeChart.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx);

Please take a look over the following simple code snippet for creating a scatterd chart from scratch in presentation using legacy Aspose.Slides API and how to achieve it with new merged API.

Legacy Aspose.Slides for .NET approach

using (PresentationEx pres = new PresentationEx())
{
    SlideEx slide = pres.Slides[0];

    //Creating the default chart
    ChartEx chart = slide.Shapes.AddChart(ChartTypeEx.ScatterWithSmoothLines, 0, 0, 400, 400);

    //Getting the default chart data worksheet index
    int defaultWorksheetIndex = 0;

    //Accessing the chart data worksheet
    ChartDataCellFactory fact = chart.ChartData.ChartDataCellFactory;

    //Delete demo series
    chart.ChartData.Series.Clear();

    //Add new series
    chart.ChartData.Series.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 1, 1, "Series 1"), chart.Type);
    chart.ChartData.Series.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 1, 3, "Series 2"), chart.Type);

    //Take first chart series
    ChartSeriesEx series = chart.ChartData.Series[0];

    //Add new point (1:3) there.
    series.XValues.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 2, 1, 1));
    series.YValues.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 2, 2, 3));

    //Add new point (2:10)
    series.XValues.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 3, 1, 2));
    series.YValues.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 3, 2, 10));

    //Edit the type of series
    series.Type = ChartTypeEx.ScatterWithStraightLinesAndMarkers;

    //Changing the chart series marker
    series.MarkerSize = 10;
    series.MarkerSymbol = MarkerStyleTypeEx.Star;

    //Take second chart series
    series = chart.ChartData.Series[1];

    //Add new point (5:2) there.
    series.XValues.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 2, 3, 5));
    series.YValues.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 2, 4, 2));

    //Add new point (3:1)
    series.XValues.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 3, 3, 3));
    series.YValues.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 3, 4, 1));

    //Add new point (2:2)
    series.XValues.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 4, 3, 2));
    series.YValues.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 4, 4, 2));

    //Add new point (5:1)
    series.XValues.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 5, 3, 5));
    series.YValues.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 5, 4, 1));

    //Changing the chart series marker
    series.MarkerSize = 10;
    series.MarkerSymbol = MarkerStyleTypeEx.Circle;

    pres.Write("D:\\AsposeSeriesChart.pptx");
}

New Aspose.Slides for .NET 13.x approach

Presentation pres = new Presentation();

ISlide slide = pres.Slides[0];

//Creating the default chart
IChart chart = slide.Shapes.AddChart(ChartType.ScatterWithSmoothLines, 0, 0, 400, 400);

//Getting the default chart data worksheet index
int defaultWorksheetIndex = 0;

//Accessing the chart data worksheet
IChartDataWorkbook fact = chart.ChartData.ChartDataWorkbook;

//Delete demo series
chart.ChartData.Series.Clear();

//Add new series
chart.ChartData.Series.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 1, 1, "Series 1"), chart.Type);
chart.ChartData.Series.Add(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 1, 3, "Series 2"), chart.Type);

//Take first chart series
IChartSeries series = chart.ChartData.Series[0];

//Add new point (1:3) there.
series.DataPoints.AddDataPointForScatterSeries(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 2, 1, 1), fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 2, 2, 3));

//Add new point (2:10)
series.DataPoints.AddDataPointForScatterSeries(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 3, 1, 2), fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 3, 2, 10));

//Edit the type of series
series.Type = ChartType.ScatterWithStraightLinesAndMarkers;

//Changing the chart series marker
series.Marker.Size = 10;
series.Marker.Symbol = MarkerStyleType.Star;

//Take second chart series
series = chart.ChartData.Series[1];

//Add new point (5:2) there.
series.DataPoints.AddDataPointForScatterSeries(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 2, 3, 5), fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 2, 4, 2));

//Add new point (3:1)
series.DataPoints.AddDataPointForScatterSeries(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 3, 3, 3), fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 3, 4, 1));

//Add new point (2:2)
series.DataPoints.AddDataPointForScatterSeries(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 4, 3, 2), fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 4, 4, 2));

//Add new point (5:1)
series.DataPoints.AddDataPointForScatterSeries(fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 5, 3, 5), fact.GetCell(defaultWorksheetIndex, 5, 4, 1));

//Changing the chart series marker
series.Marker.Size = 10;
series.Marker.Symbol = MarkerStyleType.Circle;

pres.Save("AsposeScatterChart.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx);

How to Add Header Footer in a Presentation Public API and Backwards Incompatible Changes in Aspose.Slides for .NET 14.2.0