Charting in WPF
The WPF Toolkit released in June 2009 comes with a data
visualization assembly called System.Windows.Controls.DataVisualization.Toolkit.dll
that hosts the charting functionality in WPF. This article demonstrates how to draw charts
using the WPF Toolkit.
Note: This
article is written by using the WPF Toolkit June 2009 that you can download
from here: WPF Toolkit - Release: WPF Toolkit June 2009. This toolkit may be a part of WPF in near future versions.
Adding WPF Toolkit Reference
Before you can use any
charting related functionality in a WPF application, you must download the WPF
Toolkit. After that you need to add a reference to an assembly.
To add a reference,
right click the References folder of your project in Solution Explorer and
select Add Reference. This action will open the Add Reference dialog as you can
in the following Figure 1. On this dialog, select Browse option and browse the System.Windows.Controls.DataVisualization.Toolkit.dll
assembly from the folder where you installed the WPF Toolkit. This assembly
resides in the Binaries folder.
Tip: If
you do not want to download WPF Toolkit, you can download the attached project
and copy WPFToolkit.dll and
System.Windows.Controls.DataVisualization.Toolkit.dll assemblies from this
project to the bin folder of your project and add reference.
Figure 1
Once you add the reference, you will see the System.Windows.Controls.DataVisualization.
Toolkit added to your References dialog as you see in Figure 2.
Figure 2
Now, the next step is to import the System.Windows.Controls.DataVisualization.toolkit
and the System.Windows.Controls.DataVisualization.Charting namespaces to the
page. Once you type xmlns= in your page,
you will see these namespaces in the Intellisense. Select and add both of them
to your page as you can see in Figure 3.
Figure 3
The final reference added to the page looks like following.
As you can see here, I added name of this reference to ToolkitRef.
xmlns:DV="clr-namespace:System.Windows.Controls.DataVisualization;assembly=System.Windows.Controls.DataVisualization.Toolkit"
xmlns:DVC="clr-namespace:System.Windows.Controls.DataVisualization.Charting;assembly=System.Windows.Controls.DataVisualization.Toolkit"
Now you will see DVC in your page and once you select it,
you will notice all Charting related elements added to the Intellisense. To add
a Chart control to your page, just select the Chart control from the list. The
list of charting related elements looks like Figure 4.
Figure 4
Creating a Chart
The Chart element
represents a WPF Chart control in XAML.
< DVC:Chart></DVC:Chart>
The code snippet in Listing 1 creates a Chart and sets its
width, height, and background properties of the Chart control.
<DVC:Chart Name="MyChart"
Width="400" Height="250"
Background="YellowGreen"
>
</DVC:Chart>
Listing 1
The output of Listing 1
looks like Figure 5.
Figure 5
Chart Types
The Series attribute of
the Chart element is used to create a chart type. If you see in Figure 6, you
will notice BarSeries, ColumnSeries, LineSeries, PieSeries, and ScatterSeries
attributes and based on the attribute, the chart will be created.
Figure 6
Bar Chart
The code snippet in
Listing 2 creates a bar chart by setting Chart.Series to BarSeries. As you see,
the binding is occurred on Key and Value fields of a data source.
<DVC:Chart
Canvas.Top="80" Canvas.Left="10" Name="mcChart"
Width="400" Height="250"
Background="LightSteelBlue">
<DVC:Chart.Series>
<DVC:BarSeries
Title="Experience"
IndependentValueBinding="{Binding Path=Key}"
DependentValueBinding="{Binding Path=Value}">
</DVC:BarSeries>
</DVC:Chart.Series>
</DVC:Chart>
Listing 2
The code snippet in
Listing 3 creates a collection in KeyValuePair form and sets the ItemsSource
property of the chart series. Same data can be used for other chart types.
private void LoadBarChartData()
{
((BarSeries)mcChart.Series[0]).ItemsSource
=
new KeyValuePair<string,
int>[]{
new
KeyValuePair<string,
int>("Project
Manager", 12),
new
KeyValuePair<string,
int>("CEO",
25),
new
KeyValuePair<string,
int>("Software
Engg.", 5),
new
KeyValuePair<string,
int>("Team
Leader", 6),
new
KeyValuePair<string,
int>("Project
Leader", 10),
new
KeyValuePair<string,
int>("Developer",
4) };
}
Listing 3
The output looks like Figure 7.
Figure 7
Column Chart
The code snippet in
Listing 4 creates a column chart by setting Chart.Series to ColumnSeries. As
you may see, the binding is occurred on Key and Value fields of a data source.
