Charts & Graphs

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

Hi,

I have developed a project tracker tool using Excel VBA, wherein people can
submit their projects. It's based on workflow process and has automatic
approval process.

Currently i am working on developing reports. I can read from database,
generate an excel file and even create a chart inside the excel file on the
fly, but all looks very dull to me.

I am looking for something which would make the report extraction an
attractive piece, something like Office web componennts (not sure if it works
in excel)...
Or kind of reports shown in Web using some external components.

Can anyone please guide me on this.

Many Thanks.
 
Sri,

Just a comment - I understand that Office Web Components are no longer
included with Office 2007.
 
If you want more "attractive" charts, I suppose you would like Excel 2007,
or you could use one of the third party charting apps designed for dot-net.
You can add gradients, shading, bevel shapes, shadows, glow effects,
transparencies, 3D effects and rotations, the whole works. Nobody will be
able to read what the chart is telling them, but if your project is over
budget and behind schedule, that's what you want, right?

Okay, let me get my tongue out of my cheek, before I bite myself.

If you care enough about the data, your charts should be designed to show
the data clearly, and not distract from it. The best way to show data is to
remove all nonessential effects (3D and fancy color shading and fill
patterns), stick with clean and simple chart styles (stick to XY, Line,
Column, Bar charts), stick with simple color styles.

If the data is so boring that you need to jazz it up, you might need
different data, or you need to change your message, or maybe you don't need
a chart after all.

- Jon
 
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