iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI · error · ArgumentException

Chart requires a 'data' property. Use: data="Series1:1,2,3;S

Error message

Chart requires a 'data' property. Use: data="Series1:1,2,3;Series2:4,5,6" or dataRange="Sheet1!A1:D5" or series1="Revenue:100,200,300"

What it means

Thrown when chart Add ends up with zero series and the user supplied neither a dataRange, a data= string, nor any seriesN= properties. This is the generic counterpart to error 520: the properties dictionary lacks every recognized series-input key, so seriesData is empty and no fallback data source exists.

Source

Thrown at src/officecli/Handlers/Excel/ExcelHandler.Add.Chart.cs:86

            // a numCache/strCache so the chart renders before the workbook is
            // re-evaluated (the HTML preview plots only from that cache).
            // Resolve the ranges against the worksheet now to backfill the
            // literal values, mirroring ParseDataRangeForChart.
            BackfillSeriesRangeValues(ref seriesData, ref categories, chartSheetName, properties);
        }

        if (seriesData.Count == 0)
        {
            // A supplied-but-consumed dataRange must not get the generic
            // "requires a data property" message: with a single-column range
            // and no explicit categories=, the sole column is reserved as
            // the category column, leaving zero series — say so.
            if (properties.ContainsKey("dataRange") || properties.ContainsKey("datarange"))
                throw new ArgumentException(
                    "dataRange resolved to 0 series columns: a single-column range is consumed as the " +
                    "category column by default. Pass categories= explicitly (e.g. categories=Sheet1!A1:A5) " +
                    "to plot that column as a series, or widen the dataRange to include a values column.");
            throw new ArgumentException("Chart requires a 'data' property. Use: data=\"Series1:1,2,3;Series2:4,5,6\" " +
                "or dataRange=\"Sheet1!A1:D5\" or series1=\"Revenue:100,200,300\"");
        }

        // Validate the chart type BEFORE any part is created: an unknown type
        // used to throw inside the builder AFTER the DrawingsPart and its
        // sheet relationship were attached, leaving an orphaned empty
        // <xdr:wsDr/> part behind on every failed attempt. Extended (cx)
        // types — funnel/treemap/… — route through ChartExBuilder below and
        // must not be run through the classic-type parser.
        if (!ChartExBuilder.IsExtendedChartType(chartType))
            ChartHelper.ParseChartType(chartType);

        // Create DrawingsPart if needed
        var drawingsPart = chartWorksheet.DrawingsPart
            ?? chartWorksheet.AddNewPart<DrawingsPart>();

        if (drawingsPart.WorksheetDrawing == null)
        {

View on GitHub (pinned to 1ced45e900)

Solutions

1. Add a data= property with inline series: data="Series1:1,2,3;Series2:4,5,6".
2. Add a dataRange= property pointing to a multi-column cell range: dataRange=Sheet1!A1:D5.
3. Add one or more seriesN= properties: series1="Revenue:100,200,300".
4. Verify the property key spelling matches exactly (data, dataRange, series1).

Example fix

// before
add /Sheet1/chart --type chart --chartType bar --title "Sales"
// after
add /Sheet1/chart --type chart --chartType bar --title "Sales" --data "Revenue:100,200,300;Cost:50,60,70"

// Ensure at least one series-data source is present
bool hasData = properties.ContainsKey("data");
bool hasRange = properties.ContainsKey("dataRange") || properties.ContainsKey("datarange");
bool hasSeries = properties.Keys.Any(k => System.Text.RegularExpressions.Regex.IsMatch(k, @"^series\d+$", RegexOptions.IgnoreCase));
if (!hasData && !hasRange && !hasSeries)
    throw new InvalidOperationException(
        "Chart requires a data source. Provide data=, dataRange=, or seriesN= properties.");

try { handler.AddChart(parentPath, type, position, properties); }
catch (ArgumentException ex) when (ex.Message.StartsWith("Chart requires a 'data' property"))
{
    Console.Error.WriteLine(ex.Message);
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling chart Add with a chartType but none of: data, dataRange/datarange, series1, series2, etc. The inner if checks dataRange/datarange first; if that key is also absent, this generic message fires.

Common situations: User sets only cosmetic properties (title, type, anchor) and forgets the actual chart data. Also happens when property names are misspelled (e.g. 'data-set' instead of 'data') or when a script drops the data property conditionally.

Related errors

• dataRange resolved to 0 series columns: a single-column rang
• series must be added to a chart parent: /SheetName/chart[N]
• Sheet not found: {sheetName}
• Sheet has no drawings/charts
• Chart {chartIdx} not found (total: {excelCharts.Count})

AI-assisted analysis of iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI@1ced45e900 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/1eae092a69208ac4. Report an issue: GitHub.