Format Excel Chart Background using C#

Question

I can already populate the data into the spreadsheet, create the chart based on the range I select. However, when it comes to formatting the actual chart I feel a bit lost as their are so many options!!

It is an xlCylinderBarStacked type chart. I simply need to make the color of the bars a nice light orange and make the background a light blue fading into white at the bottom.

Any idea's how to do this?

Answer 1

One good trick with Excel and other VBA-enabled apps is to manually create the formatting/content you require using the Excel GUI, whist recording a 'macro'. Once this is done you can then inspect the generated VBA to see how to use the API to acheive the same results programmatically. You will of course have to do some translation from VBA to C# but essentially the same methods should work.

Answer 2

Hi, tried this, doesnt show formatting of a graph in terms of applying a background gradient etc.

Answer 3

some useful links about c# excel chart

http://csharp.net-informations.com/excel/csharp-excel-chart.htm

http://csharp.net-informations.com/excel/csharp-excel-chart-export.htm

bolt.

Answer 4

Thanks for the references bolt.

However, I really do need the formatting to be done before I move onto exporting the chart. Anyone have any idea's as to how I can go about doing this in C#?

I am able to change the color of the bars now, just need to figure out what color it is I need. Also, I can actually get the background of the chart to change color, but I need it to be a linear gradient effect i.e. light blue fading into white at the bottom.

Answer 5

Just to close this question off. I played around a little with the properties and the following achieved the gradient effect on the background of the chart.

xlChart.Interior.Color = ColorTranslator.ToOle(Color.LightSkyBlue);
chart.ChartArea.Fill.TwoColorGradient(
       Microsoft.Office.Core.MsoGradientStyle.msoGradientHorizontal, 
       1);