This section describes how to add a FlexChart control to your portable or shared app and add data to it. For information on how to add Xamarin components in C# or XAML, see Adding Xamarin Components using C# or Adding Xamarin Components using XAML.

This topic comprises of three steps:

• Step 1: Create a Data source for FlexChart
• Step 2: Add a FlexChart control
• Step 3: Run the Project

The following image shows how the FlexChart appears after completing the steps above.

Step 1: Create a Data source for FlexChart

The following classes serve as a data source for the FlexChart control.

public class FlexChartDataSource
{
    private List<Month> appData;

    public List<Month> Data
    {
        get { return appData; }
    }

    public FlexChartDataSource()
    {
        // appData
        appData = new List<Month>();
        var monthNames = "Jan,Feb,March,April,May,June,July,Aug,Sept,Oct,Nov,Dec".Split(',');
        var salesData = new[] { 5000, 8500, 7000, 6500, 12000, 14800, 18500, 7500, 6500, 13000, 20000, 9000 };
        var downloadsData = new[] { 6000, 7500, 12000, 5800, 11000, 7000, 16000, 17500, 19500, 13250, 13800, 19000 };
        var expensesData = new[] { 15000, 18000, 15500, 18500, 11000, 16000, 8000, 7500, 6500, 6000, 13500, 5000 };
        for (int i = 0; i < 12; i++)
        {
             Month tempMonth = new Month();
             tempMonth.Name = monthNames[i];
             tempMonth.Sales = salesData[i];
             tempMonth.Downloads = downloadsData[i];
             tempMonth.Expenses = expensesData[i];
             appData.Add(tempMonth);
    
        }
    }
}

public class Month
{
    string _name;
    long _sales, _downloads, _expenses;

    public string Name
    {
        get { return _name; }
        set { _name = value; }
    }

    public long Sales
    {
        get { return _sales; }
        set { _sales = value; }
    }
                        
    public long Downloads
    {
        get { return _downloads; }
        set { _downloads = value; }
    }
    public long Expenses
    {
        get { return _expenses; }
        set { _expenses = value; }
    }
}

Step 2: Add a FlexChart control

Complete the following steps to initialize a FlexChart control in C# or XAML.

In Code

1. Add a new class (for example QuickStart.cs) to your Portable or Shared project and include the following references:

   C#	Copy Code
   using Xamarin.Forms; using C1.Xamarin.Forms.Chart;

2. Instantiate a FlexChart control in a new method GetChartControl( ).

   C#	Copy Code
   public static FlexChart GetChartControl() { FlexChart chart = new FlexChart(); FlexChartDataSource ds = new FlexChartDataSource(); chart.ItemsSource = ds.Data; chart.BindingX = "Name"; ChartSeries series = new ChartSeries(); series.SeriesName = "Sales"; series.Binding = "Sales"; series.ChartType = ChartType.Column; chart.Series.Add(series); return chart; }

In XAML

1. Add a new Content Page (for example QuickStart.xaml) to your Portable or Shared project and modify the <ContentPage> tag to include the following references:

   XAML	Copy Code
   <ContentPage xmlns="http://xamarin.com/schemas/2014/forms" xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2009/xaml" x:Class="Test_XAML.QuickStart" xmlns:c1="clr-namespace:C1.Xamarin.Forms.Chart;assembly=C1.Xamarin.Forms.Chart">

2. Initialize a FlexChart control by adding the markup for the control between the <ContentPage></ContentPage> tags and inside the <StackLayout></StackLayout> tags, as shown below.

   XAML	Copy Code
   <StackLayout> <c1:FlexChart x:Name="chart" ItemsSource="{Binding Data}" BindingX="Name" ChartType="Column" Grid.Row="1" Grid.ColumnSpan="2" VericalOptions="FillAndExpand"> <c1:FlexChart.Series> <c1:ChartSeries x:Name="Sales2015" SeriesName ="Sales" Binding="Sales" ></c1:ChartSeries> </c1:FlexChart.Series> </c1:FlexChart> </StackLayout>

3. In the Solution Explorer, expand the QuickStart.xaml node and open QuickStart.xaml.cs to view the C# code.
4. In the QuickStart( ) class constructor, set the BindingContext for the FlexChart.

   The following code shows what the QuickStart( ) class constructor looks like after completing this step.

   C#	Copy Code
   public QuickStart() { InitializeComponent(); chart.BindingContext = new FlexChartDataSource(); }

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Step 3: Run the Project

1. In the Solution Explorer, double click App.cs to open it.
2. Complete the following steps to display the FlexChart control.
   • To return a C# class: In the class constructor App( ), set a new ContentPage as the MainPage and assign the control to the ContentPage's Content by invoking the method GetChartControl( ) defined in the previous procedure, Step 2: Add a FlexChart Control.

     The following code shows the class constructor App() after completing steps above.

     C#	Copy Code
     public App() { // The root page of your application MainPage = new ContentPage { Content = QuickStart.GetChartControl() }; }

   • To return a Content Page: In the class constructor App(), set the Content Page QuickStart as the MainPage.

     The following code shows the class constructor App(), after completing this step.

     C#	Copy Code
     public App() { // The root page of your application MainPage = new QuickStart(); }

3. Some additional steps are required to run iOS and UWP apps:
   • iOS App:
     1. In the Solution Explorer, double click AppDelegate.cs inside YourAppName.iOS project to open it.
     2. Add the following code to the FinishedLaunching() method.

        C#	Copy Code
        C1.Xamarin.Forms.Chart.Platform.iOS.FlexChartRenderer.Init();

   • UWP App:
     1. In the Solution Explorer, expand MainPage.xaml.
     2. Double click MainPage.xaml.cs to open it.
     3. Add the following code to the class constructor.

        C#	Copy Code
        C1.Xamarin.Forms.Chart.Platform.UWP.FlexChartRenderer.Init();

     4. (Optional) In case you compile your UWP application in Release mode, you need to explicitly add the following code to the OnLaunched method in your App.xaml.cs to include the correct assemblies within your application.

        C#	Copy Code
        var assembliesToInclude = new List<Assembly>(); assembliesToInclude.Add(typeof(C1.Xamarin.Forms.Chart.Platform.UWP.FlexChartRenderer) .GetTypeInfo().Assembly); assembliesToInclude.Add(typeof(C1.UWP.Chart.FlexChart).GetTypeInfo().Assembly); Xamarin.Forms.Forms.Init(e, assembliesToInclude);

4. Press F5 to run the project.