big.faceless.org has released Graph Library Version 2. This release includes a JSP Tag Library interface, and adds a substantial number of new features requested over the past 5 years.

Key features:

• XML and JSP Tag Library interface, for extremely easy integration with web projects
• Very comprehensive API and Tag documentation with dozens of examples
• Embed JavaScript in tags to easily create powerful rollovers
• Full 3D engine with adjustable light source
• Output to PNG, SVG, Macromedia Flash, PDF or java.awt.Image for use in Applets
• Graph Dates, Currencies, Percentages, Numbers and Discrete data out of the box, extendable for control over the axes
• Mix Bars, Lines, Candles, Bubbles, all on the same graph
• Add text, lines or custom markers anywhere on the graph, including axes
• Use up to four axes on the one graph, including logarithmic axes
• Plot mathematical functions, data samples and spline curves fitted to data, all on the same graph

Is there any free alternative ?

I would like to impress our customers a bit by putting a graph in WEB app. Of course it's not worth to purchase this lib just for that.

I've had good success with jfreechart.

Yes, JFreeChart is a very nice charting library, free and well-suited for financial applications.

--
Igor Zavialov, Factoreal Corp.
Financial Data and Technical Analysis solutions.

Is there any free alternative ?I would like to impress our customers a bit by putting a graph in WEB app. Of course it's not worth to purchase this lib just for that.

http://www.jfree.org/jfreechart/index.php

http://conferences.oreillynet.com/presentations/os2005/sullivan_sean.ppt

There is also the Cewolf (http://cewolf.sourceforge.net/new/index.html) tag library, which uses JFreeChart.

Patrick

Maybe it is not java related, does anyone know how to produce the chart like apache stats? http://people.apache.org/~vgritsenko/stats/

The site states:
# Perl script, processing plain text files and writing an SVG graphics.
# Batik, converting SVG graphics to the PNG files.

I think it is better looking than JfreeChart, so if anyone knows which library/package I can use, please share your precious comment, thanks.

Matthew Kwong

ITs very astonishing that there is not a single good open source charts/graphs library.

Cewolf, jfreechart etc all are not upto the mark. Too many issues in the code and not very flexible. Also you have to spend time in reading the half baked documents. Its frsutating if you go beyond simple charts, single dimensions.

APACHE should dedicate a project to building a new library for chart n graphs. I m sure it will be the best of the best.

...we need good graphs... Apache must... Apache should...
Why there is no... It is frustration not to have...

There is always real solutions:

-- create your library yourself
-- help OS to improve code and docs
-- find not-free solution
-- donate money to Apache or other OS to make good impl.
-- go dotnet
-- go lazlo or other technologies
-- get bottle of tequilla and stop crying for
good free charting libs

AV

...we need good graphs... Apache must... Apache should...Why there is no... It is frustration not to have...There is always real solutions:-- create your library yourself-- help OS to improve code and docs-- find not-free solution-- donate money to Apache or other OS to make good impl.-- go dotnet-- go lazlo or other technologies-- get bottle of tequilla and stop crying for good free charting libsAV

1. I m not that expert. This is as good as asking people to write your own OS if windows sucks. Have you done that ? So easy to talk like a big buy. you are a good manager material - sit on fat ass.
2. i have contributing been on the QA / testing of apache jmeter
3. about tequilla and all , i guess thats what you are on right now ...

Stop lecturing people the moment they ask anything from open source - not everyone is good at everything and I know apache and spring are the few good open source folks who are good out there. Rest is half backed ideas.

...we need good graphs... Apache must... Apache should...Why there is no... It is frustration not to have...There is always real solutions:-- create your library yourself-- help OS to improve code and docs-- find not-free solution-- donate money to Apache or other OS to make good impl.-- go dotnet-- go lazlo or other technologies-- get bottle of tequilla and stop crying for good free charting libsAV

1. I m not that expert. This is as good as asking people to write your own OS if windows sucks. Have you done that ? So easy to talk like a big buy. you are a good manager material - sit on fat ass.

2. i have contributing been on the QA / testing of apache jmeter

3. about tequilla and all , i guess thats what you are on right now ... Stop lecturing people the moment they ask anything from open source - not everyone is good at everything and I know apache and spring are the few good open source folks who are good out there. Rest is half backed ideas.

people like to moan and complain :)

complaining aside, it would be great to have a generic graphing library that can do the basic statistical charts/graphs. that way, I can use it in jmeter to write a reporting component for stress/functional tests.

peter

[...] I know apache and spring are the few good open source folks who are good out there. Rest is half backed ideas.

