Essential Chart supports binding to LINQ query results. Use LINQ to create different, concise, and optimal views of your data. Bind to LINQ query results and view your data using many different chart types.
Binding a LINQ query result to a chart, and the resultant display, are illustrated below:
Binding LINQ Query Result and Resultant Display
Accumulation charts are typically single-series charts that represent data as portions of 100%; they do not use any axes.
Funnel charts are a type of accumulation chart where the height of the funnel segment corresponds to a y value of a point in a series.
Funnel charts are often used to represent stages in a sales process and show the amount of potential revenue for each stage.
Optionally, the y value can also be made to represent the width of the segment instead of the height.
Funnel Chart with a Circular Base
3-D Funnel Chart with a Square Base
Pyramid charts are another type of accumulation chart with a triangular upper surface that converges at one point. Similar to a funnel chart, the height of a segment is proportional to the y value of the corresponding point.
Note that the base of the pyramid can be square or circular.
Pyramid Chart with a Circular Base
3-D Pyramid Chart with a Square Base
An area chart shades the area enclosed between the line that joins points on a series and the x-axis. Multiple series result in overlapped areas. This type of chart displays the trend of values over time or categories.
Simple Area Chart
A range area chart is a variation of an area chart that lets you plot bands of data, such as Bollinger bands and weather patterns. Each point in the chart is specified by two y values.
Range Area Chart
A spline area chart is an area chart with a smooth curve connecting its points.
Spline Area Chart
Stacked area charts are area charts with y values stacked over one another in series order. Chart data can be visualized as a sum of series parts while using this chart type.
Stacked Area Chart
The 100% stacked area chart displays multiple series of data as stacked areas, ensuring that the cumulative proportion of each stacked element always totals 100%. The y-axis will hence always be rendered with the range 0–100. This chart type is best suited for depicting the relative contribution of data points.
100% Stacked Area Chart
Step area charts are similar to regular area charts except that instead of a straight line tracing the shortest path between points, the values are connected by continuous vertical and horizontal lines forming a step-like progression.
Step Area Chart
A bar chart is the simplest and most versatile of all statistical diagrams. It compares values across categories and is ideal for highlighting the variations in an item value over time via horizontal bars. Points from adjacent series are drawn as bars next to each other.
Bar Chart
Stacked bar charts are charts with Y values stacked over one another in the series order. Chart data can be visualized as the sum of series parts when using this kind of chart.
Stacked Bar Chart
Stacked bar group charts allow users to group a series with another series using the group name in a stacked bar chart. This way the grouped series will be shown as a separate stacking.
Stacked Bar Group Chart
The 100% stacked bar chart displays multiple series of data as stacked bars, ensuring that the cumulative proportion of each stacked element always totals 100%. Hence, the y-axis will always be rendered with the range 0–100. These types of charts are best suited for depicting the relative contribution of data points.
100% Stacked Bar Chart
Frequently used in project management, a Gantt chart provides a graphical illustration of a schedule to help plan, coordinate, and track specific tasks in a project.
Provides a graphical representation of the duration of tasks against the progression of time.Each task takes up one row.The expected time for each task is represented by a horizontal bar with left and right ends marking the beginning and completion date of a task.Another bar, usually rendered behind and wider than the above bar, is used to represent the progress information of the task.Tasks may run in a sequential, parallel, or overlapped fashion.
Gantt Chart
A histogram is a bar chart of a frequency distribution in which the widths of the bars are proportional to the classes into which the variables have been divided, and the heights of the bars are proportional to the class frequencies. The categories are usually specified as non-overlapping intervals of some variable. The categories must be adjacent. Additionally, the chart has the capability to draw a normal distribution curve.
Histogram Chart
A tornado chart is a bar chart that shows the variability of an output to several different inputs. Variability is displayed using relative lengths of bars across a range. A tornado chart is mainly used in sensitivity analysis. It shows how different random factors can influence a prognostic outcome.
Tornado Chart
A bubble chart is an extension of the scatter chart, with each data point represented by a circular bubble and the area of the bubble rendered in proportion to the value of a third variable. A bubble chart is commonly used to represent financial data.
