Using Microsoft's Chart Controls In An ASP.NET Application: Enhancing Charts With Ajax

<p> Charts are typically used to provide a static snapshot of data. The underlying data might be based on various user inputs, but in the end the chart, once rendered, represents the end of the reporting workflow. However, other scenarios allow for a more interactive user experience. For example, in the <a Drill Down Reports</a> article we looked at how to configure the Chart control to allow the user to drill into a particular data point. Specifically, the demo contained a column chart showing the number of products in each category in the Northwind database. Clicking on a column whisked the user to a new page that details about the products in that category. Also, in certain situations the data populating the chart might be arriving from a sensor or some other source that is constantly being updated. In that case, we might want a real time chart whose data is periodically (and automatically) refreshed to show the latest data. </p><p> Ajax is a set of related techniques used in websites to build more interactive and responsive applications. <a Ajax Framework</a> offers developers both server- and client-side frameworks for developing Ajax-enabled applications. This article looks at how to use Ajax with the Microsoft Chart controls, focusing on two demos. In the first create a drill down report with a column chart that shows the gross sales per month for a particular category and fiscal year. The user can click on a particular column in the chart to see the breakdown of sales per day in that month on the same page. This breakdown is displayed in an UpdatePanel, and clicking on a column in the chart triggers an asynchronous postback. The other demo looks at using the <a control</a> to render a real time chart. </p><p> Read on to learn more! <br /><a More &gt;</a></p>

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