LOL ... or was this meant to be serious?

[...] I know apache and spring are the few good open source folks who are good out there. Rest is half backed ideas.

LOL ... or was this meant to be serious?

its true to a great extent. i may have missed few others. but my statement still stands true.

i just can't believe that an open source project, the jfreechart, has the best looking graphs in java world. I've really searched for a better one, but there was't any, commercial or free. Just go http://www.dotnetcharting.com/ ; these're what i'm looking for.

Someone(like ibm) must donate jfreechart,jasperreports etc.

Ahmet Akyol you are corect

the dotnetcharting have great looking.
Java need some of this good looking, to impress the clients ;)

However I'm quite surprised by the (apparently) low usage of 3D in jfree, where the guys from dotnetcharting are using it a lot more.

Am I right in my observation ? If yes, why ?

Thanks in advance
    ZedroS

BIRT has one.

i've just downloaded birt and now playing with it. it seems to be a real report tool with nice charting extras. But we look forward to a pretty looking chart api, dont we?

P.s: Sorry for the title 'oray egin', it was for a newspaper forum. you know, copy-paste is the easiest and the gratest way of errors :)

I was looking at JCharts and it looks like it has a nice set of features. Haven't dug into the API yet, but it looks decent so far.

I also wish there was a high quality professional level OSS charting library, but that's rather hard to do. If I had more time, I'd try to start one, but I'm already short on freetime.

peter

Still looking for an open-source chart/graph package that can generate organization charts. Anyone know of such a beast? Thanks in advance!

best,
assmund

Still looking for an open-source chart/graph package that can generate organization charts. Anyone know of such a beast? Thanks in advance!best,assmund

try JGraph.

What I'm looking for is not just charting of graphs of data but general "drawing" from server-side (the aim is to be able
to chart "special graphs" for soarings forecasts, and
hopefully one day something for 3D graphing of GPS tracks,
maybe using SVG and maybe similar to OpenGL's idea of
"define object in 3D space and let the engine do the
rendering from wherever viewpoint the user inserts").

I'm aware of the comment about "getting off my butt and do
it the open-source way" but I hardly find time for my
single pet FOSS project, let alone a graphing library for
it.

I suppose if I won't find anything satisfactory then I'll
have to learn to write something of my own but just in
case someone has already beat me to it...

What I'm looking for is not just charting of graphs of data but general "drawing" from server-side ...

Try Java2D API.

What I'm looking for is not just charting of graphs of data but general "drawing" from server-side (the aim is to be ableto chart "special graphs" for soarings forecasts, andhopefully one day something for 3D graphing of GPS tracks,maybe using SVG and maybe similar to OpenGL's idea of"define object in 3D space and let the engine do therendering from wherever viewpoint the user inserts").I'm aware of the comment about "getting off my butt and doit the open-source way" but I hardly find time for mysingle pet FOSS project, let alone a graphing library forit.I suppose if I won't find anything satisfactory then I'llhave to learn to write something of my own but just incase someone has already beat me to it...

If you like XML, you can try Apache Batik, generates vector graphios based on SVG.

If you like XML, you can try Apache Batik, generates vector graphios based on SVG.

I would recommend Batik to those who are looking for an SVG lib. JMeter uses it to generate PNG files for the graphs.

peter

If you like XML, you can try Apache Batik, generates vector graphios based on SVG.

I would recommend Batik to those who are looking for an SVG lib. JMeter uses it to generate PNG files for the graphs.peter

you can use it for serverside though... i mean applets or applications only not servlets.

Is it possible to have a graph that updates dynamically from the server (say a stock ticker) with XMLHTTPRequest so the page is never refreshed?

Is it possible to have a graph that updates dynamically from the server (say a stock ticker) with XMLHTTPRequest so the page is never refreshed?

I think you're going to have to use something like an applet, which can handle messaging. Even with AJAX, the browser is sending a request in the background, it just hides the fact it's happening. For something like a stock ticker, req/resp isn't really appropriate. You're better off having an applet that uses JMS topic messages. This way, the server can publish a single message to all active browser sessions.

peter

Even with AJAX, the browser is sending a request in the background, it just hides the fact it's happening. For something like a stock ticker, req/resp isn't really appropriate. You're better off having an applet that uses JMS topic messages. This way, the server can publish a single message to all active browser sessions.peter

I see your point for a stockticker, but I'm more interested in knowing whether updating a graph without page refresh is possible. JFreeChart generates PNG images right? So would you be able to periodically get new PNG images from the server and update a chart using Javascript without doing a browser refresh?

