XL98: How to Create a GIF File from a Microsoft Excel Chart (183131)

SUMMARY

To programmatically create a graphics file from a Microsoft Excel chart, use the Export method. This article contains a sample Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications macro that creates a Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) file from a chart in a Microsoft Excel workbook.

NOTE: If you click Save As HTML on the File menu and use the Internet Assistant Wizard to create a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) document, it creates a GIF file for each of the charts in the workbook. No other graphic objects can be saved as a GIF file from Microsoft Excel.

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific requirements. The following sections explain how to create an embedded chart and the macro code that generates a GIF file from the chart.

Creating the Chart

Save and close any open workbooks, and then create a new workbook.

Type the following data in Sheet1:

      A1: a   B1: 5
      A2: b   B2: 10
      A3: c   B3: 7

Select the range A1:B3 and click Chart on the Insert menu.
In the "Chart Wizard - Step 1 of 4 - Chart Type" dialog box, click Finish.

This creates an embedded chart in Sheet1.

Sample Macro for Creating a GIF File

Start the Visual Basic Editor (press OPTION+F11).
On the Insert menu, click Module.

Type the following code in the Visual Basic module:

      Sub Create_GIF()
         Dim mychart As Chart
         Set mychart = ActiveSheet.ChartObjects(1).Chart
         mychart.Export FileName:="Macintosh HD:Mychart GIF", _
            FilterName:="GIF"
      End Sub

Press OPTION+F11 to switch to Microsoft Excel.
On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Macros.
Click the Create_GIF macro, and then click Run.

The file Mychart GIF is created on the Macintosh HD disk.

NOTE: Change the path for the FileName argument of the Export method if your hard disk is not called "Macintosh HD."

REFERENCES

For more information about the Export method, click the Office Assistant in the Visual Basic Editor, type export, click Search, and then click "Export Method."

NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the Standard toolbar. If the Assistant is not able to answer your query, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

176476 OFF97: Office Assistant Not Answering Visual Basic Questions