<DVC:Chart
Canvas.Top="80" Canvas.Left="10"
Name="mcChart"
Width="400" Height="250"
Background="LightSteelBlue">
<DVC:Chart.Series>
<DVC:ColumnSeries
Title="Experience"
IndependentValueBinding="{Binding Path=Key}"
DependentValueBinding="{Binding Path=Value}">
</DVC:ColumnSeries>
</DVC:Chart.Series>
</DVC:Chart>
Listing 4
The code snippet in
Listing 5 creates a collection in KeyValuePair form and sets the ItemsSource
property of the chart series. Same data can be used for other chart types.
private void LoadColumnChartData()
{
((ColumnSeries)mcChart.Series[0]).ItemsSource
=
new KeyValuePair<string,
int>[]{
new KeyValuePair<string,
int>("Project
Manager", 12),
new KeyValuePair<string,
int>("CEO",
25),
new KeyValuePair<string,
int>("Software
Engg.", 5),
new KeyValuePair<string,
int>("Team Leader",
6),
new KeyValuePair<string,
int>("Project
Leader", 10),
new KeyValuePair<string,
int>("Developer",
4) };
}
Listing 5
The output looks like Figure 8.
Figure 8
Pie Chart
The code snippet in
Listing 6 creates a pie chart by setting Chart.Series to BarSeries. As you may
see, the binding is occurred on Key and Value fields of a data source.
<DVC:Chart
Canvas.Top="80" Canvas.Left="10" Name="mcChart"
Width="400" Height="250"
Background="LightSteelBlue">
<DVC:Chart.Series>
<DVC:PieSeries
Title="Experience"
IndependentValueBinding="{Binding Path=Key}"
DependentValueBinding="{Binding Path=Value}">
</DVC:PieSeries>
</DVC:Chart.Series>
</DVC:Chart>
Listing 6
The code snippet in
Listing 7 creates a collection in KeyValuePair form and sets the ItemsSource
property of the chart series. Same data can be used for other chart types.
private void LoadPieChartData()
{
((PieSeries)mcChart.Series[0]).ItemsSource
=
new KeyValuePair<string,
int>[]{
new
KeyValuePair<string,
int>("Project
Manager", 12),
new
KeyValuePair<string,
int>("CEO",
25),
new
KeyValuePair<string,
int>("Software
Engg.", 5),
new
KeyValuePair<string,
int>("Team
Leader", 6),
new
KeyValuePair<string,
int>("Project
Leader", 10),
new
KeyValuePair<string,
int>("Developer",
4) };
}
Listing 7
The output looks like Figure 9.
Figure 9
Line Chart
The code snippet in
Listing 8 creates a line chart by setting Chart.Series to LineSeries. As you
may see, the binding is occurred on Key and Value fields of a data source.
<DVC:Chart
Canvas.Top="80" Canvas.Left="10" Name="mcChart"
Width="400" Height="250"
Background="LightSteelBlue">
<DVC:Chart.Series>
<DVC:LineSeries
Title=" Monthly Count"
IndependentValueBinding="{Binding Path=Key}"
DependentValueBinding="{Binding Path=Value}">
</DVC:LineSeries>
</DVC:Chart.Series>
</DVC:Chart>
Listing 8
The code snippet in
Listing 9 creates a collection in KeyValuePair form and sets the ItemsSource
property of the chart series. Same data can be used for other chart types.
private void LoadLineChartData()
{
((LineSeries)mcChart.Series[0]).ItemsSource
=
new KeyValuePair<DateTime,
int>[]{
new
KeyValuePair<DateTime,
int>(DateTime.Now,
100),
new
KeyValuePair<DateTime,
int>(DateTime.Now.AddMonths(1),
130),
new
KeyValuePair<DateTime,
int>(DateTime.Now.AddMonths(2),
150),
new
KeyValuePair<DateTime,
int>(DateTime.Now.AddMonths(3),
125),
new KeyValuePair<DateTime,
int>(DateTime.Now.AddMonths(4),155)
};
}
Listing 9
The output looks like Figure 10.
Figure 10
Scatter Chart
The code snippet in
Listing 9 creates a scatter chart by setting Chart.Series to ScatterSeries. As
you may see, the binding is occurred on Key and Value fields of a data source.
