The object model is daunting at first, but does make sense.
SERIES: Do not think of a single series within a chart as a "chart". A
series is simply a set of data points plotted as a unit: a string of
markers with or without connecting lines, or a set of columns or bars
with the same format (unless you've changed that).
Instead of this:
> there are two CHARTGROUPS one linechart and one column chart
think in terms of this:
> there are two CHARTGROUPS one line SERIES and one column SERIES
CHART: This is the object with the series, the axes, the labels, and all
that. It can be a Chart Sheet, which is also called a chart. It can be
embedded in another sheet (a chart sheet or worksheet), in which case,
there is a ChartObject that contains it.
I think this distinction is evolutionary in nature. When I first started
using Excel (the papyrus version), there were several different Excel
file types: MySeries.xls was a worksheet, MyChart.xlc was a chart, and
MyMacro.xlm was a macro sheet. You could save a workspace (maybe with
the extension .xlw?), which included xls, xlc, and xlm files. In a newer
version, all of these were included within the xls files, and the
chartobject was the mechanism they invented to embed the chart file into
the worksheet.
CHARTOBJECT: This is the container that holds an embedded chart in a
sheet. To refer to its chart from VBA, you need to refer to the chart
object, then the chart:
Worksheets(1).ChartObjects(1).Chart.SeriesCollection(1).Name
"activesheet.charts.count" gives an error, because the active sheet has
chartobjects: "activesheet.chartobjects.count" gives the answer you are
seeking.
CHARTGROUPS: These are sets of series within a chart. There is a unique
chartgroup for each type of chart, for each axisgroup. I don't know why
your Column-Line chart had 1 chartgroup: it should have had 2 (were you
referring to the right chartobject, and the right worksheet?). If you
have a line chart with series on both the primary and secondary axes,
you have two chartgroups.
"activesheet.chartgroups.count" is not recognized by VBA, because
chartgroups is not a member of a worksheet. You need to reference the
chart and chartobject within which there are chartgroups:
"activesheet.chartobjects(1).chart.chartgroups.count"
If the active sheet is a chart sheet (a chart),
"activesheet.chartgroups.count" makes sense.
If you think this is confusing, just try to identify the active slide in
a PowerPoint presentation. The VBA object model diagram looks like a map
of downtown Boston.
- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services
http://PeltierTech.com/Excel/Charts/
_______
R.VENKATARAMAN wrote:
> I am fairly familiar with excel charting and also vba. But I am still
> confused with the terms like
>
> chartgroups
> chartgroup
> chartobjects
> chartobject
> charts
> chart,
> seires.
>
> Let me see how I have understood or misunderstood the various terms
>
> 1.SERIES denote the various charts in a chartsheet or worksheet(embedded)
>
> 2.if in a "chartsheet" I have three line charts and four column charts that
> means I have two CHARTGROUPS one group of linecharts and second group of
> column charts
>
> 3. now how to go one step down is it chart or series or chartgroups
>
> 4. CHARTOBJECTS are embedded charts in a worksheet.
> If I have two embedded charts in the active worksheet one line chart and one
> column chart (or even if I have two same type chars)
>
> ?activesheet.chartobjects.count(in the immediate window) gives 2. but if I
> write
> ?activeshet.chartgroups.count gives error message
> but the code
> MsgBox Worksheets(1).ChartObjects(1).Chart.ChartGroups.Count(as in help
> file)
> gives 1 even though I have one line chart and one column chart. Besides why
> does that term"chart" comes in.
> my perhaps faulty logic says that in the active worksheet
> there are 2 CHARTOBJECTS
> there are two CHARTS
> there are two CHARTGROUPS one linechart and one column chart
> so the above msgbox should give 2 and not 1.
> ?activesheet.Charts.count also gives error
>
> do you understand my confusion.
>
> The help in excel is of not much help atleast to me- not even their
> hierarchical diagrams . will anybody please direct me to any webpage so
> that my mind is clarified about how and when these terms can be used.
>
>
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