Question

I’ve got my Python script putting data into Excel worksheets and plotting the data I want on the same worksheet. Does anyone know how I can delete/hide the legend in the plot and resize the plot? Here is my code currently:

chart = xlApp.Charts.Add()
series = chart.SeriesCollection(1)
series.XValues = xlSheet.Range("L13:L200")
series.Values = xlSheet.Range("M13:M200")
series.Name = file
chart.Location(2, xlSheet.Name)

Answer 1

The first step in figuring out the Excel COM API is to record a macro that does what you want to do and inspect it.

I recorded a macro of me deleting the legend and resizing the chart and here is the resulting VBA:

Sub Macro3()
'
' Macro3 Macro
'

'
    ActiveChart.Legend.Select
    Selection.Delete
    ActiveSheet.ChartObjects("Chart 1").Activate
End Sub

Sadly, it did not record the resizing of the chart, but it did record deleting a legend. Here is the VBA translated into Python:

chart.Legend.Delete()

Luckily, Google provides us with How do I change the size or position of my chart with VBA? Translated into Python:

chart.Parent.Height = new_height
chart.Parent.Width = new_width
chart.Parent.Top = v_position
chart.Parent.Left = h_position

edit: Here’s a short script doing all this under Excel 2003.

import win32com.client
import re

xl = win32com.client.Dispatch('Excel.Application')
xl.Visible=True
wb = xl.Workbooks.Add()
ws = wb.Sheets(1)
values = [['a','b','c'],
          [ 1,  2,  3 ],
          [ 4,  5,  6 ]]
for nrow, row in enumerate(values):
    for ncol, item in enumerate(row):
        xl.Cells(nrow+1, ncol+1).Value = item

xl.Range("A1:C3").Select()
chart = xl.Charts.Add()

# chart.Legend.Delete only works while it's a chart sheet.
# so get this done before changing the chart location!
chart.Legend.Delete()

# Excel changes the name of the chart when its location is changed.
# The new name inserts a space between letters and numbers.
# 'Chart1' becomes 'Chart 1'
new_chart_name = re.sub(r'(\D)(\d)', r'\1 \2', chart.Name)
chart.Location(2, ws.Name)

# After changing the location the reference to chart is invalid.
# We grab the new chart reference from the Shapes collection using the new name.
# If only one chart is on sheet you can also do: chart = ws.Shapes(1)
chart = ws.Shapes(new_chart_name)

chart.Top = 1
chart.Left = 1
chart.Width = 500
chart.Height = 400