Quick Start: Add Data to FlexChart

This section describes how to add a FlexChart control to your MVC web application and add data to it.

This topic comprises of four steps:

Step 1: Create an MVC Application
Step 2: Create a Datasource for FlexChart
Step 3: Add a FlexChart control
Step 4: Build and Run the Project

The following image shows how FlexChart appears after completing the steps above:

Step 1: Create an MVC Application

Create a new MVC application using the ComponentOne or VisualStudio templates. For more information about creating an MVC application, see Configuring your MVC Application topic.

Step 2: Create a Datasource for FlexChart

Add a new class to the folder Models (for example: FlexChartDataSource.cs). See Adding controls to know how to add a new model.

Add the following code to the new model to define the classes that serve as a datasource for the FlexChart control.

Index.cshtml	Copy Code
public class FlexChartDataSource { public string Name { get; set; } public int MarPrice { get; set; } public int AprPrice { get; set; } public int MayPrice { get; set; } private IEnumerable<FruitSale> _sales = null; public IEnumerable<FruitSale> Sales { get { if (_sales == null) { _sales = GetSales(); } return _sales; } } public static IEnumerable<FlexChartDataSource> GetFruitsSales() { var rand = new Random(0); var fruits = new[] { "Oranges", "Apples", "Pears", "Bananas", "Pineapples" }; var list = fruits.Select((f, i) => { int mar = rand.Next(1, 6); int apr = rand.Next(1, 9); int may = rand.Next(1, 6); return new FlexChartDataSource { Name = f, MarPrice = mar, AprPrice = apr, MayPrice = may }; }); return list; } private IEnumerable<FruitSale> GetSales() { var rand = new Random(0); var today = DateTime.Now.Date; var firstDay = new DateTime(today.Year - 1, 3, 1); var dataTimes = new List<DateTime>(); for (int i = 0; i < 92; i++) { dataTimes.Add(firstDay.AddDays(i + 1)); } var list = dataTimes.Select((date, i) => { FruitSale sale = new FruitSale { Date = date }; sale.SalesInChina = rand.Next(150, 250); if (i % 30 != 0) { sale.SalesInUSA = rand.Next(100, 200); sale.SalesInJapan = rand.Next(0, 100); } else { sale.SalesInUSA = null; sale.SalesInJapan = null; } return sale; }); return list; } } public class FruitSale { public DateTime Date { get; set; } public int? SalesInUSA { get; set; } public int? SalesInChina { get; set; } public int? SalesInJapan { get; set; } }

Index.cshtml

Copy Code

public class FlexChartDataSource
{
    public string Name { get; set; }

    public int MarPrice { get; set; }
    public int AprPrice { get; set; }
    public int MayPrice { get; set; }

    private IEnumerable<FruitSale> _sales = null;
    public IEnumerable<FruitSale> Sales
    {
        get
        {
            if (_sales == null)
            {
                _sales = GetSales();
            }
            return _sales;
        }
    }

    public static IEnumerable<FlexChartDataSource> GetFruitsSales()
    {
        var rand = new Random(0);
        var fruits = new[] { "Oranges", "Apples", "Pears", "Bananas", "Pineapples" };
        var list = fruits.Select((f, i) =>
        {
            int mar = rand.Next(1, 6);
            int apr = rand.Next(1, 9);
            int may = rand.Next(1, 6);
            return new FlexChartDataSource { Name = f, MarPrice = mar, AprPrice = apr, MayPrice = may };
        });

        return list;
    }

    private IEnumerable<FruitSale> GetSales()
    {
        var rand = new Random(0);
        var today = DateTime.Now.Date;
        var firstDay = new DateTime(today.Year - 1, 3, 1);
        var dataTimes = new List<DateTime>();
        for (int i = 0; i < 92; i++)
        {
            dataTimes.Add(firstDay.AddDays(i + 1));
        }
        var list = dataTimes.Select((date, i) =>
        {
            FruitSale sale = new FruitSale { Date = date };
            sale.SalesInChina = rand.Next(150, 250);
            if (i % 30 != 0)
            {
                sale.SalesInUSA = rand.Next(100, 200);
                sale.SalesInJapan = rand.Next(0, 100);
            }
            else
            {
                sale.SalesInUSA = null;
                sale.SalesInJapan = null;
            }

            return sale;
        });

        return list;
    }
}

public class FruitSale
{
    public DateTime Date { get; set; }
    public int? SalesInUSA { get; set; }
    public int? SalesInChina { get; set; }
    public int? SalesInJapan { get; set; }
}

Step 3: Add a FlexChart control

Complete the following steps to initialize a FlexChart control.

Add a new Controller

In the Solution Explorer, right click the folder Controllers.
From the context menu, select Add | Controller. The Add Scaffold dialog appears.
Complete the following steps in the Add Scaffold dialog:
1. Select Empty MVC Controller template.
2. Set name of the controller (for example: QuickStartController).
3. Click Add.

Include the MVC references as shown below.

C#	Copy Code
using C1.Web.Mvc; using C1.Web.Mvc.Serializition; using C1.Web.Mvc.Chart;

Replace the method Index() with the following method.

C#	Copy Code
public ActionResult QuickStart() { // Set DataSource FlexChartDataSource ds = new FlexChartDataSource(); return View(ds.Sales); }

Add a View for the Controller

From the Solution Explorer, expand the folder Controllers and double click the controller QuickStartController to open it.
Place the cursor inside the method QuickStart().
Right click and select Add View. The Add View dialog appears.
In the Add View dialog, verify that the view name is QuickStart and View engine is Razor (CSHTML).
Click Add. A view is added for the controller.

Instantiate a FlexChart control in the view QuickStart as shown below.

ASP.NET Core

HTML	Copy Code
<c1-flex-chart binding-x="Name"chart-type="ChartType.Column" > <c1-items-source source-collection="Model"></c1-items-source> <c1-flex-chart-series binding="SalesInUSA" name="Sales in USA"> </c1-flex-chart-series> </c1-flex-chart>

HTML

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<c1-flex-chart binding-x="Name"chart-type="ChartType.Column" >
    <c1-items-source source-collection="Model"></c1-items-source>
    <c1-flex-chart-series binding="SalesInUSA" name="Sales in USA">
    </c1-flex-chart-series>
</c1-flex-chart>

Step 4: Build and Run the Project

Click Build | Build Solution to build the project.
Press F5 to run the project.
Append the folder name and view name to the generated URL (for example: http://localhost:1234/FlexChart/Index) in the address bar of the browser to see the view.