Bind jqxChart to SQL Database using ASP .NET MVC3

In this help topic you're going to learn how you can use jqxChart with ASP.NET MVC 3.

If you haven't already installed ASP.NET MVC 3 use this resource: http://www.asp.net/mvc/mvc3
For this help topic you're also going to need the Entity Framework: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=18504
We will use the Northwind database which you can download from here.

  1. Create a new ASP.NET MVC 3 project and choose the "Empty project" option for template. For "View engine" select "Razor". New Project

  2. You have to load the database. Drag the files: "NORTHWND.LDF" and "NORTHWND.MDF" and drop them over the "App_Data" directory in your project. If there's no "App_Data" folder then right click on the white space in the "Solution Explorer" choose "Add -> Add ASP.NET Folder -> App_Data". App_Data
  3. After that click with the right mouse button on the "Scripts" directory and choose "Add -> Existing Item". Add scripts In the opened dialog select the following JavaScript files: "jquery-1.11.1.min.js, jqxdata.js, jqxcore.js, jqxchart.js" from your jqwidgets folder.
  4. In the next step you have to include the jqxChart's CSS dependencies - "jqx.base.css". Just right click on the "Content" directory after that select "Add -> Existing Item", choose "jqx.base.css" from your folder and click "Add". Add styles
  5. Expand the "View" directory after that the "Shared" and double click on "_Layout.cshtml". Include all the files you've added into the previous steps. If there are older versions of jQuery included, in the "_Layout.cshtml" file, just delete them. Shared folder After finishing the last step your "_Layout.cshtml" should look like this: 
    <!DOCTYPE html>
    <html>
    <head>
        <meta charset="utf-8" />
        <title>@ViewBag.Title</title>
        <link href="@Url.Content("~/Content/Site.css")" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
        <link href="@Url.Content("~/Content/jqx.base.css")" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
        <link href="@Url.Content("~/Content/jqx.classic.css")" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
        <script src="@Url.Content("~/Scripts/jquery-1.11.1.min.js")" type="text/javascript"></script>
        <script src="@Url.Content("~/Scripts/jqxcore.js")" type="text/javascript"></script>
        <script src="@Url.Content("~/Scripts/jqxdata.js")" type="text/javascript"></script>
        <script src="@Url.Content("~/Scripts/jqxchart.js")" type="text/javascript"></script>
    </head>
    <body>
        @RenderBody()
    </body>
    </html>
  6. In the next step we're going to create our Models. Now right click on the "Models" folder. Select "Add -> New Item". Choose "Data" from the tree view in left. Select "ADO.NET Entity Data Model" and click "Add". Add model In the "Choose Model Contents" section select "Generate from database" and click Next. Add model In the "Choose Your Data Connection" section click next. The the next section ("Choose Your Database Objects") check the "Tables" and "Stored Procedures" checkboxes and click "Finish". Add model
  7. As a data source, we are going to use the "Orders" table. To add entity objects and DbContext you have to expand the Models directory. Double click on "Model1.edmx". In the diagram appeared, right click on the white space and choose "Add Code Generation Item". In the tree view in left, select "Code", choose "ADO.NET DbContext Generator" and click "Add".Code generation item
  8. After that press F6 to Build your project.
  9. Now we are ready to add our Controller. Right click on the "Controller" folder and after that choose "Add -> Controller". Rename it "OrdersController". The choosen template should be "Controller with read/write actions and views, using Entity Framework". For Model class select "Order (Project.Models)" and for Data context class "NORTHWNDEntities2 (Project.Models)" after that choose "Add". Controller
  10. After the generation of the controller have been completed, go to the "Controllers" folder and double click on "OrdersController.cs". Add the following method after the "Index" method: 
    public JsonResult GetOrders()
    {
        var orders = db.Orders.ToList<Order>();
        var orderDetails = db.Order_Details.ToList<Order_Detail>();
        var products = db.Products.ToList<Product>();
        var result = (from d in orderDetails
                        join o in orders on d.OrderID equals o.OrderID
                        join p in products on d.ProductID equals p.ProductID
                        select new { o.OrderDate, d.Quantity, p.ProductName }).Take(50);
        return Json(result, JsonRequestBehavior.AllowGet);                         
    }
  11. After that go to the "Views/Orders" folder in your project. Double click on "Index.cshtml". Put there the following content: 
    <script type="text/javascript">
        $(document).ready(function () {
            var source =
    		{
    		    datatype: "json",
    		    datafields: [
    				 { name: 'OrderDate', type: 'date' },
    				 { name: 'Quantity' },
    				 { name: 'ProductName' }
    			],
    		    url: 'Orders/GetOrders'
    		};
            var dataAdapter = new $.jqx.dataAdapter(source,
    		{
    		    autoBind: true,
    		    async: false,
    		    downloadComplete: function () { },
    		    loadComplete: function () { },
    		    loadError: function () { }
    		});
            // prepare jqxChart settings
            var settings = {
                title: "Orders by Date",
                showLegend: true,
                padding: { left: 5, top: 5, right: 5, bottom: 5 },
                titlePadding: { left: 90, top: 0, right: 0, bottom: 10 },
                source: dataAdapter,
                categoryAxis:
    				{
    				    text: 'Category Axis',
    				    textRotationAngle: 0,
    				    dataField: 'OrderDate',
    				    formatFunction: function (jsonDate) {
    				        var offset = new Date().getTimezoneOffset() * 60000;
    				        var parts = /\/Date\((-?\d+)([+-]\d{2})?(\d{2})?.*/.exec(jsonDate);
    				        if (parts[2] == undefined)
    				            parts[2] = 0;
    				        if (parts[3] == undefined)
    				            parts[3] = 0;
    				        return $.jqx.dataFormat.formatdate(new Date(+parts[1] + offset + parts[2]*3600000 + parts[3]*60000), 'dd/MM/yyyy');
    				    },
    				    showTickMarks: true,
    				    tickMarksInterval: Math.round(dataAdapter.records.length / 6),
    				    tickMarksColor: '#888888',
    				    unitInterval: Math.round(dataAdapter.records.length / 6),
    				    showGridLines: true,
    				    gridLinesInterval: Math.round(dataAdapter.records.length / 3),
    				    gridLinesColor: '#888888',
    				    axisSize: 'auto'
    				},
                colorScheme: 'scheme05',
                seriesGroups:
    				[
    					{
    					    type: 'line',
    					    valueAxis:
    						{
    						    displayValueAxis: true,
    						    description: 'Quantity',
    						    //descriptionClass: 'css-class-name',
    						    axisSize: 'auto',
    						    tickMarksColor: '#888888',
    						    unitInterval: 20,
    						    minValue: 0,
    						    maxValue: 100
    						},
    					    series: [
    								{ dataField: 'Quantity', displayText: 'Quantity' }
    						  ]
    					}
    				]
            };
            $('#jqxChart').jqxChart(settings);
        });
    </script>
    <div id="jqxChart" style="width: 600px; height: 400px;"></div>
  12. In the last step expand "Global.asax" and double click on "Global.asax.cs". Change the "RegisterRoutes" method to look like this: 
    public static void RegisterRoutes(RouteCollection routes)
    {
        routes.IgnoreRoute("{resource}.axd/{*pathInfo}");
        routes.MapRoute(
            "Orders", // Route name
            "{controller}/{action}/{id}", // URL with parameters
            new { controller = "Orders", action = "Index", id = UrlParameter.Optional } // Parameter defaults
        );
    }
Press F5 and see the result: jqxChart