Probably a newbie question, I don't use Javascript often.

Even with AJAX, the browser is sending a request in the background, it just hides the fact it's happening. For something like a stock ticker, req/resp isn't really appropriate. You're better off having an applet that uses JMS topic messages. This way, the server can publish a single message to all active browser sessions.peter

I see your point for a stockticker, but I'm more interested in knowing whether updating a graph without page refresh is possible. JFreeChart generates PNG images right? So would you be able to periodically get new PNG images from the server and update a chart using Javascript without doing a browser refresh?Probably a newbie question, I don't use Javascript often.

I've seen real-time stock tickers written as an applet using AWT/Swing. Using a PNG In this case isn't really desirable for a couple of reasons.

1. the user may only want to view a certain time period, which means any raster image like TIF, PNG, BMP, JPG would become pixelated.

2. it's better to use a vector format, so that you can control the clipping, which should make it easier to zoom in/out.

3. it's easier to make the ticker scroll left/right as new data is received by the browser/application.

4. using a vector format will make it easier to provide features like mouseover, which shows the price of a given stock at a specific time.

these are common techniques for building real-time and non-real-time stock/trading applications. rasterized image formats are less than ideal for dynamic charts in my bias opinion.

peter

Even with AJAX, the browser is sending a request in the background, it just hides the fact it's happening. For something like a stock ticker, req/resp isn't really appropriate. You're better off having an applet that uses JMS topic messages. This way, the server can publish a single message to all active browser sessions.peter

I see your point for a stockticker, but I'm more interested in knowing whether updating a graph without page refresh is possible. JFreeChart generates PNG images right? So would you be able to periodically get new PNG images from the server and update a chart using Javascript without doing a browser refresh?Probably a newbie question, I don't use Javascript often.

I've seen real-time stock tickers written as an applet using AWT/Swing. Using a PNG In this case isn't really desirable for a couple of reasons.1. the user may only want to view a certain time period, which means any raster image like TIF, PNG, BMP, JPG would become pixelated.2. it's better to use a vector format, so that you can control the clipping, which should make it easier to zoom in/out.3. it's easier to make the ticker scroll left/right as new data is received by the browser/application.4. using a vector format will make it easier to provide features like mouseover, which shows the price of a given stock at a specific time.these are common techniques for building real-time and non-real-time stock/trading applications. rasterized image formats are less than ideal for dynamic charts in my bias opinion.peter

For dynamic client-side browser vector graphics, SVG is the way to go. There is a IE plugin at Adobe. You can update graphs dinamically with AJAX as the plugin exposes SGV DOM to IE's javascript.

Firefox 1.5 beta has SVG rendering built in, less dependence on plugin or converting to .PNG or whatever image format with batik.

Could also be worth having a look at.

Hi, The is another cross browser Ajax Graph/Draw library on http://www.openjacob.org/draw2d.html available. Greetings Andreas

thanks for the link Andreas!!it helps a lot

 buffalo logo design

For something like a stock ticker, req/resp isn't really appropriate. You're better off having an applet that uses JMS topic messages.

If you really want to do it right, you would ditch the applet entirely and use a Flash-based stock ticker, like E*Trade currently uses. You could then use OpenAMF/Flex for the data collection portion.

For something like a stock ticker, req/resp isn't really appropriate. You're better off having an applet that uses JMS topic messages.

If you really want to do it right, you would ditch the applet entirely and use a Flash-based stock ticker, like E*Trade currently uses. You could then use OpenAMF/Flex for the data collection portion.

then you could also animate pacman going across the graph too :)

sorry, couldn't resist.

peter

...if I see people moaning about there not being a good "open source (as in free as in no charge) charting library" I am close to puking.

Nothing against open source, but if people shy away paying $800 for a graphic library (around 1-2 days worth of consulting) per CPU deployment, I rub my eyes.

How much greed is there in you people that you do not even fathom to pay your toolmakers decently. I do wish the carpenter upon you guys who buys all his tools in the "Everything $1" shop.

That said, I find it actually quite strange that no professional open source charting library for Java has evolved, since I would have thought that at least universities (physics departments and the like), would invent something like it (*). Yet, you still get better (not necessarily flashier ) charts out of xmgr than out of most "charting libs".

(*) If you are trying, please take some time to read "The Visual Display of Quantitative Information" rather than "Say it with charts" to get going.

I think they over paying too...as much as 1k for it..too bad

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