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RadChartView vs RadChart

With Q2 2012 we expanded our data visualization controls with one new member - RadChartView for WinForms. Developed to address the limitations and deficiencies identified in its predecessor (RadChart), the new control allows you to create interactive, rich, animated charts and enables the end users to analyze complex data. The fact that RadChartView and RadChart rely on different chart engines implies that the two controls differ in their series types, functionalities and features. This also suggests that there is not a straightforward migration path from one to the other. You may wonder what benefits the new RadChartView will bring you over the old RadChart for WinForms. This help topic aims to compare the two controls, so that you can choose the one that fits your scenario better.

Generally, we would encourage you to use the new ChartView control for any new project development that you are starting now. As for your existing applications - the migration is possible but there is no straightforward migration path between RadChart and RadChartView due to the different approach taken in the development of RadChartView.

Comparison sheets

Below you can find a tabular version that highlights some of the main features each control boasts:

Features and functionalities RadChartView RadChart
DateTime axes yes yes
Categorical axes yes yes
Polar axes yes no
Predefined color palettes (skins) yes yes
Tooltip yes* yes
User experience (styled tooltips) no* no
Distinct series configuration for each series type yes no
Chart Legend yes yes
Negative values support yes yes
Empty (missing) values support yes yes
Automatic layout adjustment yes yes
Multiple y axes yes yes***
Logarithmic axis yes yes, y-axis
Annotations yes yes, marked zone
Scale breaks yes yes
Zooming and Scrolling yes yes
Additional fine-tuning of the appearance yes yes
Selection yes yes
Visual designer yes yes
Export yes yes
Sampling yes no
Drilldown yes yes
Smart labels yes yes

Notes:

  • RadChartView currently supports only standard Tooltips that cannot be modified. The functionality will be available in a future release.

Below you may find the full list of series types available at present (R3 2012):

Chart type RadChartView RadChart
Bar yes yes
Stacked Bar yes yes
Stacked Bar 100% yes yes
Pie yes yes
Point (Scatter) yes yes
Scatter Line yes no
Scatter Point yes no
Scatter Area yes no
Line yes yes
Area yes yes
Stacked Area yes yes
Stacked Area 100% yes yes
Spline Area yes yes
Stacked Spline Area 100% yes yes
Bubble yes yes
Candlestick yes yes
OHLC stick series yes yes
Gantt no* yes
Bezier yes yes
Spline yes yes
Polar Line yes no
Polar Point yes no
Polar Area yes no
Radar Line yes no
Radar Point yes no
Radar Area yes no
Waterfall yes no
Funnel yes no
Range yes no
Range Bar yes no

You can use RangeBarSeries instead of Gantt series or you can use RadGanttView

See Also

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