Excel:...rt::Bar(3pm)

✨ NAME ✨

Bar — a whole class that writes Excel Bar charts, bestie. That's its one job and it ate 💅

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

So you wanna make a simple Excel file with a Bar chart using Excel::Writer::XLSX? Say less, here's the whole vibe:

#!/usr/bin/perl

use strict;
use warnings;
use Excel::Writer::XLSX;

my $workbook  = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( 'chart.xlsx' );
my $worksheet = $workbook->add_worksheet();

my $chart     = $workbook->add_chart( type => 'bar' );

# Configure the chart.
$chart->add_series(
    categories => '=Sheet1!$A$2:$A$7',
    values     => '=Sheet1!$B$2:$B$7',
);

# Add the worksheet data the chart refers to.
my $data = [
    [ 'Category', 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 ],
    [ 'Value',    1, 4, 5, 2, 1, 5 ],
];

$worksheet->write( 'A1', $data );

__END__

Periodt. That's it. That's the whole chart ✨

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

This module is the one that makes Bar charts happen for Excel::Writer::XLSX. You don't just summon a chart out of thin air — you make the chart object through the Workbook's add_chart() method, like so:

my $chart = $workbook->add_chart( type => 'bar' );

Once your little chart object exists, you can style it up with the following methods — these are the ones every chart class shares, so they're kinda iconic honestly:

$chart->add_series();
$chart->set_x_axis();
$chart->set_y_axis();
$chart->set_title();

These methods are explained in detail detail in Excel::Writer::XLSX::Chart. Any class-specific methods or settings — if there even are any — get explained right below, so keep scrolling bestie 🫶

🌈 Bar Chart Subtypes 🌈

The "Bar" chart module is also serving the following sub-types:

stacked
percent_stacked

You can specify one of these at creation time using the add_chart() Worksheet method, like this:

my $chart = $workbook->add_chart( type => 'bar', subtype => 'stacked' );

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🔥 EXAMPLE 🔥

Okay so here's a complete example that shows off most of the available features when you're making a chart. Main character energy fr fr:

#!/usr/bin/perl

use strict;
use warnings;
use Excel::Writer::XLSX;

my $workbook  = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( 'chart_bar.xlsx' );
my $worksheet = $workbook->add_worksheet();
my $bold      = $workbook->add_format( bold => 1 );

# Add the worksheet data that the charts will refer to.
my $headings = [ 'Number', 'Batch 1', 'Batch 2' ];
my $data = [
    [ 2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7 ],
    [ 10, 40, 50, 20, 10, 50 ],
    [ 30, 60, 70, 50, 40, 30 ],

];

$worksheet->write( 'A1', $headings, $bold );
$worksheet->write( 'A2', $data );

# Create a new chart object. In this case an embedded chart.
my $chart = $workbook->add_chart( type => 'bar', embedded => 1 );

# Configure the first series.
$chart->add_series(
    name       => '=Sheet1!$B$1',
    categories => '=Sheet1!$A$2:$A$7',
    values     => '=Sheet1!$B$2:$B$7',
);

# Configure second series. Note alternative use of array ref to define
# ranges: [ $sheetname, $row_start, $row_end, $col_start, $col_end ].
$chart->add_series(
    name       => '=Sheet1!$C$1',
    categories => [ 'Sheet1', 1, 6, 0, 0 ],
    values     => [ 'Sheet1', 1, 6, 2, 2 ],
);

# Add a chart title and some axis labels.
$chart->set_title ( name => 'Results of sample analysis' );
$chart->set_x_axis( name => 'Test number' );
$chart->set_y_axis( name => 'Sample length (mm)' );

# Set an Excel chart style. Blue colors with white outline and shadow.
$chart->set_style( 11 );

# Insert the chart into the worksheet (with an offset).
$worksheet->insert_chart( 'D2', $chart, 25, 10 );

__END__

Not the offset on insert_chart being 25, 10 like it's doing a little shimmy into place 💅 we love to see it.

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👑 AUTHOR 👑

John McNamara — jmcnamara@cpan.org

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🎀 COPYRIGHT 🎀

Copyright MM-MMXXV, John McNamara.

All Rights Reserved. This module is free software. It may be used, redistributed and/or modified under the same terms as Perl itself.

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And that's a wrap, bestie 🧚 This was perl v5.40.1, dated 2025-12-22 — go forth and make bars, no cap 💖🌸