C#.NET Chart Source Code

The ProEssentials C#.NET UI source code comes as a Visual Studio VS2005 project. The code contains approximately 10,000 lines. The code compiles into an assembly "ChartUI.DLL" that is easily added to any .NET C#, VB, C++ project by simply adding a Reference or adding the project to create a multi-project solution.

ProEssentials popup menus:

• Right-Click Popup menus provide quick customizations and access to export and maximization.

• All properties effecting menu behavior are supported, including the CustomMenu features.

• In the image to right, note "Category A" and "Option" items are implemented via ProEssentials Custom Menu features (example 127 in the PeDemo).

• Given you have the source, the use of the Custom Menu features is now optional and still provides an easy method to add a quick item to our menus. But if you need full control of the menus, the source code provides the means.

• .NET also makes it easy to switch a menu from being a context-popup to a window strip-menu.

Customization Dialog:

• The customization dialogs allow the end user to adjust the chart's look, plotting style, select and/or deselect subsets/series/points/data, change axis ranges, change fonts, change chart and subset colors and subset styles.

• All properties effecting dialog behavior are supported, including the showing of various tabs and dialog sections.

• The Color tab implements color selector controls and the Style tab implements owner draw combo boxes to allow line-style and point-symbol-style adjustments.

• Having the source allows for the easy addition of more tabs and/or altering their contents.

• The source separates the customization dialog into 1) a .NET user control and 2) a simple WinForm dialog container. This allows the customization user control to be easily placed within other windows if needed.

Export Dialog:

• The export dialog allows end-user to export EMF, WMF, JPG, PNG images to clipboard or file. Export Text-Data to clipboard or file which is easily imported into Excel. And allows end-user to print high quality hard copies.

• All properties effecting dialog behavior are supported.

• Having the source allows for better integration with your software. The best advantages would be allowing custom page headers/footers on printouts, adding custom images/watermarks on printouts and image exports, and adding logic to automate multiple exports and printouts.

Print Dialog:

• The print dialog allows end-user to print a hard-copy of a chart. ProEssentials has many properties that effect the printing process. This dialog takes advantage of these features.

• Our print dialog allows for quickly adjusting the color / monochrome setting and immediately shows a WYSIWYG representation of the chart being printed.

• Our normal embedded native C++ print dialog logic has been ported to managed code. Managed code does have a big advantage over C++/MFC when interfacing with printers. Having the .NET source for this print dialog will jump start the process of creating the absolute best printing procedures for your unique needs.

Text-Data Export Dialog:

• The Text-Data export dialog allows end-user to export the chart's data in a text form in either tab or comma delimited format to clipboard or file destinations. The tab delimited form easily imports into MS Excel and MS Word via the clipboard or a file.

• All properties effecting text export behavior are supported. This allows for easily controlling default dialog settings so end user can store their common export settings within your application.

GENERAL HOW-TO

ProEssentials v6 version 6.0.0.74 or later is needed as new property interfaces are used with the new PEUI API.

ChartUI namespace

• CustomizeTabs Class: UserControl containing Tab control, Tab Pages, OK, Cancel, Apply, Export, and Maximize Buttons
• CustomizeDlg Class: WinForm used as a container of the CustomizeTabs UserControl.
• ExportDlg Class: WinForm used to export images, text/data to clipboard, file, printer.
• MaximizeDlg Class: WinForm used to contain maximized separate instance of chart.
• PrintDlg Class: WinForm providing printing functionality.
• TextExportDlg Class: WinForm providing Text/Data export to file or clipboard.
• ChartMenu Class: Class to create a ContextMenuStrip that will be attached to a chart.
  

1) Add a Reference to your project, browse and add "ChartUI.DLL"

2) Add to the top of any form containing a ProEssentials chart...

Imports ChartUI
Imports Gigasoft.ProEssentials.Enums

or

using ChartUI;
using Gigasoft.ProEssentials.Enums

3) When initializing chart, disable built in user interface like...

Pego1.PeSpecial.UsingUiSourceCode = True

...then allocate a ChartMenu object...

Dim cmenu_g As ChartUI.ChartMenu
cmenu_g = New ChartMenu(Pego1.PeSpecial.HObject, Pego1, Me)

or

ChartMenu cmenu_g;
cmenu_g = new ChartMenu(Pego1.PeSpecial.HObject, Pego1, this);

Be sure to call menu constructor at end of your chart initialization so menu type properties are reflected.
If you change properties effecting menu characteristics, re-call the constructor.

First parameter to ChartMenu constructor identifies control being effected by menu, it must be a ProEssentials control.
Second parameter can be any Window but is usually the same control. This attaches the ContextStripMenu to this window.

4) To replicate ProEssentials user interface...

a) Create a chart DoubleClick event to invoke code...

Dim cd As New CustomizeDlg(Pego1.PeSpecial.HObject)
cd.ShowDialog(Me)
or
CustomizeDlg cd = new CustomizeDlg(Pego1.PeSpecial.HObject);
cd.ShowDialog();

b) Create a chart KeyPress event to invoke code...

If (e.KeyChar = " ") Then
    Dim cd As New CustomizeDlg(Pego1.PeSpecial.HObject)
    cd.ShowDialog()
End If
If (e.KeyChar = "X" Or e.KeyChar = "x") Then
    Dim ed As New ExportDlg(Pego1.PeSpecial.HObject)
    ed.ShowDialog()
End If
If (e.KeyChar = "P" Or e.KeyChar = "p") Then
    Dim pd As New PrintDlg(Pego1.PeSpecial.HObject, 0, 0, True)
    pd.ShowDialog()
End If
If (e.KeyChar = "D" Or e.KeyChar = "d") Then
    Dim ted As New TextExportDlg(Pego1.PeSpecial.HObject, False, "")
    ted.ShowDialog()
End If
If (e.KeyChar = "M" Or e.KeyChar = "m") Then
    Dim md As New MaximizeDlg(Pego1.PeSpecial.HObject)
    md.ShowDialog(Me)
End If

or

if (e.KeyChar == ' ')
{
    CustomizeDlg cd = new CustomizeDlg(Pego1.PeSpecial.HObject);
    cd.ShowDialog();
}
if (e.KeyChar == 'X' || e.KeyChar == 'x')
{
    ExportDlg ed = new ExportDlg(Pego1.PeSpecial.HObject);
    ed.ShowDialog();
}
if (e.KeyChar == 'P' || e.KeyChar == 'p')
{
    PrintDlg pd = new PrintDlg(Pego1.PeSpecial.HObject, 0, 0, true);
    pd.ShowDialog();
}
if (e.KeyChar == 'D' || e.KeyChar == 'd')
{
    TextExportDlg ted = new TextExportDlg(Pego1.PeSpecial.HObject, false, "");     ted.ShowDialog();
}
if (e.KeyChar == 'M' || e.KeyChar == 'm')
{
    MaximizeDlg md = new MaximizeDlg(Pego1.PeSpecial.HObject);
    md.ShowDialog();
}