How to Create a Pie Chart or a Doughnut Chart in Excel Programmatically using Java

Data visualization is crucial for transforming raw data into actionable insights, and Excel's pie and doughnut charts are excellent tools for representing proportions and compositions. While manually creating these charts can be tedious, especially with dynamic data, programmatic generation offers efficiency and automation. This tutorial will guide you through creating both pie and doughnut charts in Excel using Spire.XLS for Java, a powerful library designed for Excel manipulation. You'll learn to create a pie chart in Excel and create a doughnut chart in Excel with ease.

Introduction to Spire.XLS for Java & Installation

Spire.XLS for Java is a professional API that enables Java applications to create, read, write, and convert Excel documents without requiring Microsoft Excel to be installed on the system. It supports a wide range of Excel features, including charts, formulas, data validation, and more, making it an invaluable tool for developers looking to automate Excel tasks.

To integrate Spire.XLS for Java into your project, you'll typically add it as a Maven dependency. Here's how to do it:

Download the JAR file from the official E-iceblue website or use Maven.

Add the Maven dependency to your pom.xml file:

<repositories>
    <repository>
        <id>com.e-iceblue</id>
        <name>e-iceblue</name>
        <url>https://repo.e-iceblue.com/nexus/content/groups/public/</url>
    </repository>
</repositories>
<dependencies>
    <dependency>
        <groupId>e-iceblue</groupId>
        <artifactId>spire.xls</artifactId>
        <version>15.10.5</version>
    </dependency>
</dependencies>

Note: Replace 13.4.1 with the most recent version available on the E-iceblue website.

How to Create a Pie Chart in Excel with Java

Creating a pie chart involves preparing your data, adding a chart to a worksheet, specifying the chart type, and then configuring its data source and appearance.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to create a pie chart in Excel using Spire.XLS for Java:

• Initialize a Workbook: Create a new Workbook object and get the first Worksheet.
• Add Data to Worksheet: Populate cells with the data that will be used for the pie chart. This typically includes categories and their corresponding values.
• Add a Chart: Use the Worksheet.getCharts().add() method to add a new chart, specifying ExcelChartType.Pie.
• Set Chart Data Range: Specify the range of cells that contain the data for the chart using setDataRange() and setSeriesDataFromRange() for pie charts as data is usually one series.
• Set Chart Position: Define the location and size of the chart on the worksheet using setLeftColumn, setTopRow, setRightColumn, and setBottomRow.
• Set Chart Title: Assign a title to the chart using setChartTitle().
• Save the Workbook: Save the workbook to an Excel file.

import com.spire.xls.*;
import com.spire.xls.charts.ChartSerie;

import java.awt.*;

public class CreatePieChart {

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        //Create a Workbook object 
        Workbook workbook = new Workbook();

        //Get the first worksheet
        Worksheet sheet = workbook.getWorksheets().get(0);

        //Insert data to specified cells
        sheet.getCellRange("A1").setValue("Year");
        sheet.getCellRange("A2").setValue("2002");
        sheet.getCellRange("A3").setValue("2003");
        sheet.getCellRange("A4").setValue("2004");
        sheet.getCellRange("A5").setValue("2005");

        sheet.getCellRange("B1").setValue("Sales");
        sheet.getCellRange("B2").setNumberValue(4000);
        sheet.getCellRange("B3").setNumberValue(6000);
        sheet.getCellRange("B4").setNumberValue(7000);
        sheet.getCellRange("B5").setNumberValue(8500);

        //Set cell styles
        sheet.getCellRange("A1:B1").setRowHeight(15);
        sheet.getCellRange("A1:B1").getCellStyle().setColor(Color.darkGray);
        sheet.getCellRange("A1:B1").getCellStyle().getExcelFont().setColor(Color.white);
        sheet.getCellRange("A1:B5").getCellStyle().setVerticalAlignment(VerticalAlignType.Center);
        sheet.getCellRange("A1:B5").getCellStyle().setHorizontalAlignment(HorizontalAlignType.Center);

        //Set number format
        sheet.getCellRange("B2:C5").getCellStyle().setNumberFormat("\"$\"#,##0");

        //Add a pie chart to the worksheet
        Chart chart = sheet.getCharts().add(ExcelChartType.Pie);

        //Set data range for the chart
        chart.setDataRange(sheet.getCellRange("B2:B5"));
        chart.setSeriesDataFromRange(false);

        //Set position of the chart 
        chart.setLeftColumn(3);
        chart.setTopRow(1);
        chart.setRightColumn(11);
        chart.setBottomRow(20);

