Dynamic Charting Assistance Requested

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Hello out there -

If anyone can help me, it'll be greatly appreciated!!

I'm working with the pChart (http://www.pchart.net) PHP chart framework
and think it is a fantastic program/product. I am NOT knocking pChart at
all - I'm just looking for help from my fellow users out there and trying
to use pChart in a way that it isn't really designed for/may not be able
to do.

Here is the project I'm working on: I'm retrieving data from an IBM
iSeries AS/400 with a DB2 data source back end and I'm getting the data
fine (MAD props out to ADOdb Database Abstraction Library for PHP -
http://adodb.sourceforge.net - works like a CHAMP!!!) but I need to create
some graphs off of said data. Well, pChart works GREAT for the graphs now
that I understand a bit more about how it created the PNG graphs on the
fly. Rather, my users have two specific requests for capabilities on
these charts:
1. When they mouse-over the actual data, they want to be able to have a
fly-over window show up with the exact value of what they are looking at
(lower priority)
2. When they are moused-over the data, they want the ability to 'drill
down' into the data by simply clicking on the column/data point/slice of
pie chart/etc. (MUCH higher priority)

My idea with pChart is to find out what the coordinates are for each of
the points of data on the chart, overlay the image that is generated with
an image map, and have the image map do the work then allowing them to
'click into' the chart, bringing them to either a new page or new chart,
depending on the page they are on.

So, first off, does anyone have any suggestions of a better/different way
to do something like this? This is just the idea I've come up with so
far, so I'm not committed/married to it. I just think that using the
image map would be the best/fastest way of doing this.

The next question I would pose to everyone out there is if they know of
any other charting frameworks out there that do this same thing that they
would recommend. If you have any more detailed questions or I am
neglecting anything, please feel free to e-mail me at (cbuege at moreycorp
dot com) or just post a reply to this message.

Now, I'm aware that Google Charts can do this very nicely, but we are
trying to keep all of the applications in house as the charts that will be
generated won't always be on machines that will have internet access, so
we don't want to depend on Google for files external to the company.

Thanks in advance to anyone out there that can help!!

Charles



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Re: Dynamic Charting Assistance Requested

On Tue, Mar 1, 2011 at 1:37 PM, Charles W Buege wrot=
e:
> Hello out there -
>
> If anyone can help me, it'll be greatly appreciated!!
>
> I'm working with the pChart (http://www.pchart.net) PHP chart framework
> and think it is a fantastic program/product.  I am NOT knocking pCha=
rt at
> all - I'm just looking for help from my fellow users out there and trying
> to use pChart in a way that it isn't really designed for/may not be able
> to do.
>
> Here is the project I'm working on:  I'm retrieving data from an IBM
> iSeries AS/400 with a DB2 data source back end and I'm getting the data
> fine (MAD props out to ADOdb Database Abstraction Library for PHP -
> http://adodb.sourceforge.net - works like a CHAMP!!!) but I need to creat=
e
> some graphs off of said data.  Well, pChart works GREAT for the grap=
hs now
> that I understand a bit more about how it created the PNG graphs on the
> fly.  Rather, my users have two specific requests for capabilities o=
n
> these charts:
> 1.  When they mouse-over the actual data, they want to be able to ha=
ve a
> fly-over window show up with the exact value of what they are looking at
> (lower priority)

mouse-over =3D ajax =3D client side

> 2.  When they are moused-over the data, they want the ability to 'dr=
ill
> down' into the data by simply clicking on the column/data point/slice of
> pie chart/etc. (MUCH higher priority)
>

mouse-over =3D ajax =3D client side

Having to generate an image with the data and use mouse-over certain
area of a dynamic image map sounds too complicated, IMO. I think
you're better of implementing this in Flash. I'm not a Flash
developer but it should be doable in Flash.

Good luck,
Tommy


> My idea with pChart is to find out what the coordinates are for each of
> the points of data on the chart, overlay the image that is generated with
> an image map, and have the image map do the work then allowing them to
> 'click into' the chart, bringing them to either a new page or new chart,
> depending on the page they are on.
>
> So, first off, does anyone have any suggestions of a better/different way
> to do something like this?  This is just the idea I've come up with =
so
> far, so I'm not committed/married to it.  I just think that using th=
e
> image map would be the best/fastest way of doing this.
>
> The next question I would pose to everyone out there is if they know of
> any other charting frameworks out there that do this same thing that they
> would recommend.  If you have any more detailed questions or I am
> neglecting anything, please feel free to e-mail me at (cbuege at moreycor=
p
> dot com) or just post a reply to this message.
>
> Now, I'm aware that Google Charts can do this very nicely, but we are
> trying to keep all of the applications in house as the charts that will b=
e
> generated won't always be on machines that will have internet access, so
> we don't want to depend on Google for files external to the company.
>
> Thanks in advance to anyone out there that can help!!
>
> Charles
>
>
>
> This e-mail, including attachments, may contain information that is
> confidential and/or proprietary, and may only be used by the person to
> whom this email is addressed. If the recipient of this e-mail is not the
> intended recipient or an authorized agent, the reader is hereby notified
> that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this e-mail is
> prohibited. If this e-mail has been delivered to you in error, please
> notify the sender by replying to this message and deleting this e-mail
> immediately.

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