Using Microsoft's Chart Controls In An ASP.NET Application: Using the Chart Controls with ASP.NET MV

[EDN Admin]

The Microsoft Chart controls are a series of classes in the http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.web.ui.datavisualization.charting.aspx

System.Web.UI.DataVisualization.Charting

namespace that allow web developers to ability to add charts to their ASP.NET applications. The most pertinent charting-related class is the
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.web.ui.datavisualization.charting.chart.aspx

Chart

class , which contains information about
the charts appearance, series, charting areas, and so forth. In most of the demos and code samples weve explored thus far, weve used the

Chart

class
as a Web control, adding the

<asp:Chart>

declarative markup to our ASP.NET page, setting a few properties and, occasionally, writing a few lines
of code. When used as a Web control, the

Chart

class both creates the chart (as an image) and then renders an

<img>

element that points
to the generated chart image.

Using the Chart Web control is a standard practice in a WebForms application, but it is not suggested when building an
http://www.asp.net/mvc ASP.NET MVC application. (While it is possible to add Web controls - including the Chat Web control - to the views of an
ASP.NET MVC application, it is generally frowned upon.) So, if we cant use the Chart Web control in an ASP.NET MVC application, how do we display a chart?
In addition to being used as a Web control, the

Chart

class can also be used programmatically. It is quite possible to create a new

Chart

object,
set some properties, plot the data points, and then generate the chart image. In fact, we looked at using this technique in an earlier installment,
http://www.4guysfromrolla.com/articles/093009-1.aspx Programmatically Generating Chart Images , in which we saw (among other things) how to generate chart
images programmatically and add them as attachments in an email message.

This article explores how to display charts in an ASP.NET MVC application. Read on to learn more!

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