Bubble Chart
A simple plot of x and y values along the two axes can be created using scatter charts.
The points are not joined together.The points can be highlighted using built-in shapes or custom images.Numerical data, both discrete and continuous, can be displayed.It is generally used to plot scientific data.
Scatter Chart
Connected scatter charts plot x and y values along the two axes where the points are connected using lines or splines. The points can be customized using shapes or images to make them easily identifiable.
Connected Scatter Line Chart
Connected Scatter Spline Chart
A polar chart is a circular graph in which data is displayed in terms of values and angles.
Provides options to perform a visual comparison between several quantitative or qualitative aspects of a situation.Also, when charts are drawn for several situations using the same axes (poles), a visual comparison between the situations may be made.The x value of the data point is used to set the angle.The y value defines the distance from the center of the graph.
Polar Chart
A radar chart is the clock-face form of a line chart.
Compares the aggregate values of a number of data series.Represents each data series as a line around a central point.Provides a graphical display of the differences between actual and ideal performance.Useful for defining performance and identifying strengths and weaknesses.
Radar Chart
Inversed Polar and Radar Chart
Essential Chart supports nversed radar and polar charts. This feature used to render the polar and radar charts in the clockwise direction.
Inversed Polar Chart
Inversed Radar Chart
Column charts, where data points are displayed as vertical bars, are the most commonly used charts. They are similar to a bar chart except that the bars are vertical and not horizontal.
Used for comparing the frequency, count, total, or average of data in different categories.Ideal for showing the variations in the value of an item over timePoints from adjacent series are drawn as bars next to each otherCan be drawn in three modes: default width mode, fixed width mode, and relative width mode
Column Chart Drawn in Default Width Mode
Column Chart Drawn in Fixed Width Mode
Relative Width Mode with 0.75 px Value
3D Column Charts
Error bars are supported to indicate a degree of uncertainty in the plotted data through a bar showing an "error range." There are plenty of symbol options available that can be rendered on error bars.
Error Bars in a Column Chart
Data points from different series are rendered one over the other in a stacked column chart. They are very useful in indicating the cumulative effect of multiple series values.
Stacked Column Chart
Stacked Column Group Chart
Stacked column group charts allow users to group a series with another series using the group name in a stacked column chart. This way the grouped series will be shown as a separate stacking.
Stacked Column Group Chart
100% Stacked Column Chart
In a 100% stacked column chart, the cumulative proportion of each stacked element always totals 100%. This type of chart is great for visualizing the relative contribution of each series value in relation to the whole.
100% Stacked Column Chart
In a column range chart there are two y values to each data point, representing the high and low ranges as columns.
Column Range Chart
The following charts are commonly used to visualize financial data such as stock prices.
A box-and-whisker chart represents data ranges as a combination of boxes and marks.
A solid "box" is drawn whose top and bottom edges correspond to the quartiles of a data set, and the mark inside signifies the median value.Two "whiskers" are attached to the ends of a box to show the overall range of the data.Comparing several box-and-whisker chart series is useful for spotting distribution differences.
A Simple Box-and-Whisker Chart
Essential Chart supports specifying the values for whiskers as percentages. The ends of the whiskers are decided by the Series1.ConfigItems.BoxAndWhiskerItem.Percentile property.
Box-and-Whisker chart with Percentile Mode
The high and low values are represented by the wick of a candle in a candle chart. The candle represents the open and close values. The body of the candle is often colored conditionally based on whether the open value is lower than the close value.
Candle Chart Summarizing Stock Prices for Each Day
As its name implies, high-low charts are used to visualize the high and low values of a stock during a day.
HiLo Chart Depicting Stock Price Summary
High-Low-Open-Close Chart
This chart indicates the high, low, open, and close values of a stock during a day. This helps visualize the range in which a stock traded during the day along with the open and close values.
High-Low-Open-Close Chart
A Kagi chart consists of a series of vertical connected lines where the thickness and direction of those lines depends on price. Being independent of time, thich chart is ideal for clearly visualizing price movements.
