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XL2000: How to Programmatically Create a Chart Without Selecting a Range of Cells

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This article was previously published under Q213352

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Summary

When you record a macro to create a chart (on the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Record New Macro), the range of cells used to create the chart is fixed by Microsoft Excel. This article contains a sample Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications macro that you can use to create a chart without the need to use a fixed range of cells.

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More information

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support professionals can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs.
If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact a Microsoft Certified Partner or Microsoft Advisory Services. For more information, visit these Microsoft Web sites:

Microsoft Certified Partners - https://partner.microsoft.com/global/30000104

Microsoft Advisory Services - http://support.microsoft.com/gp/advisoryservice

For more information about the support options that are available and about how to contact Microsoft, visit the following Microsoft Web site:http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS To create a sample Visual Basic macro to make a chart from any range of cells, follow these steps:
  1. Start Excel, and then type the following data into a new worksheet:
       C3:         D3:  Region 1   E3:  Region 2   F3:  Region 3
   C4:  Jan    D4:  10         E4:  80         F4:  15
   C5:  Feb    D5:  20         E5:  70         F5:  25
   C6:  Mar    D6:  30         E6:  60         F6:  35
   C7:  Apr    D7:  40         E7:  50         F7:  45
  2. Press ALT+F11 to start the Visual Basic Editor.
  3. On the Insert menu, click Module.
  4. In the module sheet, type or paste the following code:
    Sub CreateChart()
   ' Select the cell in the upper-left corner of the chart.
   Range("C3").Select
   ' Select the current range of data. This line of code assumes that
   ' the current region of cells is contiguous - without empty rows
   ' or columns.
   Selection.CurrentRegion.Select
   ' Assign the address of the selected range of cells to a variable.
   myrange = Selection.Address
   ' Assign the name of the active sheet to a variable. This line is
   ' used in order to allow a chart to be created on a separate chart
   ' sheet.
   mysheetname = ActiveSheet.Name
   ' Add a chart to the active sheet.
   ActiveSheet.ChartObjects.Add(125.25, 60, 301.5, 155.25).Select
   ' To create a chart on a separate chart sheet, remark out the
   ' previous line, and substitute the next line for the one above.
   ' Charts.Add
   Application.CutCopyMode = False
   ' This line can best be written by recording a macro, and
   ' modifying the code generated by the Microsoft Excel Macro
   ' recorder.
   ActiveChart.ChartWizard _
      Source:=Sheets(mysheetname).Range(myrange), _
      Gallery:=xlLine, Format:=4, PlotBy:=xlRows, _
      CategoryLabels:=1, SeriesLabels:=1, HasLegend:=1, _
      Title:="", CategoryTitle:="", _
      ValueTitle:="", ExtraTitle:=""
End Sub
  5. Press ALT+F11 to return to Excel.
  6. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Macros.
  7. In the Macro name box, click CreateChart, and then click Run.NOTE: To change the range of cells that the macro uses to create a chart, change the cell reference in line three of the code (the line presently reads as follows:
    Range("C3").Select

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References

For more information about the ChartWizard method, in the Visual Basic Editor, click Microsoft Visual Basic Help on the Help menu, type chartwizard method in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.

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Keywords: KB213352, kbprogramming, kbinfo, kbhowto, kbdtacode

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Article Info
Article ID : 213352
Revision : 8
Created on : 11/23/2006
Published on : 11/23/2006
Exists online : False
Views : 292