<DVC:Chart
Canvas.Top="80" Canvas.Left="10" Name="mcChart"
Width="400" Height="250"
Background="LightSteelBlue">
<DVC:Chart.Series>
<DVC:ScatterSeries
Title="Dots"
IndependentValueBinding="{Binding Path=Key}"
DependentValueBinding="{Binding Path=Value}">
</DVC:ScatterSeries>
</DVC:Chart.Series>
</DVC:Chart>
Listing 9
The code snippet in
Listing 10 creates a collection in KeyValuePair form and sets the ItemsSource
property of the chart series. Same data can be used for other chart types.
private void LoadScatterChartData()
{
((ScatterSeries)mcChart.Series[0]).ItemsSource
=
new KeyValuePair<DateTime,
int>[]{
new
KeyValuePair<DateTime,
int>(DateTime.Now,
100),
new
KeyValuePair<DateTime,
int>(DateTime.Now.AddMonths(1),
130),
new
KeyValuePair<DateTime,
int>(DateTime.Now.AddMonths(2),
150),
new
KeyValuePair<DateTime,
int>(DateTime.Now.AddMonths(3),
125)
};
}
Listing 10
The output looks like Figure 11.
Figure 11
Area Chart
The code snippet in
Listing 11 creates an area chart by setting Chart.Series to AreaSeries. As you
may see, the binding is occurred on Key and Value fields of a data source.
<!-- Area
Chart in Code Behind -->
<DVC:Chart
Canvas.Top="80" Canvas.Left="10"
Name="mcChart"
Width="400" Height="250"
Background="LightSteelBlue"
Title="Area
Chart"
LegendTitle="Month
Rating">
<DVC:Chart.Series>
<DVC:AreaSeries
Title="Area
Chart"
IndependentValuePath="Key"
DependentValuePath="Value">
</DVC:AreaSeries>
</DVC:Chart.Series>
</DVC:Chart>
Listing 11
The code snippet in
Listing 12 creates a collection in KeyValuePair form and sets the ItemsSource
property of the chart series. Same data can be used for other chart types.
private void LoadAreaChartData()
{
((AreaSeries)mcChart.Series[0]).ItemsSource
=
new KeyValuePair<string,
int>[]{
new KeyValuePair<string,
int>("Jan
2009", 100),
new KeyValuePair<string,
int>("Apr
2009", 180),
new KeyValuePair<string,
int>("July
2009", 110),
new KeyValuePair<string,
int>("Oct
2009", 95),
new KeyValuePair<string,
int>("Jan
2010", 40),
new KeyValuePair<string,
int>("Apr
2010", 95)
};
}
Listing 12
The output looks like Figure 12.
Figure 12
Chart Axes
The Axes property of
Chart is used to add x and y axis to the chart. The code snippet in Listing 13
adds a linear axis to the chart with its orientation, title, font and other
properties.
<DVC:Chart.Axes>
<!-- Add Horizontal
and Vertical Axes-->
<DVC:LinearAxis
Orientation="Y"
Title="New
Hires"
Interval="40"
Foreground="Black"
Background="GreenYellow"
FontFamily="Georgia"
FontSize="14"
FontWeight="Bold"
/>
</DVC:Chart.Axes>
Listing 13
The new output looks like Figure 13 that shows a left side
chart title and formatting.
Figure 13
Generating an Area Chart from a
Collection
Now we are going to
generate a bar chart from a collection. I have a class Fruit that looks like
Listing 14. It has two members Name and Share.
class Fruit
{
public string Name { get; set; }
public Int16 Share { get;
set; }
}
Listing 14
Listing 15 is a Fruit
collection class that adds some Fruit objects in the constructor.
class FruitCollection : System.Collections.ObjectModel.Collection<Fruit>
{
public
FruitCollection()
{
Add(new
Fruit { Name = "Mango",
Share = 10 });
Add(new
Fruit { Name = "Banana",
Share = 36 });
Add(new
Fruit { Name = "Apple",
Share = 24 });
Add(new
Fruit { Name = "Guava",
Share = 4 });
Add(new
Fruit { Name = "Orange",
Share = 12 });
Add(new
Fruit { Name = "Pear",
Share = 10 });
Add(new
Fruit { Name = "Pineapple",
Share = 4 });
}
}
Listing 15
Now in our XAML code, I
create a resource called FruitCollection and bind it to the AreaSeries using
the ItemsSource property as listed in Listing 16.
<Grid.Resources>
<local:FruitCollection
x:Key="FruitCollection" />
</Grid.Resources>
Listing 16
XAML code for binding a
FruitCollection with an AreaSeries is listed in Listing 17.
<DVC:Chart.Series>
<DVC:AreaSeries
Title="Fruits"
ItemsSource="{StaticResource
FruitCollection}"
IndependentValueBinding="{Binding Path=Name}"
DependentValueBinding="{Binding Path=Share}">
</DVC:AreaSeries>
</DVC:Chart.Series>
Listing 17
Now simply build and run
the project. New output looks like Figure 14.
Figure 14
Summary
This tutorial discusses how to the WPF Toolkit to create
various charts including a bar chart, column chart, pie chart, area chart, scatter
chart and a line chart.