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How to Create and Edit Excel Charts in C#

by Chaknith Bin

In Excel, a chart is a graphical representation of data. It is a visual tool used to display and analyze data in a more understandable and meaningful way. Excel provides a variety of chart types, such as bar charts, line charts, pie charts, and more, each of which is suited for different types of data and analysis.

IronXL supports column, scatter, line, pie, bar, and area charts with configurable series names, legend positions, chart titles, and chart positions.

How to Create and Edit Excel Charts in C#

  1. Download the C# library to create and edit charts
  2. Prepare the data for creating the chart
  3. Use the CreateChart method to set chart type and position
  4. Use the AddSeries method to add data series
  5. Plot the chart using the Plot method


C# NuGet Library for Excel

Install with NuGet

Install-Package IronXL.Excel
nuget.org/packages/IronXL.Excel/
or
C# Excel DLL

Download DLL

Download DLL

Manually install into your project

Create Charts Example

IronXL supports column, scatter, line, pie, bar, and area chart. To create a chart we have to specify a few things separately.

  1. Start by using the CreateChart method to specify the type of chart and locations in the worksheet.
  2. Add the series with the AddSeries method. This method also accept a single column of data since that is sufficient for some chart type. The first parameter represents value for horizontal axis. The second parameter represents value for vertical axis.
  3. Optionally specify the series name, chart name, and legend position.
  4. Invoke the Plot method to plot the chart. The method will plot the chart using all the data that was added. Multiple call of this method leads to plotting multiple charts instead of modifying the existing chart.

Let's create some charts from the data in the chart.xlsx Excel file. A preview of the data is displayed below:

Data

Column Chart

:path=/static-assets/excel/content-code-examples/how-to/create-edit-charts-column-chart.cs
using IronXL;
using IronXL.Drawing.Charts;

WorkBook workBook = WorkBook.Load("chart.xlsx");
WorkSheet workSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet;

// Set the chart type and position
IChart chart = workSheet.CreateChart(ChartType.Column, 5, 5, 20, 10);

string xAxis = "A2:A7";

// Add the series
IChartSeries series = chart.AddSeries(xAxis, "B2:B7");
series.Title = workSheet["B1"].StringValue;

// Add the series
series = chart.AddSeries(xAxis, "C2:C7");
series.Title = workSheet["C1"].StringValue;

// Add the series
series = chart.AddSeries(xAxis, "D2:D7");
series.Title = workSheet["D1"].StringValue;

// Set the chart title
chart.SetTitle("Column Chart");

// Set the legend position
chart.SetLegendPosition(LegendPosition.Bottom);

// Plot the chart
chart.Plot();

workBook.SaveAs("columnChart.xlsx");
Imports IronXL
Imports IronXL.Drawing.Charts

Private workBook As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("chart.xlsx")
Private workSheet As WorkSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet

' Set the chart type and position
Private chart As IChart = workSheet.CreateChart(ChartType.Column, 5, 5, 20, 10)

Private xAxis As String = "A2:A7"

' Add the series
Private series As IChartSeries = chart.AddSeries(xAxis, "B2:B7")
series.Title = workSheet("B1").StringValue

' Add the series
series = chart.AddSeries(xAxis, "C2:C7")
series.Title = workSheet("C1").StringValue

' Add the series
series = chart.AddSeries(xAxis, "D2:D7")
series.Title = workSheet("D1").StringValue

' Set the chart title
chart.SetTitle("Column Chart")

' Set the legend position
chart.SetLegendPosition(LegendPosition.Bottom)

' Plot the chart
chart.Plot()

workBook.SaveAs("columnChart.xlsx")
VB   C#
Column chart

Line Chart

Since a line chart can represent as much information as a column chart, switching between the two is very simple. You only need to change the chart type.

:path=/static-assets/excel/content-code-examples/how-to/create-edit-charts-line-chart.cs
using IronXL;
using IronXL.Drawing.Charts;

WorkBook workBook = WorkBook.Load("chart.xlsx");
WorkSheet workSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet;

// Set the chart type and position
IChart chart = workSheet.CreateChart(ChartType.Column, 5, 5, 20, 10);

string xAxis = "A2:A7";

// Add the series
IChartSeries series = chart.AddSeries(xAxis, "B2:B7");
series.Title = workSheet["B1"].StringValue;

// Add the series
series = chart.AddSeries(xAxis, "C2:C7");
series.Title = workSheet["C1"].StringValue;

// Add the series
series = chart.AddSeries(xAxis, "D2:D7");
series.Title = workSheet["D1"].StringValue;

// Set the chart title
chart.SetTitle("Line Chart");

// Set the legend position
chart.SetLegendPosition(LegendPosition.Bottom);

// Plot the chart
chart.Plot();

workBook.SaveAs("lineChart.xlsx");
Imports IronXL
Imports IronXL.Drawing.Charts

Private workBook As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("chart.xlsx")
Private workSheet As WorkSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet

' Set the chart type and position
Private chart As IChart = workSheet.CreateChart(ChartType.Column, 5, 5, 20, 10)

Private xAxis As String = "A2:A7"

' Add the series
Private series As IChartSeries = chart.AddSeries(xAxis, "B2:B7")
series.Title = workSheet("B1").StringValue

' Add the series
series = chart.AddSeries(xAxis, "C2:C7")
series.Title = workSheet("C1").StringValue

' Add the series
series = chart.AddSeries(xAxis, "D2:D7")
series.Title = workSheet("D1").StringValue

' Set the chart title
chart.SetTitle("Line Chart")

' Set the legend position
chart.SetLegendPosition(LegendPosition.Bottom)

' Plot the chart
chart.Plot()

workBook.SaveAs("lineChart.xlsx")
VB   C#
Line chart

Pie Chart

For a pie chart, only one column of data is needed.

