How to create an automated dynamic line graph in Excel VBA

Question

I have a work problem. I have a data report with tons of information in it and I need to create 3 line graphs to represent 3 different values over time. The time is also in the report and is the same time for all of the values. I am having trouble finding a solution specific to me in forums elsewhere.

The data report varies in length, rows. What I need to do is to create the 3 line graphs and have them positioned horizontally, a few rows under the end of the report. Two of the graphs have one series each and the third has two series.

This is what the graphs need to include:

Graph 1: RPM over Time
Graph 2: Pressure over Time
Graph 3: Step burn off and Demand burn off over Time

I am just getting into VBA because of a recent position change at work and I know very little about it but I have spent a lot of time figuring out how to write other macros for the same report. Since my verbal representation of the workbook is unclear I have attached a link to a sample of the data report for viewing.

Data Report Workbook Download

Here is what I have so far. It works for the first chart. Now what can I put in the code to name the chart "RPM" and to name the series "RPM"?

    Sub Test()
    Dim LastRow As Long
    Dim Rng1 As Range
    Dim ShName As String
    With ActiveSheet
        LastRow = .Range("B" & .Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Row
        Set Rng1 = .Range("B2:B" & LastRow & ", E2:E" & LastRow)
        ShName = .Name

    End With
    Charts.Add
    With ActiveChart
        .ChartType = xlLine
        .SetSourceData Source:=Rng1
        .Location Where:=xlLocationAsObject, Name:=ShName
    End With
End Sub

I have figured out how to put the chart name in via VBA. The code now looks like this:

Sub Test()
    Dim LastRow As Long
    Dim Rng1 As Range
    Dim ShName As String
    With ActiveSheet
        LastRow = .Range("B" & .Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Row
        Set Rng1 = .Range("B2:B" & LastRow & ", E2:E" & LastRow)
        ShName = .Name
    End With

    Charts.Add
    With ActiveChart
        .ChartType = xlLine
        .HasTitle = True
        .ChartTitle.Text = "RPM"
        .SetSourceData Source:=Rng1
        .Location Where:=xlLocationAsObject, Name:=ShName
    End With

End Sub

I will next be working on the series title and then on to having the chart place itself under the report data. Suggestions and comments welcome.

The updated code below creates the rpm chart and the pressure chart separately. The last chart needs two series and I am working on that now.

Sub chts()

'RPM chart-------------------------------------
    Dim LastRow As Long
    Dim Rng1 As Range
    Dim ShName As String
    With ActiveSheet
        LastRow = .Range("B" & .Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Row
        Set Rng1 = .Range("B2:B" & LastRow & ", E2:E" & LastRow)
        ShName = .Name
    End With

    Charts.Add
    With ActiveChart
        .ChartType = xlLine
        .HasTitle = True
        .ChartTitle.Text = "RPM"
        .SetSourceData Source:=Rng1
        .Location Where:=xlLocationAsObject, Name:=ShName
    End With

    With ActiveChart.SeriesCollection(1)
        .Name = "RPM"
    End With

' Pressure chart --------------------------------

    Dim LastRow2 As Long
    Dim Rng2 As Range
    Dim ShName2 As String
    With ActiveSheet
        LastRow2 = .Range("B" & .Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Row
        Set Rng2 = .Range("B2:B" & LastRow2 & ", G2:G" & LastRow2)
        ShName2 = .Name
    End With

    Charts.Add
    With ActiveChart
        .ChartType = xlLine
        .HasTitle = True
        .ChartTitle.Text = "Pressure/psi"
        .SetSourceData Source:=Rng2
        .Location Where:=xlLocationAsObject, Name:=ShName2
    End With

    With ActiveChart.SeriesCollection(1)
        .Name = "Pressure"
    End With
End Sub

David, I am curious to see how your code works with my worksheet but I'm not sure how to fix the syntax error.

Answer 1

To manipulate the Series title (you only have one series in each of these charts) you could do simply:

With ActiveChart.SeriesCollection(1)
    .Name = "RPM"
    '## You can further manipulate some series properties, like: '
    '.XValues = range_variable  '## you can assign a range of categorylabels here'
    '.Values = another_range_variable '## you can assign a range of Values here'
End With

Now, what code you have is adding charts to the sheet. But once they have been created, presumably you don't want to re-add a new chart, you just want to update the existing chart.

Assuming you only will have one series in each of these charts, you could do something like this to update the charts.

How it works is by iterating over each chart in the worksheet's chartobjects collection, and then determining what Range to use for the Series Values, based on the chart's title.

REVISED to account for the third chart which has 2 series.

REVISED #2 To add series to chart if chart does not have series data.

