Activex Help

[asawyer13]

I try to do things myself by looking at examples on this forum, and reading any documentation that I can, and I suspect this shouldn't be too hard, but..

I am trying to get an Activex Charting control called ChartDirector to work in A5V9. I know the Activex control is installed and working because I can run the following vbscript and it generates the attached files just file.

I drop the Activex control on my form, but the OLE Object browser doesn't look right to me, and I can't seem to change from the vbs syntax to A5's.

I am willing to try suggestions, it's just having spent 3-4 hours last night on it, I'm ready for someone who knows what they're doing to help.

Thanks in advance,
Alan

vbscript code is here:

Sub createChart(img)

    Set cd = CreateObject("ChartDirector.API")

    ' query string to determine the starting angle and direction
    angle = 0
    clockwise = True
    If img <> "0" Then
        angle = 90
        clockwise = False
    End If

    ' The data for the pie chart
    data = Array(25, 18, 15, 12, 8, 30, 35)

    ' The labels for the pie chart
    labels = Array("Labor", "Licenses", "Taxes", "Legal", "Insurance", _
        "Facilities", "Production")

    ' Create a PieChart object of size 280 x 240 pixels
    Set c = cd.PieChart(280, 240)

    ' Set the center of the pie at (140, 130) and the radius to 80 pixels
    Call c.setPieSize(140, 130, 80)

    ' Add a title to the pie to show the start angle and direction
    If clockwise Then
        Call c.addTitle("Start Angle = " & angle & _
            " degrees<*br*>Direction = Clockwise")
    Else
        Call c.addTitle("Start Angle = " & angle & _
            " degrees<*br*>Direction = AntiClockwise")
    End If

    ' Set the pie start angle and direction
    Call c.setStartAngle(angle, clockwise)

    ' Draw the pie in 3D
    Call c.set3D()

    ' Set the pie data and the pie labels
    Call c.setData(data, labels)

    ' Explode the 1st sector (index = 0)
    Call c.setExplode(0)

    ' output the chart
    Call c.makeChart("anglepie" & img & ".png")

End Sub

Call createChart(0)
Call createChart(1)

[NoeticCC]

Re: Activex Help

Have you tried the ActiveX tutorial that ships with Alpha5? There are samples for various charts already there (Go to New - then select Activex Tutorial from the Sample and Tutorial Databases)

[asawyer13]

Re: Activex Help

Yes I have looked at those. They use SimpleChart for the Activex, and by looking at the tutorials for it, I can't get this one to work, since the syntax appears to be different, and SimpleCharts seems a little more integrated into A5.

And the ones that use the MS Chart control are similar, but again syntax looks like it's different, and that's basically where I'm having my problems.

Alan

[MikeC]

Re: Activex Help

Hi Alan,
I hope to learn a bit from this.....

As far as I have learned, the controls of an ActiveX component you place on a form is controlled via what is found in two places after right clicking--choosing "Show Xbasic to Set ActiveX Properties" or choosing "Events-->ActiveXEvent". Nowhere have I heard of someone using a vb script to control ActiveX....but as I said, I hope to learn something new here. :)

[asawyer13]

Re: Activex Help

I believe the vbscript needs to be converted to xbasic, however I don't seem to be able to determine how to do that.

Alan

[asawyer13]

Re: Activex Help

When I right click, I seem to be missing tons of Properties/Methods..

I don't really have much that looks correct. Maybe it's the ChartDirector DLL, though it works well with vbs and vb6. They also support ASP/php, etc, but that's a different story.

Alan

[asawyer13]

Re: Activex Help

Both the VB and VBS code uses Calls to do the work, so maybe that means that the properties/methods don't exist in the manner than we're used to.

Not sure, but I sure would like to figure out how to get it working.

Alan

[asawyer13]

Re: Activex Help

I am making a little progress.

I can almost get the program to create the chart on disk.

Here is code I'm using.

dim Chart as p
dim Graph as p
dim Return1 as p
dim Return2 as n
dim Return3 as c
dim data[1,5] as n
dim label[1,5] as c

data[1] = 500
data[2] = 800
data[3] = 200
data[4] = 1500
data[5] = 500

label[1] = "Monday"
label[2] = "Tuesday"
label[3] = "Wednesday"
label[4] = "Thursday"
label[5] = "Friday"

Chart = ole.Create("chartdirector.api")

'Graph = activex2.activex.this
Graph = Chart.piechart(280,240)

Return2 = Graph.SetPieSize(140,130,80)
Return1 = Graph.addTitle("Hello")
Return2 = Graph.setStartAngle(0,1)
Return2 = Graph.set3D()

Return2 = Graph.setData(data,label)

Return2 = Graph.setExplode(0)

Return3 = Graph.makeChart("c:\anglepie.png")

The file it produces is below.

Looks like I'm having a problem passing the data and labels, and of course, I'm not really doing anything with the Activex control yet, but at least it's doing something

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Alan

[Keith Hubert]

Re: Activex Help

Hi Alan,

SimpleChart is not as sophisticated as the chart you are trying to use, I wish it was.

I have attached two examples of what I have done with SimpleChart. As you can see on the PDF, you can print out a hard copy.

Here is the code for the Pie Chart

'Date Created: 01-Sep-2007 06:54:44 PM
'Last Updated: 07-Oct-2007 03:42:25 PM
'Created By : Keith Hubert
'Updated By : Keith Hubert

'Pie Chart

dim segment_ID as N =1
dim maxValue as N=0
dim maxsegment_ID as N=0
dim bigData as p

dim chart as P
dim tbl as p

tbl=table.current()

chart=activex2.activex.this
chart.chartdata.clear()
tbl.fetch_first()
while .not. tbl.fetch_eof()

chart.chartdata.add(tbl.Team,tbl.Total_Scores,0)
if (tbl.Total_Scores>maxValue) then
maxValue=tbl.Total_Scores
maxsegment_ID=segment_ID
end if
segment_ID=segment_ID+1
tbl.fetch_next()
end while

bigData= Chart.ChartData(maxsegment_ID)
bigData.Exploded = .t.
Chart.BorderVisible = .F.
'chart.ChartData(3).Hidden = .T.
chart.showpercentages=.T.
Chart.PercentTextFont.Bold = .T.
Chart.PieLabelMode =0 'scPieLabelModeOutside
chart.caption="Total Score Distribution"

Chart.LegendTitle = "Teams"
chart.refresh()

I will be interested in seeing what results you get with your Charting software.

If you would like help with SimpleChart let me know.

[asawyer13]

Re: Activex Help

I found out that I don't need the Return variables, but still having issues in passing the array and being able to get the actual activex control to be referenced and work.

I have moved the passing the array to a separate question, so maybe someone who is familiar with declarestruct or whatever I need to do, might be able to help since it's not a question that's specific to ChartDirector.

I don't give up easily, so I will continue and let you know what I come up with.

Alan

[asawyer13]

Re: Activex Help

Keith,
Thanks for the SimpleChart stuff also. If I get to where ChartDirector is a washout, I will look again at SimpleChart which does work.

Alan