Abstract: A sparkline is associated with a location in a document to provide a visual representation of one or more data values included in the document. The sparkline is associated with a data source within the document including the one or more data values. The sparkline is generated by generating the visual representation based on the one or more data values with a matrix of points to be presented at the associated location in the document. The sparkline is presented at the associated location in the document. The sparkline is configured to be regenerated when one or more of the data values in the data source change.

Abstract: Tools and techniques are described for linking visual properties of charts to cells within tables. Methods provided by these tools enable users to select visual properties that are associated with graphical displays of chart data, and to link these visual properties to respective cells within the tables. User interfaces provided by these tools may provide representations of visual properties associated with the graphical displays of chart data, with these representations of the visual properties being responsive to user input to link the cells in the tables to the visual properties. These user interfaces may also include representations of the cells that are associated with the representations of the visual properties.

Abstract: Various technologies and techniques are described that enhance ease of selection of chart styles using dynamically generated icons to represent style and templates. As one non-limiting example, a gallery view of available chart styles for a currently selected theme is generated using the same rendering engine that processes data to create graphs. A sample chart is generated of the same type as a graph in an active document. Sample data is retrieved for the selected chart type. The currently selected theme is applied to the sample chart, and the sample chart is formatted for a small form factor. Each available style in the currently selected theme can be applied to the sample chart, which is now formatted for an iconic sized graphical representation, to generate mini-graph representations of each style. The styles can be presented to the user as a gallery view for user selection of a chart style.

Abstract: Various technologies and techniques are described that enhance ease of selection of chart styles using dynamically generated icons to represent style and templates. As one non-limiting example, a gallery view of available chart styles for a currently selected theme is generated using the same rendering engine that processes data to create graphs. A sample chart is generated of the same type as a graph in an active document. Sample data is retrieved for the selected chart type. The currently selected theme is applied to the sample chart, and the sample chart is formatted for a small form factor. Each available style in the currently selected theme can be applied to the sample chart, which is now formatted for an iconic sized graphical representation, to generate mini-graph representations of each style. The styles can be presented to the user as a gallery view for user selection of a chart style.

Abstract: Modifying a chart may be provided. Chart elements are pictorially presented to a user for use by the user in modifying a generated standard chart. The chart elements may be presented to the user in a chart ribbon.

Abstract: Various technologies and techniques are disclosed that enhance the creation of charts. The number of steps it takes to fine-tune a chart can be reduced by providing various element variation layouts that the user can select, such as with a single selection on a toolbar. When the user selects a chart element layout for a given chart, the system performs one or more steps to format the chart with the selected elements. For example, the system removes elements that are not shown in the selected variation but that are currently on the chart. The system adds elements shown in the selected variation that are not currently on the chart. The system selectively leaves elements shown in the variation that are already on the chart unchanged. The system adjusts the location of elements to look like the selected variation.