PHPOffice/PhpSpreadsheet · error · PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Writer\Exception

Chart is not yet implemented

Error message

Chart is not yet implemented

What it means

When writing charts to Xlsx, the chart writer derives the chart-type list from the plot area: either the single plot group's type, or the unique types of all plot groups. If that list ends up empty - no DataSeries attached to the PlotArea, or every series having a null plot type - it throws this generic 'not yet implemented' message. It fires at save() time, after the chart was already added to a worksheet (and only when the writer includes charts).

Source

Thrown at src/PhpSpreadsheet/Writer/Xlsx/Chart.php:1115

    private static function getChartType(PlotArea $plotArea): array
    {
        $groupCount = $plotArea->getPlotGroupCount();

        if ($groupCount == 1) {
            $plotType = $plotArea->getPlotGroupByIndex(0)->getPlotType();
            $chartType = ($plotType === null) ? [] : [$plotType];
        } else {
            $chartTypes = [];
            for ($i = 0; $i < $groupCount; ++$i) {
                $plotType = $plotArea->getPlotGroupByIndex($i)->getPlotType();
                if ($plotType !== null) {
                    $chartTypes[] = $plotType;
                }
            }
            $chartType = array_unique($chartTypes);
        }
        if (count($chartType) == 0) {
            throw new WriterException('Chart is not yet implemented');
        }

        return $chartType;
    }

    /**
     * Method writing plot series values.
     */
    private function writePlotSeriesValuesElement(XMLWriter $objWriter, int $val, ?ChartColor $fillColor): void
    {
        if ($fillColor === null || !$fillColor->isUsable()) {
            return;
        }
        $objWriter->startElement('c:dPt');

        $objWriter->startElement('c:idx');
        $objWriter->writeAttribute('val', "$val");
        $objWriter->endElement(); // c:idx

View on GitHub (pinned to 65b080eef4)

Solutions

1. Attach at least one DataSeries with an explicit plot type (e.g. DataSeries::TYPE_PIECHART) to the PlotArea before addChart()
2. Skip creating/adding the chart entirely when it would have no series
3. Guard data-driven charts: only addChart() when the series values are non-empty

Example fix

// before
$chart = new Chart('chart1');
$chart->setPlotArea(new PlotArea(null, []));
$sheet->addChart($chart);

// after
$values = new DataSeriesValues('Number', 'Data!$B$2:$B$5', null, 4);
$series = new DataSeries(DataSeries::TYPE_PIECHART, null, [0], [null], [null], [$values]);
$chart = new Chart('chart1', new Title('Chart'), null, new PlotArea(null, [$series]));
$sheet->addChart($chart);

/** Ensure every chart has at least one typed plot group before saving Xlsx. */
function chartsAreWritable(Spreadsheet $spreadsheet): bool
{
    foreach ($spreadsheet->getAllSheets() as $sheet) {
        foreach ($sheet->getChartCollection() as $chart) {
            $groups = $chart->getPlotArea()?->getPlotGroup() ?? [];
            $typed = array_filter($groups, fn ($g) => $g->getPlotType() !== null);
            if (count($typed) === 0) {
                return false;
            }
        }
    }

    return true;
}

if (!chartsAreWritable($spreadsheet)) {
    // drop empty charts instead of failing the whole export
    foreach ($spreadsheet->getAllSheets() as $sheet) {
        // remove chart-less series charts per your model
    }
}
$writer->setIncludeCharts(true);
$writer->save('out.xlsx');

try {
    $writer->setIncludeCharts(true);
    $writer->save('out.xlsx');
} catch (\PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Writer\Exception $e) {
    if (str_contains($e->getMessage(), 'Chart is not yet implemented')) {
        $writer->setIncludeCharts(false);
        $writer->save('out-nocharts.xlsx'); // deliver data now, fix charts later
    } else {
        throw $e;
    }
}

When it happens

Trigger: $chart = new Chart('chart'); $chart->setPlotArea(new PlotArea(null, [])); $sheet->addChart($chart); then ->save('out.xlsx') - zero plot groups yields an empty type list; also attaching only DataSeries objects whose plot type is null.

Common situations: Programmatically built charts where attaching the DataSeries was forgotten; charts whose series values come from a query that returned no data; editing a loaded chart and dropping its plot groups.

Related errors

• Workbook already contains a table named '{$this->name}'
• Sheet does not have a chart named $chartName.
• Directory does not exist: $cacheDirectory
• Could not open file "{$filename}" for writing.
• Could not close file after writing.

AI-assisted analysis of PHPOffice/PhpSpreadsheet@65b080eef4 (2026-08-17). Data as JSON: /api/errors/0a7a30431be9c3f1. Report an issue: GitHub.