How to Use VB Graph Control to Graph Data from Grid Control

- Professional Edition of Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows,

  versions 2.0 and 3.0

  system for Windows, version 1.0

SUMMARY

This article contains an example of how to use a Graph custom control to graph the data contained in a Grid custom control.

In order to use either the Grid or the Graph control, you must add them to the Toolbox in the Visual Basic for Windows environment (in VB.EXE). You do this by selecting Add File from the File menu. From here select the Graph.VBX file, and then repeat the process for Grid.VBX. Graph.VBX and Grid.VBX should be found in your Windows\System directory.

MORE INFORMATION

To create the example, do the following:

1. Run Visual Basic for Windows, or from the File menu, choose New Project (ALT, F, N) if Visual Basic for Windows is already running. Form1 is created by default.

2. From the File menu, choose Add File. In the Files box, select the GRAPH.VBX custom control file. The Graph tool appears in the Toolbox.

3. Repeat step 2 for the GRID.VBX custom control file.

4. Add a Grid control (Grid1), a Graph control (Graph1), and a command button (Command1) to Form1.

5. In the Load event for Form1, add the following code:

      Sub Form_Load ()
         ' This Sub will do all the configuration for the Grid.
          ConfigureGrid
         ' This Sub will do all the configuration for the Graph.
          ConfigureGraph
      End Sub
   
   

6. Create the following subroutine in the general Declarations section of Form1 to make it callable from anywhere in the form:

       Sub ConfigureGrid ()
   

           ' Set the number of cols and rows for the grid.
           Grid1.Rows = 11
           Grid1.Cols = 4
   
           ' Set the alignment for the fixed col to centered.
           Grid1.FixedAlignment(0) = 2
   
           ' Set the alignment for the variable cols to centered.
           Grid1.ColAlignment(1) = 2
           Grid1.ColAlignment(2) = 2
           Grid1.ColAlignment(3) = 2
   
           Grid1.ScrollBars = 0
   
           ' Add the row labels.
           Grid1.Col = 0
           For i = 1 To 10
               Grid1.Row = i
               Grid1.Text = Str$(i)
           Next i
   
            ' Add the Col labels.
           Grid1.Row = 0
               Grid1.Col = 1
               Grid1.Text = "May"
               Grid1.Col = 2
               Grid1.Text = "June"
               Grid1.Col = 3
               Grid1.Text = "July"
   
         ' Set the starting cell on the Grid.
           Grid1.Row = 1
           Grid1.Col = 1
       End Sub
   
   

7. Create the following subroutine in the general Declarations section of Form1 to make it callable from anywhere on the form:

       Sub ConfigureGraph ()
         ' Set the Graph to auto increment.
           Graph1.AutoInc = 1
           Graph1.BottomTitle = "Months"
           Graph1.GraphCaption = "Graph Caption"
         ' Set the number of data groupings.
           Graph1.NumPoints = 10
         ' Set the number of data points per group.
           Graph1.NumSets = 3
       End Sub
   
   

8. Place the following line of code into the KeyPress event for Grid1:

       Sub Grid1_KeyPress (KeyAscii As Integer)
         ' This adds each keystroke to the data in the current cell.
           Grid1.Text = Grid1.Text + Chr$(KeyAscii)
       End Sub
   
   

9. For the Click event of Command1, enter the following code:

       Sub Command1_Click ()
      ' This Sub graphs the data in the Grid using the Graph control.
         ' Set the graph to the first point.
           Graph1.ThisSet = 1
           Graph1.ThisPoint = 1
       ' Load the GraphData array with all the values from the Grid,
       '    in order.
           For i = 1 To 3
               For j = 1 To 10
                   Grid1.Row = j
                   Grid1.Col = i
                   Graph1.GraphData = Val(Grid1.Text)
               Next j
           Next i
   
         ' This actually graphs the array to the Graph control.
           Graph1.DrawMode = 2
       End Sub