Dundas Chart for .NET 4.1

asp:review

Dundas Chart for .NET 4.1

Enterprise Edition Exceeds Expectations

By Mike Riley

There s a reason why Dundas Chart for .NET won the asp.netPRO Readers Choice Awards 2004 Best Charting& Graphics Tool category it s simply one of the most comprehensive andeasy to use chart-generation components for the .NET platform on the markettoday (see Figure 1). Although I had never worked with Dundas Chart for .NET, Ihad high expectations for the product given the accolades previous versions hadreceived. Expectations can quickly turn into critical disappointment when thereal-world performance fails to meet the hype, but I can honestly say that notonly were all my expectations met, they were exceeded. Even though there was aglitch during the product s installation (the installer failed when attemptingto remove generated backup files), everything else beyond that point cementedthe fact that this is one of the most impressive charting packages for the .NETplatform with which I have ever worked.

Figure 1: The Stock Market Demo notonly shows how easy it is to build a stunning Web-enabled data-dependentcharting application that rivals the layouts of PDF-generated reports, but it alsodemonstrates the interactive flexibility and development approaches that workbest with the product.

Besides the customary pie, bar, and line charts presented instandard and 3D display format, Dundas Chart features more than 50 chart types inthe Enterprise Edition, including the exotic Kagi, Renko, and Spline Rangecharts, to name a few. In addition to the level of flexibility offered in thearray of chart types provided, the charts themselves can be delivered as staticimages or, unique to Dundas Chart, as Flash or SVG animations (see Figure 2). Ididn t think this would make a big impression on me; however, after seeingthese in action, my mind was bubbling with new ways to present dry data inamazing contexts. Not even rich-client Excel-generated charts offer this kindof functionality out of the box. Another unique feature that is very cool isthe addition of what Dundas callsSmart Data Labels. These focal points help highlight plots on a graph thatrequire attention or that benefit from added numeric or label detail. Thesevisual cues make deciphering important data points and anomalies considerablyeasier, and it s another bonus that helps to acknowledge how Dundashas incorporated a seemingly obvious feature that was rarely available in pastcharting solutions.

Figure 2: One of the most visuallyimpressive features available in the Enterprise Edition is chart animationsusing Flash or SVG. Programming this eye candy into Web page displays simplytakes a few lines of additional code.

Designing the ideal chart for display is made considerablyeasier using the Chart & Data Wizard instantiated within the VisualStudio.NET IDE (see Figure 3). The level of granular access to the variousattributes is nearly overwhelming, and a bedazzled developer could literallyspend days tweaking all the settings to produce the perfect chart. About theonly distraction I found with this was the tool s insistence to use a maskedform that is popular these days with media applications. I personally preferthe same consistent look and feel with my VS.NET IDE tools, and the Chart &Data Wizard was not only annoying to move around on screen because of itsirregularly shaped curved boundaries, but it also prevented me from expandingthe dialog box to a full screen view. Instead, I often felt constrained workingwithin the smaller design window, especially when I wanted to dial up severaldisplay values on the same screen that a larger dialog box real-estate couldhave afforded me. Nevertheless, it s still quite functional and does the jobwell enough to not dwell on its restrictions.

Figure 3: The Chart & DataWizard allows manipulation of even the most minute detail in the presentationof charts and graphs.

Dundasobviously is committed to providing the best set of charting componentsavailable for the .NET environment today. The product ships with excellentMSDN-formatted documentation and over 150 easy to understand examples in bothC# and VB.NET syntax. If your next .NET project demands a sophisticatedcharting component, with the widest variety of charts with an easy programmingmodel and tremendously flexible design, I highly recommend purchasing a copy ofDundas Chart for .NET Enterprise Edition. I predict you ll watch thesatisfaction of your application users rise to new heights.

MikeRiley is anadvanced computing professional specializing in emerging technologies and newdevelopment trends. Readers may contact him at mailto:[email protected].

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Web Site: http://www.dundas.com

Price: US$2,999(single-developer license, one test server, and one production server license)