Chart

Different chart types can have many different components defined in the XML, and not all are shown here. For many charts though, at a very high level, the chart XML is composed of the following pieces:

<chartSpace>
  <chart>
    <view3D>
    <plotArea>
      <layOut>
      <barChart>
        <cat>
        <val>
      <catAx>
      <valAx>
    </plotArea>
    <legend>
  </chart>
  <printSettings>
</chartSpace>

<chartSpace> is the root node, which contains an element defining the chart, and an element defining the print settings for the chart.

<chart> is the root element for the chart. If the chart is a 3D chart, then a <view3D> element is contained, which specifies the 3D view. It then has a plot area, which defines a layout and contains an element that corresponds to, and defines, the type of chart.

The element that defines the type of chart, <barChart> in this case, also specify caches for both category axis data (which is really just strings for the categories), as well as the for the numbers, or values, shown on the chart. The <cat> element defines the string cache for the category axis, and the <val >element defines the number caches.

Depending on the type of the chart, the plot area may optionally contain elements that define the axes—such as the value axis and category axis—or shape properties. In the example above, the category axis, <catAx>, and value axis, <valAx >are defined. These define things like positioning, orientation, label position, and tick marks for the axis. The actual strings and data that the axis corresponds to are defined by the< cat> and <val> elements.

Lastly, the <chart> element contains a <legend> element which defines the chart legend.