Thick lines show that demand exceeds supply.As long as prices continue to move in the same direction, the vertical line keeps growing.If there is a reversal in price that exceeds a predetermined "reversal amount", a new Kagi line is drawn in a new column.When the line is orange, it indicates "demand exceeds supply", and the market is in an up trend.When line is blue, it indicates "supply exceeds demand", and the market is in trending down.The higher the bars go, the stronger the trend.
Kagi Chart
Point-and-figure charts are used to identify support levels, resistance levels, and chart patterns.
The chart ignores the time factor and concentrates solely on movements in price.A column of Xs or Os may take one day or several weeks to complete.By convention, the first X in a column is plotted one box above the last O in the previous column.The first O in a column is plotted one box below the highest X.The Xs represent an upward trend and the Os represent a downward trend.
Point and Figure Chart
Renko charts are excellent in projecting support and resistance levels.
Bricks are drawn equal in size for a known value.A brick is drawn in the direction of the prior move but only if prices move by a minimum amount.If prices change by a predetermined amount or more, a new brick is drawn.If prices change by less than a predetermined amount, the new price is ignored.
Renko Chart
A three line break chart is similar to a point-and-figure chart with the following additional features.
Displays a series of vertical boxes ("lines") that are based on changes in prices.Ignores time as a factor.Depicts rising and falling lines of varying heights.Each new line occupies a new column.Using closing prices (or highs and lows) leads to drawing a new rising line if the previous high is exceeded, and a new falling line is drawn if the new closing price is less than the previous low.
Three Line Break Chart
Stock and volume charts can be easily created using a line chart for the stock price (or a high-low-open-close chart as shown in the image below) and a column chart for the volume data. Essential Chart's support for multiple axes makes it easy to create such charts.
Stock And Volume Chart
In the chart above, the moving average for the stock chart is calculated with a period of three days.
Line charts refer to charts whose data points are joined using straight or curved lines, 2-D or 3-D. They are ideal for representing time-dependent data, showing trends in data at equal intervals.
3-D Line Chart
Error bars, which are used to indicate a level of uncertainty in plotted data points, are also supported.
Error Bars in Line Chart
Spline charts are line charts with a smooth line connecting the data points.
Spline Chart
Step line charts use horizontal and vertical lines to connect data points, resulting in a step-like progression.
Step Line Chart
A rotated spline chart is a spline chart rotated 90 degrees.
Rotated Spline Chart
Pie charts are ideal for displaying proportional values, which are either in percentage or fractional format.
Plots y values in one series as fractional parts of a circleThe data point value determines the portion of the pie that is taken up by the pointDisplays only one data series at a timeCan be used to display only nominal (categorical, qualitative) dataEach data series in a chart has a unique color or pattern and is represented in the chart legend, proportional to the sum of the itemsSupports bevel, round, inside, outside, and custom chart types
A Simple Pie Chart
Doughnut charts are pie charts with a hole in the middle. The size of data in a doughnut chart corresponds to the doughnut coefficient, which determines the relationship between the inner and outer radii of the chart. The doughnut chart is best suited for presenting data in proportions.
Doughnut Chart Displaying Proportionate Data
Essential Chart comes with a set of color palettes that are automatically applied to a chart's data points if no custom colors are specified for the series.
These built-in palettes offer a rich set of colors to render professional-looking charts.
Chart Series with a Built-in Palette
Essential Chart also lets you define and add custom color palettes.
Chart Series with a Custom Non-Gradient Color Palette
Spacing allows you to customize the space between series columns to give data more clarity.
Increased spacing between columns will in turn reduce the width of a column.
No Space between Series Columns
Spacing between Series Columns (50%)
3-D Spacing between Series
There is also support to control the spacing between series in 3-D mode. Series spacing is set as a percentage value of the z-axis depth of a column.
3-D Spacing between Series
Essential Chart has an automatic range scaling engine that computes the best possible range for a given set of values.
Automatic Range Scaling
Automatic range calculations are also configurable.
Automatic ranges are also calculated for date values. The range intervals are calculated to be in increments of easily understandable date segments, such as weeks, months, years, etc.
Appropriate Date Range in a Chart
The appearance of chart axis labels can be customized.
