vanntastic / open_flash_chart forked from pullmonkey/open_flash_chart

The ruby on rails plugin for teethgrinder's Open Flash Chart (version 2)

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file MIT-LICENSE Thu Jul 24 08:48:52 -0700 2008 Initial commit [pullmonkey]
file README.textile
file Rakefile Thu Jul 24 08:48:52 -0700 2008 Initial commit [pullmonkey]
directory assets/ Thu Jan 08 12:50:06 -0800 2009 bar clicking ability [pullmonkey]
file init.rb Fri Dec 19 06:41:30 -0800 2008 Allows use of OFC in models without needing to ... [harryseldon]
file install.rb Fri Oct 24 20:44:29 -0700 2008 copy over assets on plugin installation [dfl]
directory lib/
directory tasks/
directory test/ Fri Nov 07 10:40:19 -0800 2008 remove test app to separate it from the plugin [harryseldon]
file uninstall.rb Thu Jul 24 08:48:52 -0700 2008 Initial commit [pullmonkey]
README.textile

OpenFlashChart

This is a fork of pullmonkey’s open flash chart plugin, it’s a great plugin that deserves a readme that is useful (to me). Here’s some links to helpful sources:

  • Project page : http://www.pullmonkey.com/projects/open_flash_chart
  • Original (non plugin) project page : http://teethgrinder.co.uk/open-flash-chart-2/

Installation

  1. run: 
    ./script/plugin install git://github.com/vanntastic/open_flash_chart.git
  2. the files should automatically copy, if they don’t you can run 
    rake ofc:install

Super Simple Example

The open_flash_chart plugin is best used when you have a action designated for generating a chart and another action for retrieving that chart request. Assuming you have a controller named test_it_controller.rb :

  
    class TestItController < ApplicationController
      
      # test_it/index
      def index
        respond_to do |wants|
          wants.html {
            @graph = open_flash_chart_object( 600, 300, url_for( :action => 'index', :format => :json ) )
          }
          wants.json { 
            chart = OpenFlashChart.new( "MY TITLE" ) do |c|
              c << BarGlass.new( :values => (1..10).sort_by{rand} )
            end
            render :text => chart, :layout => false
          }
        end
      end

    end
    
    # your layout file:
    <html>
      <head>
        <%= javascript_include_tag 'swfobject' %>
      </head>
      <body>
        <%= yield %>
      </body>
    </html>
    
    # your view at: views/test_it/index.html.erb:
    <%= @graph %>

Usage

OpenFlashChart

Generates a new flash chart object (best used in a json response), takes all the same arguments that you find at : http://teethgrinder.co.uk/open-flash-chart-2/. Here’s some quick examples to get you started with some charts:

  
    # simple bar chart
    @chart = OpenFlashChart.new "Weekly Performance" do |chart|
      # equivalent to @chart = OpenFlashChart.new; @chart.add_element(Bar.new)
      chart << Bar.new( :values => (1..10).sort_by{rand} )
      # the default yellow bg is super ugly, let's keep it clean
      c.set_bg_colour '#fff'
    end
    render :text => @chart, :layout => false

open_flash_chart_object(width, height, url, use_swfobject=true, base=“/”, swf_file_name=“open-flash-chart.swf”)

Instantiate a flash chart object, use in your controllers or views. It returns the html that will generate the chart.

Options:

  • width : the width of your chart
  • height : the height of your chart
  • url : the url where the chart is being generated
  • use_swobject : true/false (default:true) set whether or not you want to use swfobject, keeping the default is recommended
  • base : the base path from which your chart will be requested, keeping the default is recommended
  • swf_file_name : the name of the swf that generates the chart, you should never have to change this

Example :

  
    # assuming /index?format=json is setup to return a chart instance
    @graph = open_flash_chart_object( 600, 300, url_for(:action => 'index', :format => :json)
    # now you can add this to your view
    <%= @graph %>

open_flash_chart_object_and_div_name(width, height, url, use_swfobject=true, base=“/”, swf_file_name=“open-flash-chart.swf”)

Same thing as open_flash_chart_, but returns an array with the html and the divname, can be useful for working with the chart using js.

Example:

  
    @graph = open_flash_chart_object_and_div_name(600, 300, url_for( :action => 'index', :format => :json)
    # => [html, div_name]
    # So if you want to use this chart in your views:
    <%= @graph.first %>

open_flash_chart_object_from_hash(url, options={})

Same thing but allows you to pass in options as a hash.

Options:

  • url : url where chart is being generated
  • options={} : options hash:
    • :div_name = name of div
    • :base = the base path of where the chart is being generated
    • :swf_file_name = the name of the swf that is being used to generate the chart, defaults to ‘/’, it’s highly recommended to keep the default
    • :width = width of the chart
    • :height = height of the chart
    • :protocol = protocol of chart url request, defaults to ‘http://’, keeping the default is recommended
    • :obj_id = the id for the html element, defaults to a randomly generated name

My Changes

  1. This readme
  2. Added rake task : ofc:install

Examples

Example above and more to follow here – http://www.pullmonkey.com/projects/open_flash_chart

Copyright © 2008 PullMonkey, released under the MIT license