Comments on: Generating charts from accessible data tables and vice versa using the Google Charts API

By: Robin Winslow

Robin Winslow — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:56:01 +0000

There seems to be a problem with the Google Chart API whereby it can only handle up to three digit numbers. If it has more than 3 digits it just ignores the last digit.

Try it with 10 and 1000:
http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?cht=p3&chs=450x150&chd=t:10,1000
You will find it looks exactly the same as 10 and 100:
http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?cht=p3&chs=450x150&chd=t:13,100
And is therefore wrong.

So, if I get around to it I will put something in the JS to check if any of the pieces of data in a chart exceed 3 digits, and if they do, reduce all data by the required number of digits to bring all data within 3 digits, so that everything remains proportionally correct (10 and 1000 would translate to 1 and 100 rather than 10 and 100 as Google would do automatically).

If I do this I'll post the next script here.

Robin.

By: Blogger

Blogger — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:21:28 +0000

This API is great,
Google APIs are amazing,
I had implement a UI editor for Google Charts, you can access it at
http://chartgen.blogspot.com

By: Tony Hirst

Tony Hirst — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 09:58:59 +0000

Hi
I was just have a quick look at the UN data browser (e.g. http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=london&d=CDB&f=srID:6850 ) and it stuck me that you script could be used as part of a bookmarklet powered app that could:

1) pop-up a list of tables in a page;
2) allow you to select (and maybe preview the first 2-3 rows) of each column in a given table
3) use the selected columns to provide the chart data

tony

By: Stéphane Deschamps

Stéphane Deschamps — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:10:46 +0000

I've pondered a few days before commenting, but I have the impression that this kind of script is the last point that was needed to make the longdesc attribute definitely history.

I don't mean you've nailed the coffin yourself, but I get the idea that some people will go "Oh, we don't need longdesc, now that there are simple and elegant solutions like Chris's".

Shouldn't we somewhere be clear about the very specific usage of your scripts? I fear the pseudo-magic effect at work here. What do you think?

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:13:09 +0000

@alastairc aye, check out the YUI blog today: http://yuiblog.com/blog/2008/01/17/tables-and-charts/