Sub UpdateCharts()
Dim cObj As ChartObject
Dim cht As Chart
Dim shtName As String
Dim chtName As String
Dim xValRange As Range
Dim LastRow As Long

With ActiveSheet
    LastRow = .Range("B" & .Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Row
    Set xValRange = .Range("B2:B" & LastRow)
    shtName = .Name & " "
End With


'## This sets values for Series 1 in each chart ##'
For Each cObj In ActiveSheet.ChartObjects
    Set cht = cObj.Chart
    chtName = shtName & cht.Name

    If cht.SeriesCollection.Count = 0 Then
    '## Add a dummy series which will be replaced in the code below ##'
        With cht.SeriesCollection.NewSeries
            .Values = "{1,2,3}"
            .XValues = xValRange
        End With

    End If

    '## Assuming only one series per chart, we just reset the Values & XValues per chart ##'
    With cht.SeriesCollection(1)
    '## Assign the category/XValues ##'
       .XValues = xValRange

    '## Here, we set the range to use for Values, based on the chart name: ##'
        Select Case Replace(chtName, shtName, vbNullString)
             Case "RPM"
                  .Values = xValRange.Offset(0, 3) '## Column E is 3 offset from the xValRange in column B
             Case "Pressure/psi"
                  .Values = xValRange.Offset(0, 5) '## Column G is 5 offset from the xValRange in column B
             Case "Third Chart"
                .Values = xValRange.Offset(0, 6)   '## Column H is 6 offset from the xValRange in column B

                '## Make sure this chart has 2 series, if not, add a dummy series ##'
                If cht.SeriesCollection.Count < 2 Then
                    With cht.SeriesCollection.NewSeries
                        .XValues = "{1,2,3}"
                    End With
                End If
                '## add the data for second series: ##'
                cht.SeriesCollection(2).XValues = xValRange
                cht.SeriesCollection(2).Values = xValRange.Offset(0, 8)  '## Column J is 8 offset from the xValRange in column B

             Case "Add as many of these Cases as you need"

        End Select

    End With

Next
End Sub

REVISION #3 To allow for creation of charts if they do not already exist in the worksheet, add these lines to the bottom of your DeleteRows_0_Step() subroutine:

Run "CreateCharts"

Run "UpdateCharts"

Then, add these subroutines to the same code module:

Private Sub CreateCharts()

Dim chts() As Variant
Dim cObj As Shape
Dim cht As Chart
Dim chtLeft As Double, chtTop As Double, chtWidth As Double, chtHeight As Double
Dim lastRow As Long
Dim c As Long
Dim ws As Worksheet

Set ws = ActiveSheet
lastRow = ws.Range("A1", Range("A2").End(xlDown)).Rows.Count

c = -1
'## Create an array of chart names in this sheet. ##'
For Each cObj In ActiveSheet.Shapes
    If cObj.HasChart Then
        ReDim Preserve chts(c)
        chts(c) = cObj.Name

        c = c + 1
    End If
Next

'## Check to see if your charts exist on the worksheet ##'
If c = -1 Then
    ReDim Preserve chts(0)
    chts(0) = ""
End If
If IsError(Application.Match("RPM", chts, False)) Then
    '## Add this chart ##'
    chtLeft = ws.Cells(lastRow, 1).Left
    chtTop = ws.Cells(lastRow, 1).Top + ws.Cells(lastRow, 1).Height
    Set cObj = ws.Shapes.AddChart(xlLine, chtLeft, chtTop, 355, 211)
        cObj.Name = "RPM"
        cObj.Chart.HasTitle = True
        Set cht = cObj.Chart
        cht.ChartTitle.Characters.Text = "RPM"
        clearChart cht
End If


If IsError(Application.Match("Pressure/psi", chts, False)) Then
    '## Add this chart ##'
    With ws.ChartObjects("RPM")
        chtLeft = .Left + .Width + 10
        chtTop = .Top
        Set cObj = ws.Shapes.AddChart(xlLine, chtLeft, chtTop, 355, 211)
        cObj.Name = "Pressure/psi"
        cObj.Chart.HasTitle = True
        Set cht = cObj.Chart
        cht.ChartTitle.Characters.Text = "Pressure/psi"
        clearChart cht
    End With
End If


If IsError(Application.Match("Third Chart", chts, False)) Then
    '## Add this chart ##'
    With ws.ChartObjects("Pressure/psi")
        chtLeft = .Left + .Width + 10
        chtTop = .Top
        Set cObj = ws.Shapes.AddChart(xlLine, chtLeft, chtTop, 355, 211)
        cObj.Name = "Third Chart"
        cObj.Chart.HasTitle = True
        Set cht = cObj.Chart
        cht.ChartTitle.Characters.Text = "Third Chart"
        clearChart cht
    End With
End If


End Sub

Private Sub clearChart(cht As Chart)
Dim srs As Series
For Each srs In cht.SeriesCollection
    If Not cht.SeriesCollection.Count = 1 Then srs.Delete
Next
End Sub