Customized Axis Labels
Essential Chart offers support for the inclusion of custom labels, which can be edited at run time.
Chart with Custom Labels
Chart axis labels can also be grouped as desired, and the grouping label text, color, font, and other related information can also be defined.
Grouped Axis Labels
Horizontal and vertical gridlines can be turned on in the chart area to bring clarity to charts.
Gridline appearances can also be customized, as shown below. All dash styles (dash, dot, dash dot, dash dot dot, solid, custom) are applicable for gridlines.
It is also possible to show and hide gridlines.
Chart with Gridlines
Scale breaks help in accommodating outlying data into a chart while also clearly displaying normal values. Scale breaks can be applied automatically or manually.
Chart without a Scale Break
Code to Insert Scale Breaks Manually
Chart with Scale Break Inserted Manually
Code to Insert Scale Breaks Automatically
Chart with Scale Break Inserted Automatically
Essential Chart supports multiple axes. You can add a secondary axis and position it next to or below the primary axis.
These options are illustrated below:
Stacked Layout Mode
Side-by-Side Layout Mode
You can also position this secondary axis at the opposite side of the primary axis, as shown below.
Chart with Multiple Y-Axes
Essential Chart supports displaying ellipses at the end of a title when the title text exceeds the axes bounds. This feature can be implemented in both the primary and secondary axes.
Chart Axes Title in Draw Mode
Essential Chart provides options to customize the border styles of the legend.
Chart Legend with Solid Border Style
Chart Legend with Dash Border Style
Chart Legend with Dot Border Style
Chart Legend with Dash Dot Border Style
Chart Legend with Dash Dot Dot Border Style
Essential Chart allows users to dock a chart legend anywhere within the chart area.
Chart Legend Docked to the Left, Top, and Bottom
The legend can also be aligned near, center, or far in the docked side.
Chart Legend Aligned Near, Center and Far
The chart legend can also be set to float, so that the user can drag the legend around during run time.
Chart Legend in Floating State
Essential Chart provides a number of options to set the legend representation type.
Chart Legend with Circle Representation Type
Chart Legend with Cross Representation Type
Chart Legend with Diamond Representation Type
Chart Legend with Hexagon Representation Type
Chart Legend with Inverted Triangle Representation Type
Chart Legend with Line Representation Type
Chart Legend with Pentagon Representation Type
Chart Legend with Rectangle Representation Type
Chart Legend with Straight Line Representation Type
Chart Legend with Triangle Representation Type
Chart Legend with Series Image Representation Type
Interactive cursors let you position cursors at a specific data point in a series and point out the x and y values via a horizontal and vertical line passing through the data point and intersecting the x- and y-axis. Interactive cursor lines can be dragged to position them at specific data points.
You can also use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to move the horizontal cursor to the next vertically nearest point in a series, or you can use the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to move the vertical cursor to the next horizontally nearest point in a series.
Chart with Interactive Cursor
Optionally, you can also position the cursor at any point within the chart area and determine if any data points intersect with the cursor, or to visually divide the area into 4 quadrants, for example.
Interactive Cursor at a specific point in the chart area
A built-in toolbar is available for Essential Chart.
Chart Toolbar at Run Time
The appearance of a chart toolbar and its buttons can be customized. Custom toolbar items can also be added.
Toolbar with a Customized Appearance
Essential Chart also supports zoom in, zoom out, and panning icons in the toolbar, supporting their respective operations.
Zooming and Panning Icons
ToolTips can be displayed when hovering the mouse pointer over a chart area, data points, and other regions. Customization options are also available for ToolTip text.
ToolTip Displayed in a Chart
Essential Chart also includes a "fancy ToolTip" feature which occurs when hovering over a data point. This ToolTip looks like a balloon and includes information regarding the series name and x and y points.
Fancy ToolTip on a Data Point
Essential Chart provides APIs to export a chart as an image file with support for all popular image formats. Supported formats include .bmp, .jpg, .gif, .tiff, .wmf, .emf, .svg, and .eps.
Chart Exported as an Image (.jpg, .emf, .bmp, etc.)
The built-in toolbar can also be used to save the chart as an image.
