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Chart Your Data
by Andy Clark

August 6, 2004

Chart FX for .NET from Software FX adds charting, maps, and statistical-analysis capability to VS.NET. This powerful set of tools supports both WinForms and Web Forms environments, and it accepts input data from a variety of sources (see Figure 1).

Chart FX integrates cleanly into VS.NET. Installation adds a Chart FX Developer Studio tab to your toolbox. Adding a chart to your application is as simple as dragging and dropping an object from the toolbox onto your form and working through Chart FX's chart wizard. The wizard allows you to select the type of chart, its color scheme, and its visual elements. Visual elements include bordering, axes labels, a legend box, a title, and a variety of other items. Chart FX supports many chart types—including line, pie, area, bar, scatter, combinational, and financial charts—and renders them attractively.

Chart FX can receive data from a variety of sources, including ADO data sets, text files, a crosstab provider, and XML files. It also accepts data from XML strings, arrays, and collections, through API calls. Chart FX decides automatically which columns should be labels and which columns represent charted data. You can override these assumptions through Chart FX's object-oriented API. Further, the API lets you modify presentation details such as fonts, colors, and chart types at run time.

Your users can also change presentation details at run time, including titles, colors, and even the type of chart. You don't need to add any code to make this happen. However, you do need to code for resizing. Chart FX doesn't include automatic support for runtime resizing, but it's simple to control through the API.

Chart FX comes with several other tools. They provide a variety of maps (world, continent, United States, states, counties, ZIP codes) and include a tool for creating custom maps. The maps are configured and populated at run time. The runtime interface gives the user the ability to zoom, drill down, change colors, and add labels to a map. Chart FX Statistical adds analytical functions such as mean, standard deviation, and linear regression to the chart control.

Chart FX for .NET comes with a hefty price tag. The base price includes a license for one developer and one server. Additional developer seats are $899 apiece, and each additional server license costs $1,599.

Chart FX gives you capable, flexible, and easy-to-use tools for adding powerful charting and mapping tools to your applications. The product's documentation and learning tools are excellent, and Software FX's support staff is responsive and knowledgeable. If your users are serious about charts, then you should consider Chart FX.

Chart FX for .NET
Software FX
Web: www.softwarefx.com
Phone: 800-392-4278; 561-999-8888
Price: $2,699
Quick Facts: Adds charting, maps, and statistical analysis to Windows and ASP.NET forms.
Pros: Simple to use; supports a variety of data-analysis tools.
Cons: Separate licensing fees for additional servers and development seats.

About the Author
Andy Clark is a consultant with iGate Inc. in the Richmond, Va., area. He holds PMP, MCSD, and SJCP certifications. Reach him at .