        //Set and format chart title
        chart.setChartTitle("Sales by year");
        chart.getChartTitleArea().isBold(true);
        chart.getChartTitleArea().setSize(12);

        //Get a specified series in the chart
        ChartSerie cs = chart.getSeries().get(0);

        //Set category labels for the series
        cs.setCategoryLabels(sheet.getCellRange("A2:A5"));

        //Set values for the series
        cs.setValues(sheet.getCellRange("B2:B5"));

        //Show data labels for data points
        cs.getDataPoints().getDefaultDataPoint().getDataLabels().hasValue(true);

        //Save the result file 
        workbook.saveToFile("PieChart.xlsx", ExcelVersion.Version2016);
    }
}

How to Create a Doughnut Chart in Excel Programmatically

Creating a doughnut chart is very similar to a pie chart, with one key difference: the chart type and the ability to set the doughnut hole size. Here’s how you can create a doughnut chart in Excel:

• Initialize a Workbook: Same as for a pie chart.
• Add Data to Worksheet: Populate cells with your data.
• Add a Chart: Use the Worksheet.getCharts().add() method to add a new chart, specifying ExcelChartType.Doughnut.
• Set Chart Position: Define the chart's location and size.
• Set Chart Data Range: Specify the data range and set setSeriesDataFromRange(false).
• Set Chart Title: Assign a title.
• Save the Workbook: Save the workbook to an Excel file.

import com.spire.xls.*;
import com.spire.xls.charts.ChartSerie;
import com.spire.xls.charts.ChartSeries;

import java.awt.*;

public class CreateDoughnutChart {

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        //Create a Workbook object 
        Workbook workbook = new Workbook();

        //Get the first worksheet
        Worksheet sheet = workbook.getWorksheets().get(0);

        //Insert data to specified cells
        sheet.getCellRange("A1").setValue("Country");
        sheet.getCellRange("A2").setValue("Cuba");
        sheet.getCellRange("A3").setValue("Mexico");
        sheet.getCellRange("A4").setValue("German");
        sheet.getCellRange("A5").setValue("Japan");


        sheet.getCellRange("B1").setValue("Sales");
        sheet.getCellRange("B2").setNumberValue(6000);
        sheet.getCellRange("B3").setNumberValue(8000);
        sheet.getCellRange("B4").setNumberValue(9000);
        sheet.getCellRange("B5").setNumberValue(8500);

        //Set cell styles
        sheet.getCellRange("A1:B1").setRowHeight(15);
        sheet.getCellRange("A1:B1").getCellStyle().setColor(Color.darkGray);
        sheet.getCellRange("A1:B1").getCellStyle().getExcelFont().setColor(Color.white);
        sheet.getCellRange("A1:B5").getCellStyle().setVerticalAlignment(VerticalAlignType.Center);
        sheet.getCellRange("A1:B5").getCellStyle().setHorizontalAlignment(HorizontalAlignType.Center);

        //Set number format
        sheet.getCellRange("B2:C5").getCellStyle().setNumberFormat("\"$\"#,##0");

        //Add a doughnut chart to the worksheet
        Chart chart = sheet.getCharts().add(ExcelChartType.Doughnut);

        //Set data range for chart
        chart.setDataRange(sheet.getCellRange("A1:B5"));
        chart.setSeriesDataFromRange(false);

        //Set position of the chart 
        chart.setLeftColumn(3);
        chart.setTopRow(1);
        chart.setRightColumn(11);
        chart.setBottomRow(20);

        //Set chart title 
        chart.setChartTitle("Market share by country");
        chart.getChartTitleArea().isBold(true);
        chart.getChartTitleArea().setSize(12);

        //Show data labels for data points
        ChartSeries series = chart.getSeries();
        for (int i = 0 ; i < series.size() ; i++) {
            ChartSerie cs = series.get(i);
            cs.getDataPoints().getDefaultDataPoint().getDataLabels().hasPercentage(true);
        }

        //Set the legend position of the chart
        chart.getLegend().setPosition(LegendPositionType.Top);

        //Save the result file
        workbook.saveToFile("DoughnutChart.xlsx", ExcelVersion.Version2016);
    }
}

By following these steps, you can easily create charts with Java that are visually appealing and convey information effectively.

Conclusion

This tutorial has demonstrated the seamless process of generating both pie and doughnut charts in Excel using Spire.XLS for Java. You've learned how to set up the library, prepare data, and programmatically configure various chart properties, including data ranges, titles, and data labels. The ability to create a pie chart in Excel and create a doughnut chart in Excel programmatically offers immense value for automating reports and dynamically visualizing data. Embrace the power of Spire.XLS for Java to streamline your Excel automation tasks and unlock more advanced charting possibilities for your applications.