Excel:...::Line(3pm)

💖 NAME 💖

Line — a whole class for writing Excel Line charts, bestie. Yes, that kind of line. Chart lines. Slay.

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

okay so say you wanna make a simple Excel file with a Line chart using Excel::Writer::XLSX. it's giving:

#!/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 => 'line' );

# 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__

literally that's it. copy it, run it, live your truth. 💅

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🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

so this module implements Line charts for Excel::Writer::XLSX. the chart object gets created through the Workbook add_chart() method:

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

once the object exists, you can configure it with these methods that are common to all chart classes:

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

these methods are explained in detail in Excel::Writer::XLSX::Chart. class specific methods or settings, if any, are explained below. 👑

🦋 Line Chart Subtypes 🦋

the "Line" chart module also supports these sub-types:

stacked
percent_stacked

you can specify them at creation time via the add_chart() Worksheet method:

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

no cap, percent_stacked is lowkey underrated. 🙈

---

🔥 EXAMPLE 🔥

here's a complete example that demonstrates most of the available features when creating a chart. iconic behavior fr fr:

#!/usr/bin/perl

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

my $workbook  = Excel::Writer::XLSX->new( 'chart_line.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 => 'line', 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. Colors with white outline and shadow.
$chart->set_style( 10 );

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

__END__

the way that second series uses an array ref to define ranges — [ $sheetname, $row_start, $row_end, $col_start, $col_end ] — is genuinely the main character energy of this whole page. 🌈

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🎀 AUTHOR 🎀

John McNamara jmcnamara@cpan.org — the icon, the legend, the moment. 👑

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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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that's the whole page bestie, go make some beautiful little lines ✨📈

perl v5.40.1 — dated 2025-12-22 — from the User Contributed Perl Documentation collection. mwah, take care of her 💖🫶