How To Change Label Orientation with the Office XP Chart Component (287666)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office XP Web Components
  • Microsoft Office 2003 Web Components
This article was previously published under Q287666

SUMMARY

When you use either the Microsoft Office 2003 Chart component or the Microsoft Office XP Chart component to create a chart, you may find that the tick labels on an axis are crowded and are difficult to read. This problem occurs if the quantity of the labels or if the length of the labels exceeds the amount that can be clearly rendered on the axis. To correct this problem, you can change the orientation for tick labels on an axis by setting the Orientation property for the axis. Tick labels may be oriented horizontally, upward (+90 degrees vertically), or downward (-90 degrees vertically). This article provides sample script that changes tick label orientation for a Chart component that is hosted on a Web page.

Note The ability to change tick label orientation is a new feature of the Office 2003 Chart component and of the Office XP Chart component. Tick label orientation cannot be changed with the Microsoft Office 2000 Chart component.

MORE INFORMATION

Note The following code uses the Office XP version of the Chart object. For the Office 2003 version of the Chart object, you must replace clsid:0002E556-0000-0000-C000-000000000046 in the code with clsid:0002E55D-0000-0000-C000-000000000046.
  1. Use any text editor or HTML editor to save the following code as Chartdemo.htm:
    <html>

<body>
<object classid="clsid:0002E556-0000-0000-C000-000000000046" id="ChartSpace1">
</object>
</body>

<script language="VBScript">

       Dim c
       Set c = ChartSpace1.constants
       
       'Create arrays for the x-values and the y-values.
       Dim xValues, yValues1, yValues2
       xValues = Array("Beverages", "Condiments", "Confections", _
                       "Dairy Products", "Grains & Cereals", _
                       "Meat & Poultry", "Produce", "Seafood")
       yValues1 = Array(104737, 50952, 78128, 117797, 52902, 80160, _
                        47491, 62435)
       yValues2 = Array(20000, 15000, 36000, 56000, 40000, 18000, 20000, _
                        33000)
       
       'Create a new chart.
       Dim oChart
       ChartSpace1.Clear
       Set oChart = ChartSpace1.Charts.Add
       
       'Add a title to the chart.
       oChart.HasTitle = True
       oChart.Title.Caption = "Sales Per Category"
       
       'Add a series to the chart with the x-values and y-values
       'from the arrays and then set the series type to a column chart.
       Dim oSeries
       Set oSeries = oChart.SeriesCollection.Add
       oSeries.Caption = "Full Year 2000"
       oSeries.SetData c.chDimCategories, c.chDataLiteral, xValues
       oSeries.SetData c.chDimValues, c.chDataLiteral, yValues1
       oSeries.Type = c.chChartTypeColumnClustered
       
       oChart.Axes(0).Orientation = c.chLabelOrientationDownward 'Category axis
       
       'Add another series to the chart with the x-values and the y-values
       'from the arrays and then set the series type to a line chart.
       Set oSeries = oChart.SeriesCollection.Add
       oSeries.Caption = "2001 YTD"
       oSeries.SetData c.chDimCategories, c.chDataLiteral, xValues
       oSeries.SetData c.chDimValues, c.chDataLiteral, yValues2
       oSeries.Type = c.chChartTypeLineMarkers
       
        'Add a value axis to the right of the chart for the second series.
        Dim axisScale
        Dim axRightAxis
        Set axisScale = oChart.Axes(c.chAxisPositionLeft).Scaling
        Set axRightAxis = oChart.Axes.Add(axisScale)
        axRightAxis.Position = c.chAxisPositionRight

       'Format the value axes.
       oChart.Axes(c.chAxisPositionLeft).NumberFormat = "$#,##0"
       axRightAxis.NumberFormat = "0"
       oChart.Axes(c.chAxisPositionLeft).MajorUnit = 20000
       axRightAxis.MajorUnit = 20000
       
       'Show the legend at the bottom of the chart.
       oChart.HasLegend = True
       oChart.Legend.Position = c.chLegendPositionBottom

</script>
</html>
  2. Start Microsoft Internet Explorer and then move to Chartdemo.htm.

    Notice that the chart rendered on the Web page and that the orientation of the category labels is set to -90 degrees (or downward).

REFERENCES

For additional information, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

288907 IINFO: Binding the Office XP Chart Component to a Data Source

289288 INFO: Using Timescale Axes with the Office XP Chart Component

286211 How To Create a Combination Chart Using the Office XP Chart Component

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:6/29/2004
Keywords:kbhowto kbOfficeWebChart KB287666
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.