Visualizing categorical data is essential for clear data analysis and reporting. In this article, you’ll discover how to generate a Bar chart in Excel using C# with Aspose.Cells for .NET. With only a few lines of code you can produce a fully formatted, export‑ready chart that can be embedded in reports, dashboards, or shared with stakeholders.

This article covers the following topics:

C# Excel Library to Create Bar Charts

Aspose.Cells for .NET is a comprehensive Excel manipulation library that allows developers to create, modify, and render Excel files without requiring Microsoft Office. Its rich charting API supports all native Excel chart types, including Bar charts, and provides full control over appearance, axes, legends, data labels, and more.

Key advantages of using Aspose.Cells for .NET:

  • Complete API Coverage – Access every Excel feature programmatically.
  • High Performance – Process large workbooks quickly and efficiently.
  • No Office Dependency – Works on any server or cloud environment.
  • Multiple Output Formats – Save to XLSX, XLS, CSV, PDF, PNG, and other formats.

Getting Started

  1. Download the latest release from the Aspose.Cells releases page.

  2. Install via NuGet:

    PM> Install-Package Aspose.Cells

  3. Add a reference to Aspose.Cells in your C# project.

Create a Bar Chart in Excel using C#

Below are two practical examples that illustrate how to build a Bar chart from scratch, customize its appearance, and save the workbook.

Example 1 – Simple Clustered Bar Chart

The following code creates a clustered Bar chart (horizontal bars) that displays quarterly sales data.

What the code does

  1. Creates a new workbook and fills it with product‑wise quarterly sales.
  2. Adds a Bar chart (horizontal clustered) to the sheet.
  3. Adds three series corresponding to Q1, Q2, and Q3.
  4. Enables data labels, sets axis titles, and applies a pastel palette.
  5. Saves the workbook as BarChart_Simple_Output.xlsx.

Example 2 – Stacked Bar Chart with Custom Formatting

A stacked Bar chart is useful when you want to visualize the composition of a total across categories. This example also demonstrates how to format series colors, add a legend, and export the chart as a PNG image.

Highlights of this example

  • Uses ChartType.StackedBar to display cumulative values.
  • Applies custom colors to each region for visual distinction.
  • Places the legend at the bottom and adds centered data labels.
  • Demonstrates exporting the chart to a PNG file via Chart.ToImage.

Get a Free License

Want to try Aspose.Cells without restrictions? Grab a temporary free license from the Aspose temporary license page. The license removes evaluation watermarks and unlocks the full feature set for development and testing.

Bar Chart Excel: Free Resources

Continue learning with these helpful resources:

Conclusion

In this guide we covered everything you need to know to create both simple and advanced Bar charts in Excel using C# and Aspose.Cells for .NET. From basic clustered bars to stacked bars with custom colors and image export, the library provides a rich, fluent API that eliminates the need for Microsoft Office on the server. Incorporate these code snippets into your applications to deliver professional, data‑driven visualizations effortlessly.

If you have any questions or require further assistance, feel free to visit our free support forum.

See Also