Legend Layout

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Legend Data Item Expand Strategy

When you add new items to the NLegendData object the legend may become too long to display in the control canvas. This is why you may wish to alter the legend layout strategy or in other words the way the legend expands when new items are added. The ExpandMode property of the NLegendData controls this. The following table list the possible strategies:

LegendExpandMode	Description
RowsOnly	The legend expands by adding new rows only and there is only one column.
ColsOnly	The legend expands by adding new columns only and there is only one row.
RowsFixed	The legend expands by adding new rows until it reaches the value RowCount (which is initially 10) and then adds a new column. In other words the row count is limited and the column count is unlimited.
ColsFixed	The legend expands by adding new columns until it reaches the value ColCount (which is initially 10) and then adds a new row. In other words the column count is limited and the row count is unlimited.
HorzWrap	The legend tries to fit in the assigned bounds by increasing the number of rows and then the number of columns.
VertWrap	The legend tries to fit in the assigned bounds by increasing the number of columns and then the number of rows.

The following example shows this:

C#	Copy Code
legend.Data.ExpandMode = LegendExpandMode.RowsFixed; legend.Data.RowCount = 4;

Visual Basic	Copy Code
legend.Data.ExpandMode = LegendExpandMode.RowsFixed legend.Data.RowCount = 4

If you have 12 data items in the legend this layout will produce a legend similar to this one:

Predefined Legend Styles

Often you need to alter both the legend position (by default at the right top edge of the control window) and the legend expand mode. This is where the predefined legend styles can come handy.

You apply a predefined legend style to the legend by using the SetPredefinedLegendStyle method of the of the NLegend object. For instance:

C#	Copy Code
legend.SetPredefinedLegendStyle(PredefinedLegendStyle.Bottom);

Visual Basic	Copy Code
legend.SetPredefinedLegendStyle(PredefinedLegendStyle.Bottom)

The following table lists the available legend styles:

Predefined legend style	Description
PredefinedLegendStyle.Top	Positions the legend at the top of the control window and allows the legend to expand by adding columns only.
PredefinedLegendStyle.Bottom	Positions the legend at the bottom of the control window and allows the legend to expand by adding columns only.
PredefinedLegendStyle.Left	Positions the legend at the left side of the control window and allows the legend to expand by adding rows only.
PredefinedLegendStyle.Right	Positions the legend at the right side of the control window and allows the legend to expand by adding rows only.
PredefinedLegendStyle.TopRight	Positions the legend at the top right side of the control window and allows the legend to expand by adding rows only.
PredefinedLegendStyle.TopLeft	Positions the legend at the top left side of the control window and allows the legend to expand by adding rows only.

Related Examples

Windows Forms: Legend\Position and Style

Web Forms: Legend\Position and Style

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