# Getting Started with WinForms ChartView

This article shows how you can start using **RadChartView**.

## Adding Telerik Assemblies Using NuGet

To use `RadChartView` when working with NuGet packages, install the `Telerik.UI.for.WinForms.AllControls` package. The [package target framework version may vary](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/visual-studio-integration/available-nugets).

If you don’t need all controls, you can instead install a more lightweight package targeting only RadChartView: **UI.for.WinForms.ChartView**. This package has a dependency on **UI.for.WinForms.Common**, which will be automatically installed when adding the **ChartView NuGet**.

Read more about NuGet installation in the [Install using NuGet Packages](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/installation-and-upgrades/install-using-nuget) article.

> tip With the 2025 Q1 release, the Telerik UI for WinForms has a new licensing mechanism. You can learn more about it [here](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/licensing/license-key).

## Adding Assembly References Manually

When dragging and dropping a control from the Visual Studio (VS) Toolbox onto the Form Designer, VS automatically adds the necessary assemblies. However, if you're adding the control programmatically, you'll need to manually reference the following assemblies:

* **Telerik.Licensing.Runtime**
* **Telerik.WinControls**
* **Telerik.WinControls.UI**
* **TelerikCommon**

The Telerik UI for WinForms assemblies can be install by using one of the available [installation approaches](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/installation-and-upgrades/installing-on-your-computer).

## Defining the RadChartView

The example below demonstrates setting up **RadChartView** to display data from the *Northwind* database.

### Setting up the Form 

1. Create a new **Windows Application** project.

2. Drop a **RadChartView** control on the form.

### Connecting to Data

1. Open the **Smart Tag** of the control and in the **Cooose DataSource** drop down select *Add Project Data Source..*

   ![WinForms RadChartView Data Smart Tag](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/assets/dd5cfbf2dfd34bda14401b81ae4be26e/radchartview-getting-started001.png)

2. In the **Data Source Configuration Wizard**, select the *Database* icon, and click *Next*.

   ![WinForms RadChartView Data Source Configuration Wizard](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/assets/533bba5baf0549e1496a902da2090744/radchartview-getting-started002.png)

3. In the **Choose a Database Model** page of the wizard, select the *Dataset* icon and click *Next*.

4. In the **Choose Your Data Connection** dialog, click on the *New Connection* button. This will display the Add Connection dialog.

5. In the **Change Data Source dialog**, select *Microsoft Access Data Base File* from the data source list.

6. Click *OK* to close the **Change Data Source** dialog.

7. In the **Add Connection** dialog, click on the *Browse* button. This step will display the **Select Microsoft Access Database File** dialog.

8. In the **Select Microsoft Access Database File** dialog, navigate to Telerik UI for WinForms installation directory and locate the Nwind.mdb file within the \Examples\QuickStart\Datasources directory. Select Nwind.mdb and click *OK* to close the **Select Microsoft Access Database File** dialog.

9. Click *OK* to close **Add Connection** dialog.

10. In **Choose Your Data Connection** page of the wizard, click *Next*. This step will display a Microsoft Visual Studio dialog that prompts to ask if you want to copy the file to your project. Click *Yes* to close the dialog.

11. In **Save the Connection String to the Application Configuration File** page of the wizard, click the *Next* button.

12. In **Choose Database Objects** page of the dialog, select the *Employees* table

    ![WinForms RadChartView Choose Database Employees Objects](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/assets/7a0a666b64216f11a663e865ba60c345/radchartview-getting-started003.png)

13. Back in the **Smart Tag** of the control click on the *Series* drop-down button and open the **ChartSeries Collection Editor** dialog. Add a new **BarSeries**.

    ![WinForms RadChartView ChartSeries Collection Editor](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/assets/a8ec6c900ab014f06922cbffff98bdcf/radchartview-getting-started004.png)

14. Set the **CategoryMember** and **ValueMember** fields to *LastName* and *Extension* respectively. Make sure that the **DataSource** property points the *Employees* binding source instance.

    ![WinForms RadChartView Set CategoryMember ValueMember](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/assets/b8b96e52c3307955806abaa05fc3e326/radchartview-getting-started005.gif)

15. Press **F5** to run the application.

    ![WinForms RadChartView Getting Started](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/assets/5183e549ba7771c39e204af9ac6adec6/radchartview-getting-started006.png)

## See Also

* [Design Time](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/chartview/design-time/smart-tag)
* [Property Builder](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/controls/chartview/design-time/property-builder)

## Telerik UI for WinForms Learning Resources

* [Telerik UI for WinForms ChartView Component](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/chartview.aspx)
* [Getting Started with Telerik UI for WinForms Components](https://docs.telerik.com/devtools/winforms/getting-started/first-steps)
* [Telerik UI for WinForms Setup](https://docs.telerik.com/devtools/winforms/installation-and-upgrades/installing-on-your-computer)
* [Telerik UI for WinForms Converter](https://www.telerik.com/products/winforms/documentation/ai-coding-assistant/converter/converter)
* [Telerik UI for WinForms Visual Studio Templates](https://docs.telerik.com/devtools/winforms/visual-studio-integration/visual-studio-templates)
* [Deploy Telerik UI for WinForms Applications](https://docs.telerik.com/devtools/winforms/deployment-and-distribution/application-deployment)
* [Telerik UI for WinForms Virtual Classroom(Training Courses for Registered Users)](https://learn.telerik.com/learn/course/external/view/elearning/17/telerik-ui-for-winforms)
* [Telerik UI for WinForms License Agreement)](https://www.telerik.com/purchase/license-agreement/winforms-dlw-s)