:path=/static-assets/excel/content-code-examples/how-to/create-edit-charts-pie-chart.cs
using IronXL;
using IronXL.Drawing.Charts;

WorkBook workBook = WorkBook.Load("chart.xlsx");
WorkSheet workSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet;

// Set the chart type and position
IChart chart = workSheet.CreateChart(ChartType.Pie, 5, 5, 20, 10);

string xAxis = "A2:A7";

// Add the series
IChartSeries series = chart.AddSeries(xAxis, "B2:B7");
series.Title = workSheet["B1"].StringValue;

// Set the chart title
chart.SetTitle("Pie Chart");

// Set the legend position
chart.SetLegendPosition(LegendPosition.Bottom);

// Plot the chart
chart.Plot();

workBook.SaveAs("pieChart.xlsx");
Imports IronXL
Imports IronXL.Drawing.Charts

Private workBook As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("chart.xlsx")
Private workSheet As WorkSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet

' Set the chart type and position
Private chart As IChart = workSheet.CreateChart(ChartType.Pie, 5, 5, 20, 10)

Private xAxis As String = "A2:A7"

' Add the series
Private series As IChartSeries = chart.AddSeries(xAxis, "B2:B7")
series.Title = workSheet("B1").StringValue

' Set the chart title
chart.SetTitle("Pie Chart")

' Set the legend position
chart.SetLegendPosition(LegendPosition.Bottom)

' Plot the chart
chart.Plot()

workBook.SaveAs("pieChart.xlsx")
VB   C#
Pie chart

Edit Chart Example

There are a few things you can edit in the existing chart. You can edit the legend position and chart title. To edit the chart, you must first retrieve the chart by accessing the Charts property and select the targeted chart for editing. From there, access the properties of the chart to make your edits.

:path=/static-assets/excel/content-code-examples/how-to/create-edit-charts-edit-chart.cs
using IronXL;
using IronXL.Drawing.Charts;

WorkBook workBook = WorkBook.Load("pieChart.xlsx");
WorkSheet workSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet;

// Retrieve the chart
IChart chart = workSheet.Charts[0];

// Edit the legend position
chart.SetLegendPosition(LegendPosition.Top);

// Edit the chart title
chart.SetTitle("Edited Chart");

workBook.SaveAs("editedChart.xlsx");
Imports IronXL
Imports IronXL.Drawing.Charts

Private workBook As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("pieChart.xlsx")
Private workSheet As WorkSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet

' Retrieve the chart
Private chart As IChart = workSheet.Charts(0)

' Edit the legend position
chart.SetLegendPosition(LegendPosition.Top)

' Edit the chart title
chart.SetTitle("Edited Chart")

workBook.SaveAs("editedChart.xlsx")
VB   C#
Before

Before

After

After

Remove Chart Example

To remove an existing chart from a spreadsheet, first retrieve the chart from the Charts property of the worksheet object. You will receive a list of charts from the Charts property. Pass the targeted chart object to the RemoveChart method to remove it.

:path=/static-assets/excel/content-code-examples/how-to/create-edit-charts-remove-chart.cs
using IronXL;
using IronXL.Drawing.Charts;
using System.Collections.Generic;

WorkBook workBook = WorkBook.Load("pieChart.xlsx");
WorkSheet workSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet;

// Retrieve the chart
List<IChart> chart = workSheet.Charts;

// Remove the chart
workSheet.RemoveChart(chart[0]);

workBook.SaveAs("removedChart.xlsx");
Imports IronXL
Imports IronXL.Drawing.Charts
Imports System.Collections.Generic

Private workBook As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("pieChart.xlsx")
Private workSheet As WorkSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet

' Retrieve the chart
Private chart As List(Of IChart) = workSheet.Charts

' Remove the chart
workSheet.RemoveChart(chart(0))

workBook.SaveAs("removedChart.xlsx")
VB   C#

Chaknith Bin

Software Engineer

Chaknith is the Sherlock Holmes of developers. It first occurred to him he might have a future in software engineering, when he was doing code challenges for fun. His focus is on IronXL and IronBarcode, but he takes pride in helping customers with every product. Chaknith leverages his knowledge from talking directly with customers, to help further improve the products themselves. His anecdotal feedback goes beyond Jira tickets and supports product development, documentation and marketing, to improve customer’s overall experience.When he isn’t in the office, he can be found learning about machine learning, coding and hiking.