Is there a way to add a callout label to a point in a chart, without using select? - vba

Question

Is there a way to add a callout label to a point in a chart, without using Select?
Recording a macro, I got this:
Sub Macro9()
ActiveSheet.ChartObjects("SPC").Activate
ActiveChart.FullSeriesCollection(1).Select
ActiveChart.FullSeriesCollection(1).Points(4).Select
ActiveChart.SetElement (msoElementDataLabelCallout)
End Sub
But I would rather like to avoid using Select. I tried simply using the SetElement-method on the point, but that failed. Using the HasDataLabel = True-method simply adds a datalabel.
Is there any workarounds to selecting the point and then using SetElement on the chart, or will I have to settle for something resembling the above macro?

Answer 1

Is this what you are trying? In the below code we have avoided .Activate/.Select completely :)
Feel free to play with .AutoShapeType property. You can also format the data label to show the values in whatever format you want.
Sub Sample()
Dim objC As ChartObject, chrt As Chart, dl As DataLabel
Dim p As Point
Set objC = Sheet1.ChartObjects(1)
Set chrt = objC.Chart
Set p = chrt.FullSeriesCollection(1).Points(4)
p.HasDataLabel = True
Set dl = p.DataLabel
With dl
.Position = xlLabelPositionOutsideEnd
.Format.AutoShapeType = msoShapeRectangularCallout
.Format.Line.Visible = msoTrue
End With
End Sub
Screenshot

Answer 2

As I said in a comment: I couldn't find a way to do this directly but thought I'd be able to work around it.
Turns out I was unsuccessful!
But let's cover an edge case which for some uses will have a pretty easy solution; say you don't need datalabels except for the instances where you want callout:
Sub chartTest()
Dim co As ChartObject
Dim ch As Chart
Dim i As Integer
' The point index we want shown
i = 2
Set co = Worksheets(1).ChartObjects(2)
Set ch = co.Chart
co.Activate
ch.SetElement (msoElementDataLabelCallout)
For j = 1 To s.Points.Count
' We can change this to an array check if we want several
' but not all points to have callout
If j <> i Then s.Points(j).HasDataLabel = False
Next j
End Sub
For anyone desperate, the closest I came was to create an overlay using the original chart as a template. It doesn't work accurately for arbitrary charts, however, due to positioning issues with the callout box.
But at this point, you might as well have just added a textbox or something far less involved than copying a chart, deleting half its contents and making the rest of it invisible...
But for the sake of Cthul-- I mean, science:
Sub pTest()
Dim co As ChartObject
Dim ch As Chart
Dim s As Series
Dim p As Point
Set co = Worksheets(1).ChartObjects(1)
Set ch = co.Chart
Set s = ch.SeriesCollection(1)
i = 2
Call copyChartTest(co, ch, i)
End Sub
Sub copyChartTest(ByRef co As ChartObject, ByRef cht As Chart, ByVal i As Integer)
Dim ch As Chart ' The overlay chart
Set ch = co.Duplicate.Chart
' Set callout
ch.SetElement (msoElementDataLabelCallout)
' Invisibil-ate!
With ch
.ChartArea.Fill.Visible = msoFalse
.SeriesCollection(1).Format.Line.Visible = False
.ChartTitle.Delete
.Legend.Delete
For j = 1 To .SeriesCollection(1).Points.Count
.SeriesCollection(1).Points(j).Format.Fill.Visible = msoFalse
If j <> i Then .SeriesCollection(1).Points(j).HasDataLabel = False
Next j
End With
' Align the charts
With ch
.Parent.Top = cht.Parent.Top
.Parent.Left = cht.Parent.Left
End With
End Sub
And the result: DataLabels intact with only 1 point having callout.

Answer 3

Have you tried this free tool http://www.appspro.com/Utilities/ChartLabeler.htm by Rob Bovey?
There is an option "manual label" which seems to be very close to what you want. I am using the version of 1996-97 which has visible VBA code. I have not checked if the latest version has.

Answer 4

try the below code
Sub Macro9()
ActiveSheet.ChartObjects("SPC").Activate
ActiveChart.SeriesCollection(1).Points(4).HasDataLabel = True
ActiveChart.SeriesCollection(1).Points(4).DataLabel.Text = "Point 4 Test"
End Sub